Dunwich, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Dunwich is a small town on the western side of North Stradbroke Island
in the Australia
n state of Queensland
. The town is part of the Redland City local government area, based on the mainland in the Brisbane
bayside suburb of Cleveland
. Dunwich is one of three towns on North Stradbroke Island - the others being Amity Point and Point Lookout
. At the 2006 census
, Dunwich had a population of 804.
Vehicular ferries
which cross Moreton Bay
link the mainland with North Stradbroke Island dock at Dunwich. Mining companies have also extensive barge docking and loading facilities at Dunwich.
The first settlement at Dunwich was established in 1827 as pilot station and military post. It was supposed to be a good place to discharge cargo from visiting ships that traveled through the South Passage
. However cargo was lost in bad weather and local aborigines were hostile so the post was disbanded in 1831.
The settlement also acted as a leper colony
before this facility was moved to nearby Peel Island
. A quarantine station opened in 1850, although this was eventually moved to the more isolated St Helena Island
in Moreton Bay. The station was converted into a nursing home for the elderly and infirmed, one of Queensland's first such facilities. The home was moved to Sandgate
in 1946. The main cemetery
on the island is found in this small town and contains the graves of over 10 000 people, most of which are unmarked. Other small cemeteries were established for the indigenous community and the leper colony.
Some of the remaining buildings from the Stradbroke Island Benevolent Asylum now form part of the North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum
, located in Welsby Street, Dunwich. A convict built causeway also remains, although it has been expanded to accommodate modern ships.
North Stradbroke Island
North Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, 30 km southeast of the capital Brisbane. Before 1896 the island was part of the Stradbroke Island. In that year a storm separated it from South Stradbroke Island, forming the Jumpinpin Channel. It is known...
in the 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...
n state 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...
. The town is part of the Redland City local government area, based on the mainland in the 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...
bayside suburb of Cleveland
Cleveland, Queensland
Cleveland is a suburb located approximately east-south-east of Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland, and is the council seat for the Redland City local government area...
. Dunwich is one of three towns on North Stradbroke Island - the others being Amity Point and Point Lookout
Point Lookout, Queensland
Point Lookout is a headland and small coastal village located on the eastern coast of North Stradbroke Island. To the north lies Cape Moreton and to the south the next major headland is Point Danger on the New South Wales/Queensland border. The other towns on the island are Dunwich and Amity Point....
. 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,...
, Dunwich had a population of 804.
Vehicular ferries
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
which cross 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...
link the mainland with North Stradbroke Island dock at Dunwich. Mining companies have also extensive barge docking and loading facilities at Dunwich.
The first settlement at Dunwich was established in 1827 as pilot station and military post. It was supposed to be a good place to discharge cargo from visiting ships that traveled through the South Passage
South Passage (Queensland)
South Passage is channel between the South Pacific Ocean and Moreton Bay. The other entrances to the bay are the North Passage and Jumpinpin Channel in the south.It was once the main entrance for ships entering the bay...
. However cargo was lost in bad weather and local aborigines were hostile so the post was disbanded in 1831.
The settlement also acted as a leper colony
Leper colony
A leper colony, leprosarium, or lazar house is a place to quarantine leprous people.-History:Leper colonies or houses became widespread in the Middle Ages, particularly in Europe and India, and often run by monastic orders...
before this facility was moved to nearby Peel Island
Peel Island
Peel Island is a small island located in Moreton Bay, east of Brisbane, Queensland, in Australia.During the mid-19th century Peel Island was used as a quarantine station for the colony of Brisbane. Sailing ships would anchor to the north of the Island, the passengers would disembark on Peel Island...
. A quarantine station opened in 1850, although this was eventually moved to the more isolated St Helena Island
St Helena Island National Park
St Helena Island is an island in Queensland, Australia, 21 km east of Brisbane in Moreton Bay. Originally used as a prison, it is now a national park. Named Noogoon by the Australian Aborigines, it was renamed St Helena after an aboriginal named Napoleon was exiled there in 1826. The island...
in Moreton Bay. The station was converted into a nursing home for the elderly and infirmed, one of Queensland's first such facilities. The home was moved to Sandgate
Sandgate, Queensland
Sandgate is a coastal suburb in Brisbane, Australia, located 16 km north of the Brisbane CBD. The town became a popular escape for the people of Brisbane in the early 20th century.-Geography:Sandgate is situated on the coastline, along Bramble Bay...
in 1946. The main cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
on the island is found in this small town and contains the graves of over 10 000 people, most of which are unmarked. Other small cemeteries were established for the indigenous community and the leper colony.
Some of the remaining buildings from the Stradbroke Island Benevolent Asylum now form part of the North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum
North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum
The North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum is a museum founded in 1987 to present the history of North Stradbroke Island. It is found at 15-17 Welsby Street, in Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island. The museum comprises four buildings: the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum, the main building, the...
, located in Welsby Street, Dunwich. A convict built causeway also remains, although it has been expanded to accommodate modern ships.