53-540: Pumicestone Channel , also known as the Pumicestone Passage , is a narrow, mesotidal waterway around 45 kilometres in length, between Bribie Island and the mainland in Queensland , Australia. The northern extent of the passage is at Caloundra , while at the south is Deception Bay . The waterway is a two way tidal estuary that has 11 creeks flowing into it. At each end of the passage the channels are
106-455: A new passage 200 metres wide. With the ocean waves now able to break onto the mainland at Golden Beach, there is significant concern for the effect this will have for residents and businesses there. Bribie Island has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: At a Federal level, Bribie Island is part of the Division of Longman and has been represented by Terry Young MP, a member of
159-571: A non-indigenous member of their community, under certain circumstances. Tom Archer, Durundur Station owner, wrote of the view of "Briby's Island" from the top of Mt Beerwah in 1841. In 1890, the Queensland Aboriginal Protection Association established a mission station on Bribie Island. A school and a teacher's residence was established, with two dormitories designed to accommodate 20 residents. By September 1892, suffering financial difficulties and with
212-482: A smaller craft. He landed on Bribie Island unaware that it wasn't the mainland and met a small group of Aborigines who had gathered on the beach. Although Bongaree didn't speak the same dialect as the local aborigines the meeting was peaceful until one attempted to remove Flinders' hat. Flinders refused and the Europeans and Bongaree returned to their boat. As they left the man who had tried to remove Flinders' hat threw
265-513: A spear that missed the small boat and crew. Flinders fired his musket at the men on shore and wounded the man who had thrown the spear. The Aborigines fled the beach. Flinders named the southern shore and site of the confrontation Point Skirmish . There is an area on the modern map marked Skirmish Point but should not be confused with the actual place of the incident which is known as South Point. Flinders needed to repair leaks in his boat and pulled it ashore some five miles (8.0 kilometres) north of
318-529: Is a suburb of Bribie Island in the City of Moreton Bay , Queensland , Australia. In the 2021 census , Bellara had a population of 3,278 people. Bellara is on the western side of Bribie Island, adjacent to the Pumicestone Channel ( 26°56′47″S 153°04′30″E / 26.9463°S 153.0751°E / -26.9463; 153.0751 ( Pumicestone Channel ) ) which separates
371-439: Is composed of the same coastal sand plains found on the mainland. The sand has been blown in to two large, low-lying dunes, extending towards the north-west. Crossing to southern part of the island from the mainland via the bridge, the first suburb to be encountered is Bellara . The other four suburbs in the southern half of the island are Woorim (about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) away on the island's 'surf side'), Bongaree at
424-489: Is reached by a Bridge of 800m length over the Pumicestone Passage.The marine park has 24 islands and is bounded by 240 kilometres of shoreline. Eighty percent of the channel is less than two metres deep and dugongs frequent its waters seasonally to feed on the seagrass on the bottom of the channel. Dolphins and turtles also make the channel home as do over 350 species of birds. Habitats within and adjoining
477-555: Is recorded as taking part in a large intertribal armed conflict, during the 1820s, on a plain near Mt Coot-tha. Other notable aboriginal members present on this occasion were Eulopé, Daki Yakka, Mulrobbin, Moppé, and Gorowamba. This pre-dates the period of the convict "Bribie". It is possible that the convict in fact received his name as a name-exchange from the Joondaburri Elder, Bribé. The indigenous practice of name-exchange between "brothers", could on occasion be extended to
530-454: Is the smallest and most northerly of three major sand islands forming the coastline sheltering the northern part of Moreton Bay, Queensland , Australia. The others are Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island . Bribie Island is 34 kilometres (21 miles) long, and 8 kilometres (5.0 miles) at its widest. Archibald Meston believed that the name of the island came from a corruption of a mainland word for it, Boorabee meaning koala . However,
583-477: The City of Moreton Bay . Caboolture Bus Lines operates a bus service around the Island as well as a route which runs to Caboolture and Morayfield via Ningi and Pebble Beach . In August 2007 an alternative route, via Beachmere and Pebble Beach, was introduced. The service to Caboolture is timed to connect with Queensland Rail train services to and from Brisbane . There are many types of wildlife present on
