Celebrating 50 Years of Bribie Island living

Celebrating 50 years of loving Bribie Island!

Recently the "50 Years" sign (on the foreshore walking path at Brennan Park) which had been facing into the weather since 2007, was replaced with a new sign.

01: Celebrating 50 years - Ted & Pat; 
Stella ; Sally ; Kling family
Photo taken by Lynne Hooper.

02: Celebrating 50 years - Margo ; 
Frank ; Betty ; Tesch family
Photo taken by Lynne Hooper.

In 2005, residents who had lived a continuous 50 years or more on Bribie Island were interviewed. All have made a lasting contribution to the island’s community. 

TED & PAT

‘Fifty years ago, when Past and I were married, we settled permanently on Bribie. The place was paradise – there is no other description for it’. Ted Clayton.  (italic text)

It was on Bribie Island that Ted’s parents fell in love in the 1920s. Ted had spent holidays here, even periodically attending the primary school.

After marrying Pat in 1954, they moved to Bribie Islands and raised three daughters and a son. Carpenter, Ted built the family home at 11 South Esplanade. He built the furniture as well. Ted was also General Foreman during the Bribie island bridge construction.

The couple ran the Bait and Tackle Store. Ted’s fishing skills became legendary. In 1970, he began a 20-year stint writing for the magazine, ‘Fishing World’.

To view the 2007 sign details - Ted and Patricia Clayton
http://bribieislandhistory.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-years-on-bribie-2005-ted-and.html

STELLA 

After the war in 1946, newly-weds, Stella (nee Aroney b. 1919) and returned solider, Percival Ray arrived on Bribie Island. They purchased land at 4 Spowers Street (for around $45 in today’s currency) and erected two small ex-army huts. They, along with daughter, Glenda lived there without electricity, running water or sewerage before completing their new home in 1980.

In the early days, the couple ran a boat hire business and caught and sold yabbies. As tourism grew, Stella worked in the boarding houses, cafes and take-away shops.

Bicycle Stella: The family never owned a car, so Stella rode her bicycle everywhere. At the age of 75 she was hit by a car but recovered to continue her active life.

To view the 2007 sign details - Stella Ray

http://bribieislandhistory.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-years-on-bribie-2005-stella-ray.html

SALLY

Beautify tree-lined Brennan Park, where you stand today, is named in recognition of the community service shown by Sally and Bernie Brennan.

Sally (‘Sarah’ nee Herbert, b. 1920) and Bernie Brennan settled into Bribie life a year after marrying in 1940. Sally was the daughter of publicans – she was born in the hotel they ran in Sandgate. The family had also lived on Bribie Island for a few years in the 1930s.

Sally and Bernie raised three boys. They opened ‘Brennan’s Store’ in 1945, using a small wooden house they had purchased in Toorbul Street (almost opposite this sign).

The store sold a wide variety of goods and produce, proving very popular with holiday makers, most of whom in those days pitched tents along the foreshore. The family ran the shop for 33 years.

Gold Ticket: In 1965, Brennan’s Store sold a winning Golden Casket Lottery ticket to Island resident, Stella Ray.

To view the 2007 sign details - Sally Brennan

http://bribieislandhistory.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-years-on-bribie-2005-sally-brennan.html

KLING FAMILY

Three members of the Kling Family may hold a record for the longest continuous Bribie residency: Mavis arrived 1920, Fred, 1935 and son, Peter, 1945.

Mavis (nee Ormiston) was born on Bribie Island in 1920. In 1937 she married baker, Fred Kling who had arrived here for work.

During the Second World War troops moved onto Bribie Island. Residents, aside from those few who could service the troops, were evacuated. The Kling family purchased the Island’s bakery from Tom Read, (who had operated it since 1931) and supplied baked goods to the troop here and at Toorbul Point.

The bakery was located at 18 Banya Street for 55 years. When son, Peter took over the business, it was relocated to Cornett’s Arcade on Welsby Parade. Peter retired in 2001.

Community dedication: Aside from running the bakery, Fred was a 1949 founding member of the Bongaree Bowls Club, and their other son, Richard, became a doctor to the Island’s residents.

To view the 2007 sign details - The Kling Family
http://bribieislandhistory.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-years-on-bribie-2005-kling-family.html

MARGO

Margo was one of the first pupils to enrol in the new Bribie Island State School in 1924. Generations of Margo’s family all attended the same school. 

