Coochiemudlo Island
- by Mary Howells
Where did the name Coochiemudlo come from?
Coochiemudlo Island is one place in the Redlands that has retained its Aboriginal place name. Coochiemudlo, or Kutchi-mudlo, means place of red stone. The island is believed to have been a source of ochre, which was prized by the Koobenpul people.
What happened in Coochiemudlo after the settlers arrived?
On 19 July 1799, explorer Matthew Flinders landed on Coochiemudlo Island in his search for a river in the southern part of Moreton Bay.
For a short time in the 1840s, Coochiemudlo Island was called Innes Island.
Coochiemudlo’s first known European settlers, Henry and Norman Wright, came to the island in 1895. They kept a few animals and grew some crops.
Other farmers also took up land over the years. In the 1940s, one of the Island’s farmers, Doug Morton, set up a tourist venture with a jetty and a horse-drawn trolley. Visitors could buy Devonshire teas and fresh farm produce to take home.
In 1978, Coochiemudlo Island got electricity.
Life continued much as usual for the people living on Coochiemudlo Island, and like the rest of the Redlands, slowly the farms gave way to houses.
Related Info