Wellington Point, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Wellington Point is a suburb
of Redland City, about 22 km east of Brisbane
, Queensland
. The suburb derives its name from Wellington Point which extends prominently into Moreton Bay
.
The point and its adjoining waters are used extensively for aquatic sports. The area is also a popular day-trip destination. While it is predominantly urban
, Wellington Point retains a seaside and village
atmosphere.
Wellington Point is largely residential and adjoins Birkdale, Queensland
in the west and Ormiston, Queensland
to the south east.
being called the Koobenpul.
It is considered that the first European
s to travel through Wellington Point were three shipwrecked timber getters, Pamphlett, Finnegan and Parsons in 1823.
Wellington Point was named by surveyors Robert Dixon
and James Warner in 1842 after the Duke of Wellington
who led the army of the United Kingdom
in the Battle of Waterloo
in 1815. The bay formed in part by Wellington Point was named Waterloo Bay. The first European settlers arrived in Wellington Point in the mid 1860’s after the first land sales of 1864 at which one of the big purchasers was Thomas Lodge Murray Prior. Another purchaser was Captain Louis Hope, who built Ormiston House and established a major sugar plantation and milling operation in Ormiston.
In the 1889 a railway line from Brisbane, Queensland was built to Cleveland, Queensland
passing through Wellington Point. This led to greater travel to Wellington Point and the opening up of yet more land. The line was closed in 1960 due to lack of use. In 1988 the Wellington Point railway station, Brisbane
was opened and a rail link to Brisbane was re-established. The Wellington Point reserve, opened in the 1880s was closed in 1974.
In 1887 Gilbert Burnett subdivided more of his Wellington Point holdings, especially around the railway station. Edith, Alice and Matilda Streets were laid out and named after three of Burnett’s daughters and the Wellington Point State School opened.
The first Methodist church was established in 1888, as was the original Wellington Point Hotel which was demolished in 1972 but has since been rebuilt. Fernbourne was constructed in 1889, but was renamed Whepstead Manor in 1900.
By 1893 the population of the area was 260 most involved in primary industries and service industries and by 1897 the end of Wellington Point was set aside as a recreation reserve.
The Point’s popularity continued to grow with special fruit trains run to the area in 1906 to sample the strawberries and to visit the gardens and vineyards and by 1911 retirees and commuters began to move into the area and more housing blocks were set aside.
Banyan figs were planted at the point in 1924, by 1925 the first kiosk at the point was established and in 1927 the Moreton Bay Figs were planted giving the point many of its most iconic features.
Whilst the great depression in the late 20s and 30s was a personal tragedy for many, it was also a time of work creation and the development of infrastructure. An interesting development at the point was the drilling for oil which began in 1931. The drilling was commercially unsuccessful but it did attract the interest of the Prime Minister and the Catholic Church. 1931 was also the year that town electricity was first provided in the area and the Wellington Point jetty was completed in 1937.
The Second World War had a significant effect on Wellington Point and arguably the most obvious consequence was the US camp during 1943 and 1944 when 1500 US forces camped there and conducted shooting and bombing practice.
After the war the pace of life slowed but change was coming. In 1959 a chemist, doctor’s surgery, butcher, garage and fish shop were set up and with the arrival of reticulated water in 1969, farmland began to sell for house blocks.
In 1983 the iconic Redland Cricketers Club was opened.
Early industries included growing sugar cane, timber cutting, fruit and vegetable farming and fishing. (Of these the only surviving industry of any significance is fruit and vegetable farming though rapidly increasing urbanisation has reduced this industry to very low levels.)
.
is accessed at the Wellington Point railway station, Brisbane
.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Redland City, about 22 km 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...
. The suburb derives its name from Wellington Point which extends prominently into 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...
.
The point and its adjoining waters are used extensively for aquatic sports. The area is also a popular day-trip destination. While it is predominantly urban
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
, Wellington Point retains a seaside and village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
atmosphere.
Wellington Point is largely residential and adjoins Birkdale, Queensland
Birkdale, Queensland
Birkdale is a suburb south east of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, within the Redland City local government area. It stretches from Tingalpa Creek in the west, the border with Brisbane City, to Wellington Point in the east...
in the west and Ormiston, Queensland
Ormiston, Queensland
For the Ormiston in Scotland, see OrmistonOrmiston is a small suburb in Queensland, Australia. It is adjacent to the suburbs of Cleveland and Wellington Point.Ormiston is home to the Redlands Christian Reformed Church.-Pre settlement:...
to the south east.
History
The people of the Quandamooka lived in the Redlands long before white settlement. Food was plentiful and skillfully hunted, fished and collected. Tribes of the Yuggera language group inhabited the whole area, with the tribe inhabiting the mainland coastal strip stretching from Redland Bay to the mouth of the Brisbane RiverBrisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
being called the Koobenpul.
It is considered that the first European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
s to travel through Wellington Point were three shipwrecked timber getters, Pamphlett, Finnegan and Parsons in 1823.