In 1918, at the age of six, Margo (Madeline) Whitney’s family moved to Bribie Island. Father, George worked in road construction. He helped construct the road from Bongaree to Woorim using coal cinders from the furnaces on the ss Koopa.

During WWII, when most residents were evacuated from the Island, Margo stayed and worked in the local stores and a temporary hotel (relocated from Woorim). After the war, she opened a shop at Mac’s Corner on Third Ave selling fruit, vegetables, poultry and fabric.  In 1962, she opened ‘Pretty Girl’ frock salon in Toorbul Street, and in 1970, ‘Coast Casuals’ in the new shopping block on First Ave. For 87 years Margo contributed much to the character and commercial development of the Island. She was also a founding member of the Bongaree Ladies Bowls Club in 1952.

The ‘Twelve Apostles’: These were holiday huts that once lined this foreshore. Margo, her two sisters and mother, Louisa lived in one for a while.

To view the 2007 sign details - Margo Whitney

http://bribieislandhistory.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-years-on-bribie-2005-margo-whitney.html

FRANK

Frank Lee’s knowledge of commercial fishing contributed to sustainable fishing practices for Bribie Island.

The Lee family arrived on Bribie in 1953 when Frank was a young boy. It was fishing that caught Frank’s interest, and he immersed himself among the Island’s fishing community.

Frank became a commercial fisherman. Over the years his knowledge and experience of environmental and conservation fishing grew and he opened his own training company for sustainable fishing practices and accreditation. 

Island burial: Frank’s father was a soft drink manufacturer. He became one of only two buried on the Island. When the land was wanted for development, he was exhumed and relocated to the mainland.

To view the 2007 sign details - Frank Lee

http://bribieislandhistory.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-years-on-bribie-2005-frank-lee.html

BETTY 

After serving in the British Air Force during the war, Betty (b. 1920), along with her mother, arrived in Australia. It was 1951.

They were following Betty’s younger sister who had married an Australian solider and were now living in Caboolture. A couple of years later Betty met Horace Lougheed, a keen fisherman and they moved to Bribie Island.

Here Horace became involved in property and building. Their home at 179 Welsby Parade was known as Avalon. It was set opposite the bay, although in those days wind-beaten trees and swamp bushes obscured their view to the water. Today, the home has an expansive bay vista.

Duck Inn: In the early days, Betty’s local store (now Cornett’s Supermarket) was nick-named the ‘Duck Inn’ – you had to duck in, as the doorway was set below street level.

To view the 2007 sign details - Betty Lougheed

http://bribieislandhistory.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-years-on-bribie-2005-betty-lougheed.html

TESCH FAMILY 

The Tesch family have made a huge contribution to Bribie Island, including running a cinema, a barge service and an electrical repairs business. 

Ben and Myrtle Tesch ran a cinema in Caboolture n the 1930s. Their son, Ivan, became their projectionist. The cinema was working round the clock during the war years entertaining the troops.

After the war the family moved to Bribie Island and Ivan married Clare. They built a unique round house at 17 Banya Street in 1950.

In the 1950s the Tesch family set up a cinema in the Anglican Church Hall where Clare played the organ during church services. The cinema moved to its own premises in Cotterill Ave, but attendance waned as TV’s popularity grew. It closed in 1973.

Ionosphere: In 1967, the University of Queensland established an ionospheric Research Centre on Bribie Island to monitor signals in the upper atmosphere. Ivan was their laboratory manager for the electrical workshop, a position he held for 18 years.

To view the 2007 sign - Ivan and Clare Tesch
 http://bribieislandhistory.blogspot.com/2015/12/50-years-on-bribie-2005-ivan-and-clare.html

At the bottom of the sign in a coloured band.

For more information about celebrating 50 years of loving Bribie Island, visit www.bribieislandhistory.blogspot.com or email bribieislandhistoricalsociety@gmail.com

Research by historian and Rotarian, Barry Clark to commemorate the centenary of Rotary International in 2005. Moreton Bay Regional Council would like to thank all families for generously donating their memories.

Nostalgic Reflections of Bribie 50 years ago

The following article was printed in The Bribie Islander, issue 44, March 2018, pages 30-31.

