Redcliffe, Queensland
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Redcliffe is both the name of a peninsula on the north-west of Moreton Bay in South East Queensland, Australia and the city located on the peninsula. The peninsula is relatively flat with few areas rising more than 20 metres above sea level.
Redcliffe is linked to its much larger southern neighbour, Brisbane by a long viaduct, the Houghton Highway, which stretches across Bramble Bay to the Brisbane suburb of Brighton.
The city acts as a service centre for the Moreton Bay island communities, a tourist hub for the Bay, and base of operations for the local fishing and seafood industry. As of 2004 the city had a population of approximately fifty thousand people occupying thirty-seven square kilometres.
The city is administered by the Redcliffe City Council which is incorporated under the Local Government Act of Queensland.
Demographics
- Male population: 23,400
- Female population: 25,671
- Aged 14 and under: 9,073
- Aged 15 to 64 (inclusive): 30,501
- Aged 65 and over : 9,497
- Total: 49,071
Economy
Fishing and prawning are the principal primary industries, with mostly light industries located at Clontarf and Kippa-Ring. Tourism is also an important industry to the area with approximately 500,000 tourists visiting each year. This focus on tourism has existed since the late 1800s, when people came by boat to enjoy its safe, sheltered and sandy beaches. The area is rich in natural resources, with many sandy beaches and picturesque parks. It is a popular location for residents of Brisbane seeking a place to relax. From Redcliffe visitors can access Moreton Island, the Pine Rivers and Hays Inlet.The major shopping centres in the area are Redcliffe Seaside Village, Peninsula Fair & Kippa-Ring Village, Margate Village, Scarborough Seaside Village, Woody Point Village and The Zone at Rothwell. Some large national retailers have outlets in Redcliffe, including Coles, K-mart and Woolworths, Retravision, Bunnings, etc.
History
Redcliffe holds the distinction of being the first European settlement in Queensland. The area was first visited by Matthew Flinders on 17 July, 1799. Explorer John Oxley recommended "Red Cliffs Point" to the Governor Thomas Brisbane as the site of a penal colony. He and Settlement Commandant Lieutenant Miller, a crew and 29 convicts sailed on the Amity from Sydney and arrived at Redcliffe on 13 September 1824. In 1825 the settlement was relocated to the banks of the Brisbane River, and Redcliffe was deserted until the 1860s when it was designated as an agricultural reserve. Residential development began in the 1880s and the population grew significantly after the 1935 when the Hornibrook Highway was opened. The two lane 2.8 km long Hornibrook Bridge crossed the mouth of Pine River and linked the peninsula to Brisbane. A replacement three lane bridge, the Houghton Highway, was opened in 1979.Redcliffe is also the former home of the Bee Gees who have since described the area as 'paradise'. Actors William McInnes and Peta Wilson and poet Rupert McCall also come from Redcliffe. Redcliffe has a high number of Olympic athletes from its relatively small population. The film "Swimming Upstream" starring Geoffrey Rush used the Redcliffe War Memorial Pool as one of its locations.
Communities on and around the Peninsula
The suburbs of the City of Redcliffe are: Clontarf, Queensland - Woody Point, Queensland - Kippa-Ring, Queensland - Margate, Queensland - Scarborough, Queensland - and Rothwell, Queensland on the isthmus connecting the peninsula to the mainland.
To the north-west of the peninsula is Deception Bay in the Caboolture Shire and to the south-west and south (across Bramble Bay) are the suburbs of Brighton and Sandgate of Brisbane.
Sources
- The Bee Gees, tales of brothers Gibb ISBN 0711987483
- [Redcliffe Museum]
External links
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