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#1732771882029636-478: The Djindubari people. broadly part of the 'Kabi' or more correctly Gubbi Gubbi people of South-East Queensland . Meston recorded the pre-contact population of Aboriginal people as 600–1,000, but by 1891 none remained on the Island and only four lived on the mainland. The comparatively rich coastal country allowed permanent residence. Natural resources of land and sea were abundant and harvested according to
689-710: The Liberal National Party of Queensland who sits in the Liberal party room in parliament , since 2019. At a state level Bribie Island is represented by Ariana Doolan , the Liberal National Party Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Pumicestone . The artist Ian Fairweather lived on Bribie Island for many years in self-inflicted poverty. A park on the island is named in his honour at
742-684: The Premier of Queensland Frank Nicklin . An additional bridge onto Bribie Island has been proposed, and an official Bribie Island Bridge Corridor Study was conducted in 2015 by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads that supports this proposal. The study recommends the new bridge be built 15 metres (49 feet) north of the existing bridge, however the anticipated date of commencement has not yet been announced. Bellara, Queensland Download coordinates as: Bellara
795-526: The Sloop H. M. 'Norfolk' and spent two weeks exploring the bay and surrounds and naming Point Skirmish and Pumice-stone River. In January 2022, a breakthrough on Bribie Island occurred, severing the island into two parts. The main channel for Pumicestone Passage moved south to the inflow. Since then the Caloundra Bar has become filled with sand. The changes have raised concerns with water quality at
848-721: The Americans soldiers. It was widely believed at the time that the American and Australian armed forces and governments had conspired on a plan to abandon Australia north of Brisbane to the Japanese in case of invasion. The plan, known as the Brisbane Line was never official policy, but the alleged strategy gained support after General Douglas MacArthur referred to it during a press conference in March 1943, where he also coined
901-898: The Battle of the Coral Sea, the Japanese landed on Papua New Guinea's north coast and moved south, capturing Kokoda on 29 July. This was the first time any Australian territory had been occupied by an enemy force. Reinforcements were sent to Fort Bribie and Fort Cowan Cowan, strengthening the existing defences at the two forts. A number of 155 mm (6.1 in) guns from the First World War were provided to upgrade Australian coastal defences, and new forts were constructed during 1942-43 at Skirmish Point on south Bribie Island and Rous on Moreton Island. The Skirmish Point Battery at Woorim contained two fixed 155-millimetre (6.1 in) gun emplacements on Panama mounts. The Pacific War also brought
954-535: The Brisbane Line on 16 March 1943, but later clarified the matter by writing it was Gen. MacArthur who abandoned the Brisbane Line concept and decided that the battle for Australia should be fought in New Guinea. At Fort Bribie itself, two mine control huts were used by Royal Australian Navy during 1942 and 1943, known as RAN 2. These monitored and controlled the guard indicator loops and mine loops set in
1007-567: The North West Channel. The indicator loops relied on a moving magnet or any large mass of metal, which naturally acquires magnetic field, to induce a current in a stationary loop of wire. If a submarine was detected by the guard loop, the operator would wait until there was also a swing mine loop before detonating the mines by sending a current down the mine loop. RAN 2 was moved to Cowan Cowan on Moreton Island in September 1943. When
1060-510: The World War I-era cruiser HMAS Sydney were taken to the present location of Fort Bribie ( 26°51′39″S 153°07′47″E / 26.8609°S 153.1296°E / -26.8609; 153.1296 ( 6" guns from HMAS Sydney at Fort Bribie ) ) to guard the northwest channel, which ran close to the shore near Caloundra, across the bay in a southeasterly direction towards Moreton Island, and then southwesterly towards
1113-428: The area he had the incident with the locals for those repairs. Once his boat was repaired he explored the mainland side of the passage and scaled Mt. Beerburrum to get a view of the area. He spent 15 days in the region. It was not until some time later it was determined that this was an island and the changing of the name of the waterway between Bribie Island and the mainland was made at some other point. The origin of
