Bribie Island Heritage Plaques Waterfront Walk
Bribie Island Heritage Plaques Waterfront Walk Q150 Community Funded Program. Initiated by the Rotary Club of Bribie Island and supported by Moreton Bay Regional Council in conjunction with Bribie Island U3A and Bribie Island Historical Society. 2009.
The opening ceremony for the unveiling of the 16 Heritage Plaques held Saturday 1st August 2009. The program was initiated and managed by Barry Clark.
A 40 page book produced to document and launch the waterfront plaque walk at Bongaree.
Record Rainfall
South Esplanade
Campbell's Store
Camping Grounds
Bribie Island Heritage - A. Meston
Ian Fairweather
First Shop
Bribie Island Heritage - S.
Tutt
First Avenue
Fishing Records
Welsby Parade
Bribie Island Wartime
First Car
Shirley Creek
Castaway Convicts
Fish Cannery
1.
RECORD RAINFALL
The greatest daily rainfall officially recorded anywhere in Australia fell near Pumicestone Passage on 3rd February 1893. After 3 weeks of continuous rain, a record total of 907mm was recorded at Beerwah by Inigo Jones, in this one 24 hour period.
2. SOUTH ESPLANADE
From the 1920’s many large guest houses operated along here. Proprietors met the “Excursion Ships” and carried guests luggage over creeks and sand tracks, offering the attraction of specialty food and entertainment.
3. CAMPBELL’S STORE
In the 1890’s Joe Campbell was an Oysterman in the Passage. In the 1930’s his son Reg had a General Store & Boat Shed by this creek, when it was much larger and used as a boat harbour by campers and Dugong fishermen.
4. CAMPING GROUNDS
In the 1920’s there were few shops, no services, and less than 100 permanent residents. Many thousands came every week by Ship from Brisbane and pitched their tents here to enjoy cheap and healthy holidays.
5. BRIBIE ISLAND HERITAGE
“Bribie Island is one on the meanest pieces of country in Australia ….. A howling desert of tea-tree swamps, rank aquatic vegetation and unimaginable cussedness”.
Archibald Meston (1891) - explorer, Author and Politician.
6. IAN FAIRWEATHER
After a lifetime of travel and adventure, in 1953 at the age of 62, this world famous artist came to live in isolation in a grass hut inland from here. He created some of his finest paintings in this hut over the next 21 years until his death in 1974.
7. FIRST SHOP
8. BRIBIE ISLAND HERITAGE
“It might not be too much to claim, Pumicestone Passage and Bribie Island contain more history, written and unwritten, than any other place in Queensland”.
Stan Tutt (1981) - Sunshine Coast Historian
9. FIRST AVENUE
Originally named Campbell Rd., for the Director of the tug Company who had the road built from Bongaree to Woorim in 1923. It was planned to be a four lane road and steam Tramway, but this did not eventuate although initially it was a toll road.
10. FISHING RECORDS
“Bribie jetty and its environs must be the most remarkable fishing place in Australia. More black Groper have been caught here than any other spot in Australia. A man known as the “Groper King” caught many over 500 lbs”.
Ted Shields (1947) - Fisherman and Barge owner.
11. WELSBY PARADE
This road named for Thomas Weslby, Brisbane businessman, Historian, Sportsman and Author, who in 1937 at the age of 80, wrote the book “Bribie the Basket Maker” and thus created a legend about the Island and its name.
12. BRIBIE ISLAND WARTIME
Bribie Island and Toorbul point (now Sandstone Point) were major training bases for Navy and Army forces during World War 2. Many military structures are still visible along the Ocean beach, and a small Arms Store can be seen across this road.
13. FIRST CAR
In 1918 A.H. “Artie” Bestmann drove the first car, a 1914 Talbot, to Bongaree. With a young Ian Hall as his passenger, they did the 2 day drive from Brisbane along beach and bush tracks, and then by barge from Godwin Beach across the Passage.
14. SHIRLEY CREEK
Bill Shirley built the first road from the jetty to Ocean Beach in 1923. He ran a bus service and a Guest House and became Bribie’s first Councillor. A wooden bridge replaced a single plank walkway here in 1935 as his first Council works.
15. CASTAWAY CONVICTS
In 1823 three Sydney convicts in a small boat were caught in a hugh storm which dumped them close to death on Moreton Island. They walked around Moreton Bay, thinking Sydney was nearby, and were the first white men to live on Bribie Island, being there for many months before recapture.
16. FISH CANNERY
A Fish Canning factory operated near here from 1910 to 1914 owned by Mrs Sarah “Mum” Balls. She also had many Hotels and Refreshment Rooms in Queensland and in 1929 built “Santa Barbara”, one of Brisbane’s grandest homes.
