Russell Island (Moreton Bay)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Canadian Island, see Russell Island
Russell Island in Redland Shire is the biggest of the southern Moreton Bay islands sandwiched between the mainland and North Stradbroke Island in the state of Queensland, Australia. Located at the island is eight kilometres north to south and nearly three kilometres wide.
Contents |
[edit] History
Many people in Australia remember it for the infamous land scams of the early 1970s when many of the islands farms were divided into over 20,000 blocks. This was easy because at the time the area, with a population of less than 500, did not have a local authority enforcing planning regulations. Heavily advertised and sold off by unscrupulous vendors these blocks were often not where the unwary customers though they were buying. It all rode on the vague promise of a bridge from the National Party government at the time.
Media reports exposing the scam pointed to blocks that were underwater at high tide and the lack of public land. Thousands were duped and still smart today when rates notices arrive. Privately owned properties have reduced to about 15,000 as many owners have forfeited their land back to the Council. It is bitter and unwanted heritage that the islanders and the Redland Council who were appointed to take over the island has had to tried to untangle ever since.
The history of the island, however, goes back much further than the scams. It was an important landing place for the aborigines but was first settled by Europeans in 1866 when John Campbell was granted a lease on the northern end of the island closely followed by John Willes and his family. Farmers and oystermen were the first full-time inhabitants but with the arrival of the Jackson family in 1906, a small village was created on the western side of the island called Jacksonville that had a sawmill, pineapple canning factory, jetty and even a picture theatre.
[edit] Island life
But times have changed. The population of the island is currently between 2000 and 3,500 depending on when you are there. The blocks no longer go for a song, especially along the waterfronts and hundreds of new or imported houses have appeared in the last five years. Spots for small boat moorings around the island are running out. Fast ferries and scheduled barges straddle the distance to Redland Bay quickly for most of the day.
Locals describe living on the island as quiet and laid back with the advantage of being close to the facilities of a major city just across water and being fringed by the Moreton Bay Marine Park. Certainly, the rate of reported crime is well below that of equivalent suburbs on the mainland. Both the Queensland Government and the Redland Council have stated that no plans are being made to construct a bridge and so the island will probably remain that way for some time to come.
[edit] Facilities
The island has a supermarket, post office, garage, grocery/take away food, bottle shop, part time doctor, chemist , hairdresser, bakery and restaurant. With so many blocks still available, three real estate offices trade well. Two licensed clubs provide entertainment and bistro facilities, a generously sized hall is available and regular church services are held in the historic St Peters Church Hall. Electricians, builders and plumbers resident on the Island. Services include power, phone, broadband, water and garbage collection but sewerage is still some time away and most likely to be a small facility on the island. Garbage is trucked to the mainland for disposal. Both the Rural Fire Brigade and the Ambulance service receive strong volunteer support. Queensland Police make frequent visits to the island with a their own high speed barge carrying a police vehicle. A small primary school has an active parents and citizens club.
[edit] Features
Russell Island has few beaches; the foreshore is mostly mud and mangrove, there is little public land along the foreshore. The Lions Park at the southern end of the Island and the small park and tidal swimming enclosure close to the barge ramp and jetty at the northern end, both have barbecue and toilet facilities close by. A 25m in ground swimming pool has been contracted to be built towards then end of 2006 beside Borrows Lagoon which is being tended by a strong Bushcare Group. The outstanding feature of the island is its vast wetlands areas but there are no established walking tracks or nature trails to view them. These wetlands also mean that the island has a big summer population of mosquitoes and midges one hundred times greater than the mainland. However, they are a part of a rich food chain that attracts thousands of migratory birds and crowds the waters with fish and crabs. Promised by Queensland Government in the next three years is a Police Beat(a small police station) with two permanent police, a residence and a police boat.