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#17327718820291166-507: The channel include mangroves and saltmarshes, sand flats and mud flats, coastal dunes and seagrass meadows . The channel forms part of the Moreton Bay and Pumicestone Passage Important Bird Area , so identified by BirdLife International because it supports large numbers of migratory waders , or shorebirds. [REDACTED] Media related to Pumicestone Passage, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons Bribie Island Bribie Island
1219-836: The coast of the suburb extending north to Banksia Beach and south to Bongaree. The name Bellara was approved by the Queensland Place Names Board on 1 July 1961. It is an Aboriginal word meaning good . In the 2011 census , Bellara recorded a population of 3,157 people, 51.4% female and 48.6% male. The median age of the Bellara population was 54 years, 17 years above the national median of 37. 77.2% of people living in Bellara were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 6.5%, New Zealand 3.9%, Scotland 1.1%, Germany 0.7%, Netherlands 0.6%. 92.6% of people spoke only English at home;
1272-662: The coastal beaches was also eaten. Lieutenant James Cook sighted the Glass House Mountains west of the Island on Thursday 17 May 1770 while sailing up the east coast of Australia in HM Bark Endeavour . He called these hills the Glass Houses as the reflections and the shape of the hills reminded him of the glass manufacturing houses back in England. James Cook named the area Glass House Bay and
1325-437: The corner of First Ave and Hunter St Bongaree. Brisbane Broncos players Jack Reed , an English representative, and Matt Gillett , a State of Origin representative grew up on Bribie Island. The existing bridge was the longest, pre-stressed, pre-cast concrete bridge in Australia at the time of its construction. With a length of 2736 feet (831.4 m), the bridge cost £520,000 and was officially opened on Saturday 19 October 1963 by
1378-431: The correct Joondaburri name for the island is in fact Yarun . Bribie Island hugs the coastline and tapers to a long spit at its most northern point near Caloundra , and is separated from the mainland by Pumicestone Passage . The ocean side of the island is somewhat sheltered from prevailing winds by Moreton Island and associated sand banks and has only a small surf break. The lee side is calm, with white sandy beaches in
1431-408: The deepest and widest. During periods of unusually high tides and large waves, the passage is infiltrated by inflows through channels in dunes at the northern tip of Bribie Island. The channel was originally shown as Pumice-stone River on the maps of Matthew Flinders as he found an abundance of pumice stone lining the shoreline. He was the first European explorer to enter Moreton Bay in 1799 on
1484-413: The guard loops, as a second means of detection. The Bribie Island library opened in 1976 with a major refurbishment in 2016. On 14 December 2020, a king tide broke through the northern tip of the island, causing severe damage. On 2 January 2022 the ocean broke through the narrow spit of the island 2 km from the northern tip (due to Cyclone Seth culminating with a king tide). This event created
1537-591: The island consists of conifer plantations closed to public access. Formerly leased to CSR Timber, the Queensland Government is currently re-planting around 25 square kilometres (9.7 square miles) of this area through its DPI Forestry arm. Much of the rest has been developed for housing. In 2009 the Queenslands National Parks and Wildlife Service (QNPWS) used imported blocks of rock to prevent access to roads and tracks leading into
1590-498: The island from the mainland Queensland. Bribie Island Bridge connects Bellara and Bongaree ( 27°04′06″S 153°08′52″E / 27.0682°S 153.1479°E / -27.0682; 153.1479 ( Bribie Island Bridge (island side) ) ) to Sandstone Point on the mainland. There is a long sandy beach called Sylvan Beach ( 27°03′38″S 153°08′24″E / 27.0606°S 153.1399°E / -27.0606; 153.1399 ( Sylvan Beach ) ) along
1643-431: The island. Kangaroos, wallabies, emus, various snake species, green tree frogs and dingos can often be seen venturing from the national park into the surrounding suburbs. Pumicestone Passage , located between the island and the mainland, is a protected marine park that provides habitat for dugongs, turtles and dolphins. There are also extensive mangrove forests in this area. Eucalypt forests, banksias and heathlands are
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1696-413: The location broke out, costings being sought for both Bribie and Caloundra. It was argued Caloundra was higher, better equipped and cheaper to build, whereas Bribie was flat, hot, infested with mosquitos and sandflies, had no freshwater, no bridge and would be much more expensive. The decision came down to Fort Bribie's ability to cover both entrances to the northwest channel, while Caloundra could only cover
