Charming Redland Bay has a real country feel. While a growing bayside residential community, it boasts significant rural and conservation areas. This is the departure point for the Southern Islands – Russell, Karragarra, Lamb and Macleay – with regular passenger and vehicle ferry services from the Weinam Creek transit precinct.
Location
Lifestyle
This is a sporting community boasting an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, cricket oval, cycling and walking paths, amateur fishing club, and one of the most picturesque and popular foreshore trails in the city.
The local boat ramp provides access to the sheltered waters of Moreton Bay.
Redland Bay is blessed with community parks – try Sel Outridge Park on Peel Street, Point Talburpin Park on McWilliam Street or Neville Stafford Park on Banana Street.
Shopping
Markets are a popular attraction on Broadwater Terrace and Stradbroke Street every second Sunday of the month, and there is a vibrant shopping and dining precinct popular with locals and visitors alike. The nearest major shopping centre is at Victoria Point.
Schools and colleges
Redland Bay State School services the area, with Victoria Point High the nearest state secondary school. Carmel College, a Catholic high school, is a little further down the road at Thornlands, with St Rita’s Catholic Primary School and Faith Lutheran College nearby at Victoria Point.
Getting around
Redland Bay’s nearest train station is Cleveland. Transdev Queensland operates regular bus services.
History
In the early days of European settlement, the area is shown on old maps as Redland, no doubt for its red soil. Following early cattle leases and timber-getting, the first crop in the area was cotton. It proved to be an unsuccessful venture and was soon replaced by sugar, then gradually this in turn was replaced by fruit and vegetable crops, taken to market by boat until roads and the railway later became a speedier option.
Sugar had been grown quite extensively, but getting the cane from the farms to the mills took time and the cane often spoiled. An enterprising Pioneer Sugar Company started a floating mill in 1872 on an old South Sea Island labour trade boat the Walrus, which travelled up the coast and rivers. It soon had a spirits still installed on its bow, and became a very popular floating rum distillery. A century later, from the 1950s Redland Bay was a Flying Boat base used by Ansett and Qantas, taking passengers to Rose Bay in Sydney and to South Pacific islands. The last plane left in 1971.
Find out more through the Redlands Coast History library catalogue.
Your councillor
Redland Bay is in Division 5 (Cr Mark Edwards), with parts in Division 6 (Deputy Mayor Councillor Julie Talty).
More information
Visit the popular parks in Redland Bay.
View Redland Bay's national regional profile (Australian Bureau of Statistics).
See the latest demographic snapshot of Redland Bay.