History Page

By Barry Clark

Bribie Island Historical Society

50+ years on Bribie residents plaque, Brennan Park.
Photo: Barry Clark

The following item of “Nostalgia” was first written by Ted Clayton back in 2004, and is one of several documents he has shared with me recording his memories of Bribie Island. 

Ted has over 80 wonderful and challenging years of memories to look back on, and has lived on the island since he married in 1954. Ted and Pat Clayton are one of the “50+ years on Bribie” pioneers that I had commemorated on a plaque in Brennan Park. 

 Ted’s parents Ernie and Marion met on Bribie Island in the 1920s when they had rental properties and lived most of their time here until 1984. Ted grew up in Brisbane but spent much of his early childhood on family holidays on Bribie, attending the Primary School for periods during the 1940's.

Bribie Bridge under construction 1963.

In 1954 Ted married Patricia and they came to live on Bribie in a house Ted built himself at No.11 South Esplanade. As a carpenter Ted did contract building work and together they ran a bait and tackle store. Their family of three daughters and a son grew up on the island.

During the construction of the Bribie Island Bridge in the early 1960's Ted was the General Foreman.

Ted Clayton, Fishing
World cover, Dec 1978.
Photo: Barry Clark

Ted Clayton was also one of the islands most renowned fishermen and from 1970 wrote regular articles about fishing, and became a regular contributor and field editor for "Fishing World" for over 20 years. Ted's articles about fishing around Bribie Island created nation-wide interest.

Ted Clayton + big fish.

There is not a square inch of Bribie Island that Ted has not explored in his 80 years roaming the island.

In 1990 Ted and Pat moved from South Esplanade Bongaree, to live a quieter life at Whitepatch.

The following document is one of several that Ted has written to document and share some of his memories of Bribie Island, and I hope to bring you more of his great memories in the months ahead.

NOSTALGIC REFLECTIONS OF BRIBIE 50 YEARS AGO

BY TED CLAYTON

Fifty years ago when Pat and I were married we settled permanently on Bribie. The Place was paradise – there is no other description for it.

Making a living was a starvation pastime but that was the only drawback. 

In my Batchelor days I worked in the scrub in North Queensland. My parents had more use for my spare cash than I did and they repaid the favour with an allotment in South Esplanade. To make it vacant I had to move a small house that was on it to the back of the allotment to the south. My parents owned that block. It already had one house on the front. It was my first house move and I undertook it with more guts than brains. Looking back I wonder at my parents feelings. It was their house and they had a lot at stake. You are a bit thoughtless when you are young.

My partner and I moved a couple of big houses from block to block with the Council tree puller. A bit of sherbet could get you that. Tthere was no dirt for filling on the Island but sometimes a truck would conveniently break down outside the job. All perfectly good natured. Life was a bit simpler then.

The process with the houses was to jack them up – put longitudinal timbers on the stumps then place some more crosswise. The faces of both of these where they met was liberally rubbed with laundry soap (‘Velvet’). The tree puller was attached to the house and once the thing moved the timbers glazed and went quite well. There was a bit more to it than that of course. One had one metre stumps that were rotten and as soon as we started pulling half of them snapped and we had to get under it to salvage things.

I was very fit – I built our house in my spare time in twelve months. We had no floor coverings or curtains, we bathed in a basin. The Rentons were next door and both houses survived on 1,000 gallon tanks.

The Renton’s system, in the kitchen sink, was to wash themselves, wash the kids, wash the dishes then do the laundry. I made our furniture at night at a work bench in the main room. The Council would have a fit these days but no one thought it odd at the time. The toilet was a thunder box out the back. Pat accepted it all in good spirit.

The best advantage was the position. In front we had a pristine beach where one could swim and sunbake. Our children grew up with that. You could not put a price on it. Going fishing was as easy as crossing the road and stepping into a dinghy.

The roads on the Island were simply wheel tracks in the sand. That was South Esplanade – two-wheel tracks. There was not a shovelful of road gravel anywhere.

Early on we had a special Island Registration fee for our vehicles. In theory they couldn’t get onto the mainland.

Mostly we bought old ‘bombs’ that couldn’t run on main roads. One, I forget the make, needed an eighteen inch piece of flooring jammed between the gear lever and the dash panel to keep it in top gear. It had no brakes at all. You turned off the ignition coming into a corner and turned it on again as you came out. I had one vehicle, a Dodge Six, that had as much guts as any four-wheel drive that I have ever driven. 