1749-446: The mines in Moreton Bay were decommission at the end of the war, six were missing. One was found at Tewantin in 1945. The mines weighed 1,430 kilograms (3,150 pounds) and were buoyant, so needed to be moored with sinkers, up to 25 metres (82 feet) below the surface. Every 5 minutes hour perturbations due to the tides known as perts had to be recorded. Daily and weekly tests were carried out on all equipment. In three years of operation,
1802-527: The mines were never detonated. Another minefield with guard loop built in 1942 protected Pearl Channel and Main Channel south of Bribie Island. The guard loops ran from the Loop Control Hut at the end of North Street, just north of Woorim to Combouyuro Point, Moreton Island. Three Harbour Defence Asdics, sea-bed mounted submarine detection devices now known as sonar, were position down-channel from
1855-520: The most northerly entrance. The guns had a range of about 19 kilometres (12 mi). Colonel JS Whitelaw designed the layout of the fort on Bribie and recommended its completion, receiving the go ahead by early 1942. By April—hastened by the December 1941 attacks by the Japanese forces on Pearl Harbor, Malaya, Hong Kong and Singapore—construction of the gun emplacements was almost complete. The construction cost of all of Fort Bribie's concrete structures
1908-525: The mouth of the river, forming a Z-shaped route. The most effective sites for guns were the closest points to the channel bends. The mounting and placement of the guns was hopelessly inadequate and according to Major General Robert E Jackson, Officer in Charge of Northern Command in July 1940, Fort Bribie was "no value from a defence point of view" and had to be fixed. Before this could happen an argument about
1961-477: The name Bribie are believed to be linked to a convict named Bribie or Breiby who gathered basket-making material on the island in the 1830s. In his memoirs, Tom Petrie wrote: In those days there was a prisoner among the others who made baskets for the Government called "Bribie, the basket maker." He was not chained, and was allowed to go about in a boat to get cane from the scrubs for his work. ... It
2014-610: The national park forcing all vehicle access to the park to be via the Beach Access Track at Woorim or the Ranger Station at Whitepatch. All access to the national park now requires a permit to be purchased. Local residents were threatened by letter with fines of up to $ 16,000 by QNPWS in 2009 for walking domestic animals within the park. The inhabitants of Bribie Island at the time they were encountered by Matthew Flinders in H.M. colonial sloop Norfolk in 1799 were
2067-448: The next most common languages were 0.4% French, 0.3% Tagalog, 0.3% German, 0.3% Italian, 0.2% Serbian. In the 2016 census Bellara had a population of 3,225 people. In the 2021 census , Bellara had a population of 3,278 people. There are no schools in Bellara. The nearest government primary schools are Banksia Beach State School in neighbouring Banksia Beach to the north and Bribie Island State School in neighbouring Bongaree to
2120-569: The northern end of the passage. Gazetted in 1986, Pumicestone Passage Marine Park (now part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park ), extends from the southern entrance at the towns of Bribie Island and Sandstone Point, north to the Caloundra bar. It is just over 35 kilometres long and has a surface area of 63 km². The town of Bribie Island comprises suburbs of Bongaree, Woorim, Bellara, Banksia Beach and White Patch. Bribie Island
2173-456: The predominant vegetation elsewhere. Bribie Island is home to around 350 species of bird. This includes a range of honeyeater species, lorikeets, waterbirds and birds of prey. Flying foxes (also called fruit bats) visit the area, along with several species of small insect-eating bats . Flying foxes are important pollinators and seed dispersers while the insect-eating bats help control mosquito and other insect populations. Buckley's Hole, at
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2226-492: The seasons. Winter mullet schooled from May to July. Dolphins were trained to herd the fish into waiting nets and spears. Winter was the best season for bream, followed by tailor in September and October. In summer mud crabs and oysters were plentiful and dugong were hunted. Summer whiting and flathead were speared or netted. Bungwall Fern was gathered for its starchy roots all year round. Kangaroo, eels and carpet snakes were rich in protein and fat. The dominant shellfish used as food
