Donnybrook, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Donnybrook is a small village 60 km north of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...

, the state capital of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...

, Donnybrook had a population of 456.

It started out as a small fishing community but has since developed into a minor tourist destination. Fishing is still popular due to its proximity to Pumicestone Passage
Pumicestone Passage
Pumicestone Passage, also known as the Pumicestone Channel, is a narrow waterway between Bribie Island and the mainland in Queensland, Australia...

 which opens up in Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...

 to the south, and Caloundra to the north. The passage separates Bribie Island from the mainland. The closest major population centre is Caboolture, 20 km to the west.

History

The town name was approved by the Queensland Place Names Board on 1 October 1975. The name itself appears to be derived from a corroboree
Corroboree
A corroboree is a ceremonial meeting of Australian Aborigines. The word was coined by the European settlers of Australia in imitation of the Aboriginal word caribberie. At a corroboree Aborigines interact with the Dreamtime through dance, music and costume. Many ceremonies act out events from the...

 site, or because of fights amongst oyster gatherers at weekend camps.

In 1985, an unsealed road running along the waterfront was named Grant Lane after Robert Grant (1895-1991) for his 90th birthday, a popular local who everyone knew as "Pop". A few years later the road was sealed after he had complained for years of the dust produced by all the passers by. Pop died on 15 November 1991.

Sand mining and sewerage works have recently been proposed for the area.

Activities

There are a number of activities available at Donnybrook. Fishing is the most popular, although due to commercial fishing many years ago the quantity and quality of catches has dwindled somewhat. Mud crab
Mud crab
Mud crab may refer to any crab that lives in or near mud, such as:*Scylla serrata, also called mangrove crab and black crab.*Scylla tranquebarica, another variety of the mangrove crab.*Scylla paramamosain...

s were once sizable and in abundance. Fishing enthusiasts should be aware that parts of the passage have been declared a Marine Park.

Camping and caravan sites are available for a few days of rest and relaxation. A number of water sports are available along the passage, but normally require travelling to Bribie Island.

The passage is also a great place for sailing and wind surfing, and is frequented by dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...

s, dugong
Dugong
The dugong is a large marine mammal which, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest modern relative, Steller's sea cow , was hunted to extinction in the 18th century...

s and turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...

s.

External links

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