Its failing was the steering box. It took about six turns of the wheel to have any effect. On a bush track you had a very active time. I used to drive it through the scrub to Dux Creek chasing mud crabs. That area is where Bellara now stands but in those days it was a very pretty marshy place with a lovely fresh water creek running through it. The old Dodge would chug through across a ‘corduroy’ of logs and up a greasy slope on the other side as easy as you like.

One of my most respectable was a Chev, a 1934 I think, that I bought in Brisbane for the equivalent of fifty dollars. It was fully registered, I even took it on the mainland once.
Today’s car buffs would cry. We did some shocking things to some lovely old cars but they were cheap and all that we could afford.

I once went to Brisbane car shopping with my building partner. He finally found one out near Mt. Gravatt. It was a Rugby in immaculate show room condition – hood, upholstery, the lot. He got it for the usual fifty bucks. I drove it back to Bribie. The barge was running by then. We took a hacksaw and cut it off behind the front seat down to the chassis. Everything but the front seat was thrown into the scrub. He fixed some rough hardwood on the chassis and called it a utility. It lasted three years. 

One of the jobs that I took on for a while was driving an eight-ton Bedford truck for the Rentons. Driving to the Darra Cement Works for cement was one task. A bit hairy because at first I had no idea how to get there. Cement had the advantage of being warm. If I missed the last barge I would crawl under the tarp and go to sleep.

I have told you that gravel for building was worth a fortune on the Island in the early days. I later did trips to S&S Gravel at the Pine River for gravel. What one was allowed to put on a truck was foreign to us all. ‘As much as it could carry’. It certainly never occurred to me that anyone would give you more gravel than you paid for. I paid at the office for the load and they directed me to an excavator that would load it. I stood back and watched. After a while the operator looked at me and raised his hands and his eyebrows. Apparently it was up to me to say when. I got to the gate and the mob in the office had a talk. The portable scales were working somewhere so they told me to take a dirt back road to avoid them. Things went OK until I reached a very steep hill and didn’t have enough power to get over it. All that I could see half a kilometre back down the track was a very rickety and narrow bridge. Fortunately I had Pop with me. I stood on the brakes, pulled on the hand brake, turned the motor off in gear and got Pop to put some big rocks under the wheel. Then I got into it with a shovel and put a pile of it into the gutter. You live and learn.

Another choice run was to Attewell’s saw mill at Caboolture for timber. Again you simply loaded all that you could get on. The long stuff piled up on either side of the cabin until you needed to be a snake to get into the seat. I had to back it down onto the barge and at low tide and that was a spooky business.

Another job that I took on for money was an eviction out at Woorim. The tenant wouldn’t get out. It required someone to stay full time on the front verandah for three days. I knew the bloke vaguely and he took it quite well. The inside of the place was a complete pig sty.

I put in a price and got the job of erecting steel towers along the Ocean Beach for the Coordinator Generals Department, and I also renovated one of the old navigation lights at the top end of the Island.

I put the lookout cabin on top of A.P.M.’s (Australian Paper Mill) one-hundred-foot fire tower. Most of it got put together on the ground and was lifted by a crane but I did the finishing touches hanging on like a fly. Anything for a quid.

Ted Clayton, 2004.

Reference:
Clayton, T. (2018) Nostalgic Reflections of Bribie 50 years ago. The Bribie Islander issue 44, March 2018, pages 30-31.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Margo Whitney

50 years on Bribie Island - Margo Whitney

The Bongaree Heritage Trail signs record those few residents who, in 2005, were still living on Bribie Island after 50 years or more continuous residence. Each, in their own way, has made a lasting contribution to the island's community.  Sally Brennan nee Herbert, Ted and Patricia Clayton, The Kling Family, Frank Lee, Betty Lougheed, Stella Ray, Ivan and Clare Tesch and Margo Whitney.

The following excerpt is from the Program for the Official unveiling "50 years on Bribie" Heritage Trail Sign, Wednesday 7 November 2007, Brennan Park, Bongaree.

Margo Whitney

Madeline (Margo) Whitney came to Bribie Island from Kingaroy with her family in 1918 at the age of six.  Her father George Smith was involved in road construction works including the road from Bongaree to the ocean at Woorim, using cinders from the steamship Koopa.  Her mother Louisa and the three daughters lived for a while in one of the “Twelve Apostle” huts and Margo was one of the first pupils enrolled at the new Bribie School.  Her daughter, granddaughter and great grandchildren have since attended the same school.