2279-484: The site described by Archibald Meston as "mainly ti-tree swamps", the mission was abandoned and residents moved to Myora Mission on North Stradbroke Island . Bribie Island fortifications were constructed from 1939 to 1943 as part of the defence of South East Queensland during the Second World War, and to provide artillery training for Australian soldiers. Other fortifications throughout Moreton Bay during
2332-425: The south. Most of the island is uninhabited national park (55.8 square kilometres or 21.5 square miles) and forestry plantations. The southern end of the island has been intensively urbanised as part of the City of Moreton Bay , the main suburbs being Bongaree , Woorim , Bellara and Banksia Beach . A bridge from Sandstone Point on the mainland to Bellara and Bongaree was completed in 1963. Buckley's Hole, at
2385-478: The southern end of the island, on the 'calm side' or 'passage side' and Banksia Beach and White Patch at the northern end of the populated area, also on the 'passage side'. Two other localities, Welsby and Bribie Island North , make up the undeveloped northern part of the island. Bribie Island North is part of the Sunshine Coast Region while all of the other suburbs on the island are part of
2438-468: The southern tip of the island, is an important bird habitat and refuge. On 2 January 2022, the ocean broke through the narrow spit of the island 2 km from the northern tip (due to Cyclone Seth culminating with a king tide). This event created a new passage 200 metres wide. With the ocean waves now able to break onto the mainland at Golden Beach , there is significant concern for the effect this will have for residents and businesses there. The island
2491-407: The southern tip of the island, was declared an environmental park in 1992. The island seems particularly prone to instances of bee swarming . Bribie Island National Park covers 55.8 square kilometres (21.5 square miles), nearly a third of the total area of the island. There is a common misconception that the national park covers most of the non-inhabited area, but in fact most of the centre of
2544-575: The term 'Brisbane Line'. Many historians of the WW2 period on Bribie island refer to Brisbane Line and draw it from Fort Bribie due west to Charleville, then south-west to a point just west of Adelaide, as recounted by Warwick Outram in Bribie Memories 2nd edition 2009 ISBN 978-0-9751971-4-1 . George H. Johnston, War Correspondent for the Argus newspaper was present when MacArthur mentioned
2597-476: The war, included at Caloundra , on Moreton Island at Cowan Cowan Point and Rous. Together with the existing installations at Fort Lytton, they provided a coordinated series of defensive batteries for Moreton Bay. In February 1939, six months before the start of WW2, a review of the defences of Moreton Bay called for two 6 inch Mark XI guns at north Bribie. Soon after Australia declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, 6 inch guns previously carried by
2650-427: Was from this man Bribie, my father thinks, that Bribie Island got its name. He cannot remember distinctly on this point, but has some vague recollection of a connection between the man and the island – whether he was blown ashore there, or what, he does not know. However, author Libby Connors in her book "Warrior", notes that there was a Joondaburri Elder, from Yarun (Bribie Island) by the name of Bribé, ca 1830. Bribé
2703-542: Was the first European to name this stretch of water. On 16 July 1799 Captain Matthew Flinders left Glass House Bay about two miles (3.2 kilometres) east of the shore in the Norfolk . He sailed south-west between Moreton Island and the mainland parallel to the southern shore of Bribie Island until spotting an opening in the low western shore. He anchored at 8:15am and transferred with a small crew and Bongaree to
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#17327718820292756-527: Was the oyster known today as the Sydney Rock Oyster known locally as tibir, at that time growing naturally on the seabeds. The oyster middens, many metres thick, were plundered by early settlers for lime. A significant midden site, now lost, was located not far from Bongaree jetty. It contained discarded shells, marsupial bones and stone tools. The biggest of the oyster middens was at White Patch, where dugong were also plentiful. The Ugari (pipi) on
2809-494: Was £55,000, about $ 2.5 million in 2010 dollars. On 19 February 1942, Darwin was bombed in two raids killing at least 243 people and wounding between 300 and 400 more. By November 1943 Darwin was bombed 64 times, with other towns also attacked including Townsville. The ferocity and success of the attacks suddenly created a very real dread in the Queensland population. In July 1942 after failing to take Port Moresby by sea in
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