Wellington Point was named by surveyors Robert Dixon
Robert Dixon (explorer)
Robert Dixon was an Australian surveyor and explorer, born in Darlington, England.-Arrival in Tasmania:Dixon arrived in Tasmania in May 1821 with his brother George...
and James Warner in 1842 after the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
who led the army of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
in 1815. The bay formed in part by Wellington Point was named Waterloo Bay. The first European settlers arrived in Wellington Point in the mid 1860’s after the first land sales of 1864 at which one of the big purchasers was Thomas Lodge Murray Prior. Another purchaser was Captain Louis Hope, who built Ormiston House and established a major sugar plantation and milling operation in Ormiston.
In the 1889 a railway line from Brisbane, Queensland was built to Cleveland, Queensland
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...
passing through Wellington Point. This led to greater travel to Wellington Point and the opening up of yet more land. The line was closed in 1960 due to lack of use. In 1988 the Wellington Point railway station, Brisbane
Wellington Point railway station, Brisbane
Wellington Point Station is a railway station on the Cleveland Line of Brisbane, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network.It is in a transition precinct between Zone 5 and Zone 6 of the TransLink integrated public transport system. It was an interim terminal in 1986-87 as the line...
was opened and a rail link to Brisbane was re-established. The Wellington Point reserve, opened in the 1880s was closed in 1974.
In 1887 Gilbert Burnett subdivided more of his Wellington Point holdings, especially around the railway station. Edith, Alice and Matilda Streets were laid out and named after three of Burnett’s daughters and the Wellington Point State School opened.
The first Methodist church was established in 1888, as was the original Wellington Point Hotel which was demolished in 1972 but has since been rebuilt. Fernbourne was constructed in 1889, but was renamed Whepstead Manor in 1900.
By 1893 the population of the area was 260 most involved in primary industries and service industries and by 1897 the end of Wellington Point was set aside as a recreation reserve.
The Point’s popularity continued to grow with special fruit trains run to the area in 1906 to sample the strawberries and to visit the gardens and vineyards and by 1911 retirees and commuters began to move into the area and more housing blocks were set aside.
Banyan figs were planted at the point in 1924, by 1925 the first kiosk at the point was established and in 1927 the Moreton Bay Figs were planted giving the point many of its most iconic features.
Whilst the great depression in the late 20s and 30s was a personal tragedy for many, it was also a time of work creation and the development of infrastructure. An interesting development at the point was the drilling for oil which began in 1931. The drilling was commercially unsuccessful but it did attract the interest of the Prime Minister and the Catholic Church. 1931 was also the year that town electricity was first provided in the area and the Wellington Point jetty was completed in 1937.
The Second World War had a significant effect on Wellington Point and arguably the most obvious consequence was the US camp during 1943 and 1944 when 1500 US forces camped there and conducted shooting and bombing practice.
After the war the pace of life slowed but change was coming. In 1959 a chemist, doctor’s surgery, butcher, garage and fish shop were set up and with the arrival of reticulated water in 1969, farmland began to sell for house blocks.
In 1983 the iconic Redland Cricketers Club was opened.
Early industries included growing sugar cane, timber cutting, fruit and vegetable farming and fishing. (Of these the only surviving industry of any significance is fruit and vegetable farming though rapidly increasing urbanisation has reduced this industry to very low levels.)
Significant features
Significant features include the point, King Island (which is joined to the point at low tide by a natural sand causeway), Redlands Sporting Club, Sovereign Waters (a high quality lakeside housing development), Fernbourne House and Whepstead Manor (both significant historical residences) and a shopping and restaurant precinct which contains the Wellington Point Clock Tower reminiscent of towers found in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Schools
Wellington Point is the home of three schools. They are- Redlands CollegeRedlands CollegeRedlands College is a P-12 coeducational college with over 1200 students located at Wellington Point, Brisbane, Australia. The College is operated by an association formed by members of the Churches of Christ.- College Mission :...
, described by the Courier MailThe Courier-MailThe Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
as a "Top-Performing school(s) with 89 per cent of students on OP 15 or above", - Wellington Point State High SchoolWellington Point State High SchoolWellington Point State High School is a coeducational secondary school located on Badgen Road in Wellington Point, Queensland; a locality of Redland Shire. The school is now home to over 1100 students.- History :...
which notes that "the percentage of students receiving QTAC offers for a place in a tertiary courses of study has confirmed Wellington Point High School as one of the top academic schools in the state system of education" and - Wellington Point State School, which opened in 1887, is celebrating its 120th anniversary in 2007. Redlands College and Wellington Point State High School both began in 1988.
Public transport
A railway service to Brisbane and other suburbs on the line between Brisbane and Cleveland, QueenslandCleveland, 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...
is accessed at the Wellington Point railway station, Brisbane
Wellington Point railway station, Brisbane
Wellington Point Station is a railway station on the Cleveland Line of Brisbane, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network.It is in a transition precinct between Zone 5 and Zone 6 of the TransLink integrated public transport system. It was an interim terminal in 1986-87 as the line...
.