 

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Margo Whitney
Photo: Barry Clark

During the war, Margo remained on the island providing essential services at local stores and the temporary hotel, which was relocated during the war from Woorim to Bongaree.  After the war, she opened her own shop at Mac’s Corner on Third Avenue selling fruit, vegetables, poultry and fabric.  In 1962 she opened the “Pretty Girl” frock salon in Toorbul Street and then in 1970 “Coast Casuals” in the new shopping block on First Avenue.

Margo lived for a time in the one isolated house on the left side of the road to Woorim. She was an active community member and was involved in many fund raising ventures.  Margo was a founding member of the Bongaree Ladies Bowls Club in 1952.  At the age of 92 in 2005, Margo had contributed much to the character and commercial development of Bribie Island over 87 years.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Ivan and Clare Tesch

50 years on Bribie Island - Ivan and Clare Tesch

The Bongaree Heritage Trail signs record those few residents who, in 2005, were still living on Bribie Island after 50 years or more continuous residence. Each, in their own way, has made a lasting contribution to the island's community.  Sally Brennan nee Herbert, Ted and Patricia Clayton, The Kling Family, Frank Lee, Betty Lougheed, Stella Ray, Ivan and Clare Tesch and Margo Whitney.

The following excerpt is from the Program for the Official unveiling "50 years on Bribie" Heritage Trail Sign, Wednesday 7 November 2007, Brennan Park, Bongaree.

Ivan and Clare Tesch

Ivan's parents Ben and Myrtle Tesch had lived in Caloundra and Caboolture in the 1930s where they established the Rex Cinema.  Ivan became the projectionist.  During the war years, it was a round-the-clock operation to meet the needs of the many troops stationed in the area. 

After the war, the family moved to Bribie Island and Ivan married Clare.  In 1950 they built a unique round house at Banya Street and soon began a cinema operation, initially in the Anglican Church Hall.  Local artist Ian Fairweather was a regular visitor to these early film shows. 

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Ivan and Clare Tesch
Photo: Barry Clark

Clare began playing the organ in the Anglican Church in 1950 and was still doing so in 2005.  Ben and Ivan also ran the barge ferry service to the island from Toorbul Point and were involved in many business ventures including building and construction, ice and cold storage and electrical repairs.  The cinema moved to its own premises in Cotterill Avenue, and remained very popular until 1973 when the increasing impact of television forced its closure.  The cinema building was then sold to the Baptist Church. 

In 1967, the University of Queensland established an Ionospheric Research Centre on the island to monitor signals in the upper atmosphere.  Because of his diverse experience, Ivan was offered a job in the electrical workshop as a laboratory manager, a position he occupied for the next 18 years until he retired in 1988.  The entire Tesch family has made a significant contribution to Bribie Island for almost 60 years and continues to do so today.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Stella Ray

50 years on Bribie Island - Stella Ray

The Bongaree Heritage Trail signs record those few residents who, in 2005, were still living on Bribie Island after 50 years or more continuous residence. Each, in their own way, has made a lasting contribution to the island's community.  Sally Brennan nee Herbert, Ted and Patricia Clayton, The Kling Family, Frank Lee, Betty Lougheed, Stella Ray, Ivan and Clare Tesch and Margo Whitney.

The following excerpt is from the Program for the Official unveiling "50 years on Bribie" Heritage Trail Sign, Wednesday 7 November 2007, Brennan Park, Bongaree.

Stella Ray

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Stella Ray
Photo: Barry Clark

Stella Ray (nee Aroney) was born in Brisbane in 1919 and came to Bribie Island when she married her ex-soldier husband Percival after the War in 1946. They brought two small second hand ex-army huts by ship to the Island and erected them on land purchased at Spowers Street for £25.  Stella and Percival were among only a few hundred permanent Island residents at that time and lived in these huts without electricity, water or sewerage for 33 years until they built a modest new home on the same block in 1980. The army huts were only demolished in 2004.

