Peel Island
Encyclopedia
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 for a quarantine period before moving on to Dunwich
on nearby North Stradbroke Island
. The arriving sailing ships would be fumigated and scrubbed down with cabolic to sanitise them before they ventured on to Brisbane with the new arrivals. Remains of the old quarantine station are at the south west corner of the island where the old well can be found.
Peel Island was used as an asylum for vagrants of Brisbane around the turn of the 20th century but the conditions were too harsh and the inmates were moved to Dunwich on nearby Stradbroke Island. Peel Island was used as a sisal
farm, the inmates would harvest the sisal
and manufacture rope which was sold to help fund the asylum. Remnants of the sisal plantations are still visible when walking around the western side of the island.
Between 1907 to 1959 the island was a leper colony
. Now it is enjoyed by many locals and visitors. The island is only accessible by watercraft. Dugongs, turtles, and dolphins frequent the waters around the island. Often there are thousands of jellyfish following the currents, and sharks are known to inhabit these waters. Horseshoe Bay, with its sandy beach, is popular with boating visitors. It is a popular overnight anchorage for sailors, considered by many to be the best shelter from northerly winds in Moreton Bay. Sea kayakers also use the island for overnight stays. The island is known for its natural beauty, with bird and animal life undisturbed from the pollutions of modern times. Up to 74 bird species have been identified.
In 2007, the island was declared as Teerk Roo Ra National Park and Conservation Park. There are limited facilities in Peel Island, however there is a toilet block. Tracks used when the island was a leper colony
can be used to walk across the island. Features worth visiting there is the old leper colony town, located on the north west of the island. The housing there is currently being restored, possibly for school camps, but there is asbestos
in some of the housing that was used for indigenous Australians
. An interesting trivial point is that after the island was decommissioned as a leper colony it was discovered that the strain of leprosy
was non-contagious.
Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef has been constructed to the north of Peel Island.
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...
, east 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...
, 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...
, in 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...
.
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 for a quarantine period before moving on to Dunwich
Dunwich, Queensland
Dunwich is a small town on the western side of North Stradbroke Island in the Australian 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 -...
on nearby North Stradbroke Island
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...
. The arriving sailing ships would be fumigated and scrubbed down with cabolic to sanitise them before they ventured on to Brisbane with the new arrivals. Remains of the old quarantine station are at the south west corner of the island where the old well can be found.
Peel Island was used as an asylum for vagrants of Brisbane around the turn of the 20th century but the conditions were too harsh and the inmates were moved to Dunwich on nearby Stradbroke Island. Peel Island was used as a sisal
Sisal
Sisal is an agave that yields a stiff fibre traditionally used in making twine, rope and also dartboards. The term may refer either to the plant or the fibre, depending on context...
farm, the inmates would harvest the sisal
Sisal
Sisal is an agave that yields a stiff fibre traditionally used in making twine, rope and also dartboards. The term may refer either to the plant or the fibre, depending on context...
and manufacture rope which was sold to help fund the asylum. Remnants of the sisal plantations are still visible when walking around the western side of the island.
Between 1907 to 1959 the island was 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...
. Now it is enjoyed by many locals and visitors. The island is only accessible by watercraft. Dugongs, turtles, and dolphins frequent the waters around the island. Often there are thousands of jellyfish following the currents, and sharks are known to inhabit these waters. Horseshoe Bay, with its sandy beach, is popular with boating visitors. It is a popular overnight anchorage for sailors, considered by many to be the best shelter from northerly winds in Moreton Bay. Sea kayakers also use the island for overnight stays. The island is known for its natural beauty, with bird and animal life undisturbed from the pollutions of modern times. Up to 74 bird species have been identified.
In 2007, the island was declared as Teerk Roo Ra National Park and Conservation Park. There are limited facilities in Peel Island, however there is a toilet block. Tracks used when the island was 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...
can be used to walk across the island. Features worth visiting there is the old leper colony town, located on the north west of the island. The housing there is currently being restored, possibly for school camps, but there is asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
in some of the housing that was used for indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. An interesting trivial point is that after the island was decommissioned as a leper colony it was discovered that the strain of leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
was non-contagious.
Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef has been constructed to the north of Peel Island.
External links
- ABC National Radio (5 September 2010) "You'll Have to Go Away: The Leprosarium on Peel Island". Accessed 5 September 2010
- Friends of Peel Island Association "History" page Accessed 5 September 2010
- John Oxley Library blog (14 August 2009) "50th anniversary of the closing of the Peel Island lazaret" Accessed 5 September 2010
- Ludlow, Peter (2009) "A Brief History of Peel Island"Accessed 5 September 2010
- Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management "Teerk Roo Ra (Peel Island) National Park: Nature, Culture & History" webpageAccessed 5 September 2010