They caught yabbies and ran a boat hire business for the tourists as their daughter Glenda grew up.  Stella worked over the next 40 years in the boarding houses, cafés and take-away shops, which opened for the growing tourist trade.  The Rays never owned a motor car, but Stella was a familiar sight riding her bicycle around the Island for over 30 years before she was badly injured when hit by a car at age 75.  Percival Ray died in 2004.  Stella Ray recovered from her accident and still lives an active life after more than 59 years continuous residence on Bribie Island.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Betty Lougheed

50 years on Bribie Island - Betty Lougheed

The Bongaree Heritage Trail signs record those few residents who, in 2005, were still living on Bribie Island after 50 years or more continuous residence. Each, in their own way, has made a lasting contribution to the island's community.  Sally Brennan nee Herbert, Ted and Patricia Clayton, The Kling Family, Frank Lee, Betty Lougheed, Stella Ray, Ivan and Clare Tesch and Margo Whitney.

The following excerpt is from the Program for the Official unveiling "50 years on Bribie" Heritage Trail Sign, Wednesday 7 November 2007, Brennan Park, Bongaree.

Betty Lougheed

Betty came to Bribie Island at the age of 33 with her husband Horace in 1953 and moved into “Avalon” on Welsby Parade where she has lived ever since.  Although the house today has direct views to Pumicestone Passage, back in those days she could not see the water for the many trees and swamp growth.

 

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Betty Lougheed
Photo: Barry Clark

Betty was born in England in 1920 and served in the Air Force during the War. Her younger sister married an Australian soldier after the War and came to live in Caboolture.  Betty and her mother followed soon after, coming out to Brisbane in 1951.

In 1953 Betty married Horace and he brought his new bride to live on Bribie Island.  Horace was a keen fisherman and was involved in property and building. The only local shop in those days, on the site of the current Cornetts store, was known as the “Duck Inn” as it had a very low entry door below the road level.

Horace died in 1979 but Betty has continued to live her very private life enjoying her garden and the amazing development of Bribie Island.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Frank Lee

50 years on Bribie Island - Frank Lee

The Bongaree Heritage Trail signs record those few residents who, in 2005, were still living on Bribie Island after 50 years or more continuous residence. Each, in their own way, has made a lasting contribution to the island's community.  Sally Brennan nee Herbert, Ted and Patricia Clayton, The Kling Family, Frank Lee, Betty Lougheed, Stella Ray, Ivan and Clare Tesch and Margo Whitney.

The following excerpt is from the Program for the Official unveiling "50 years on Bribie" Heritage Trail Sign, Wednesday 7 November 2007, Brennan Park, Bongaree.

Frank Lee

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Frank Lee
Photo: Barry Clark

Frank came to the Island as a young boy with his family in 1953.  He has had a long association with the commercial fishing industry in the area.  His father was a soft drink manufacturer and was one of only two people known to have been buried on Bribie Island.  His father’s grave was later exhumed and relocated to the mainland.

Frank grew up among the Bribie Island fishing community and became a commercial fisherman.  As a young man, he developed a considerable knowledge and experience of environmental and conservation practices.  He now runs his own training company passing on these skills through industry training courses for sustainable fishing practices and accreditation.  During 50 years of residency, Frank Lee and his family have been actively involved with both the community and fishing industry of Bribie Island.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - The Kling family

50 years on Bribie Island - The Kling family

The Bongaree Heritage Trail signs record those few residents who, in 2005, were still living on Bribie Island after 50 years or more continuous residence. Each, in their own way, has made a lasting contribution to the island's community.  Sally Brennan nee Herbert, Ted and Patricia Clayton, The Kling Family, Frank Lee, Betty Lougheed, Stella Ray, Ivan and Clare Tesch and Margo Whitney.

The following excerpt is from the Program for the Official unveiling "50 years on Bribie" Heritage Trail Sign, Wednesday 7 November 2007, Brennan Park, Bongaree.

The Kling family

Mavis Ormiston was born on Bribie Island in 1920 and in 1937 married Fred Kling who had come to Bribie to work in a bakery.  In 1931 Tom Read established a bakery on the Island and this business was later taken over by Fred and Mavis Kling when World War II caused all but essential services people to be evacuated from Bribie Island.  The bakery on Banya Street remained open to serve the few remaining residents and the many troops stationed on Bribie and at Toorbul Point.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - The Kling family
Photo: Barry Clark

After the War Fred was a founding member of the Bongaree Bowls Club in 1949.  The Kling family have continued to make significant contributions to the community over many years.  The bakery operated in Banya Street for over 55 years until it relocated to the new Cornett’s Arcade on Welsby Parade, after son Peter soon over the business.

Two children left the Island in their teens and son Richard went away to become a doctor and has spent many years practicing on the Island.  Peter has remained a Bribie resident for over 60 years and continued to operate the family bakery until he retired in 2001.  In 2005, the combined Kling family record of continuous Bribie residence (Mavis 85 years, Fred 70 years, Peter 60 years) together with over 74 years operation of the family bakery, is an almost unbeatable community contribution.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Ted and Patricia Clayton

50 years on Bribie Island - Ted and Patricia Clayton

The Bongaree Heritage Trail signs record those few residents who, in 2005, were still living on Bribie Island after 50 years or more continuous residence. Each, in their own way, has made a lasting contribution to the island's community.  Sally Brennan nee Herbert, Ted and Patricia Clayton, The Kling Family, Frank Lee, Betty Lougheed, Stella Ray, Ivan and Clare Tesch and Margo Whitney.

The following excerpt is from the Program for the Official unveiling "50 years on Bribie" Heritage Trail Sign, Wednesday 7 November 2007, Brennan Park, Bongaree.

Ted and Patricia Clayton

Ted Clayton’s parents Ernie and Marion met on Bribie Island in the 1920's. They owned rental properties and lived most of their time here until 1984. Ted grew up in Brisbane but spent much of his early childhood on family holidays on Bribie, attending the primary school for periods during the 1940s.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Ted and Patricia Clayton
Photo: Barry Clark

In 1954, Ted married Patricia and they came to live on Bribie in a house Ted built on South Esplanade. As a carpenter Ted did contract building work and together they ran a bait and tackle store. Their family of three daughters and a son grew up on the island.

During the construction of the Bribie Island Bridge in the early 1960's Ted became General Foreman.  Ted Clayton was also one of the Island’s most renowned fishermen and in 1970 started to write articles about fishing.  He became a regular contributor and field editor for "Fishing World" for over 20 years.  Ted’s articles about fishing around Bribie Island created nation-wide interest.

The Clayton family collected a large number of Aboriginal artefacts over more than 50 years residence on the Island.  These have been gifted to the Queensland Museum.  In 1990 Ted and Pat moved from South Esplanade, Bongaree to live a quieter life at Whitepatch.

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Sally Brennan

50 years on Bribie Island -Sally Brennan

The Bongaree Heritage Trail signs record those few residents who, in 2005, were still living on Bribie Island after 50 years or more continuous residence. Each, in their own way, has made a lasting contribution to the island's community.  Sally Brennan nee Herbert, Ted and Patricia Clayton, The Kling Family, Frank Lee, Betty Lougheed, Stella Ray, Ivan and Clare Tesch and Margo Whitney.

The following excerpt is from the Program for the Official unveiling "50 years on Bribie" Heritage Trail Sign, Wednesday 7 November 2007, Brennan Park, Bongaree.

Sally Brennan

50 years on Bribie - 2005 - Sally Brennan
Photo: Barry Clark

In 1910, Sally’s father Fred Herbert worked on the oyster cutters, ferrying bags of oysters for Tripcony around Bribie Island.  Sarah (Sally) Herbert was born in a hotel at Sandgate in 1920 where the family were the publicans.  They later moved to other hotels in South East Queensland.  They moved to Bribie in 1932 and then to Mt Mee in 1934.  Sally married Bernie Brennan at Goondiwindi in 1940 and they settled on Bribie in 1941.

After the War in 1945, they opened “Brennan’s Store”, converting a small wooden house they purchased in Toorbul Street.  This general store served the basic needs of the few residents and thousands of tourists and campers who came to the Island by boat at weekends and holidays.  The foreshore at Bongaree was always covered with white canvas tents and the smell of campfires.  The shop sold a wide variety of goods and produce and in 1958 became the Island’s first Golden Casket Lottery agency.  In 1965 Brennan’s Store sold the winning first prize ticket to a local Bribie resident.

The three Brennan sons grew up on the Island but it was Sally and her late husband Bernie, who were involved in running the shop for a total of 33 years until 1978.

When camping was stopped on the foreshore in front of the shop, the beautiful tree lined area was named “Brennan Park” as a tribute to their many years of community service.