moretonbay

Bishop Island was an island near the mouth of the Brisbane River in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia.[ Bishop Island was formed by dredging at the mouth of the Brisbane River between 1909 and 1912.[2] It was named Bishop Island in 1912 after Allan Fitzroy Gordon Bishop, the captain of the dredge Hercules involved in creating the island.[1][3] Many ships were dumped on the island. The Australian United Steam Navigation Company's SS Bingera was dumped in 1926; it was built to provide the mail service between Brisbane, Gladstone and Townsville and became redundant when the railway line to Townsville was completed. The Queensland Government's steam yacht Lucinda was dumped on 28 January 1937.[4][5] The island became a popular recreation spot visited by private boats and tourist operators.[2][3][6] In 1976, the island was used by the Port of Brisbane. In 2004, the port expanded through land reclamation in Moreton Bay, resulting in Bishop Island ceasing to exist as an island, becoming part of the mainland port.[2] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Island_(Queensland)

Comboyuro Lighthouse: To the west was the Comboyuro Lighthouse, established in 1877 and manned by a lightkeeper on £96 pa and increased to £108 pa. On 1st October 1902, the Inskip Point Pilot Samuel James Reilly was transferred from Inskip Point to Comboyuro Point as lightkeeper and remained in this job until 1915 on an annual salary of £96. In 1915 the Commonwealth Government took over responsibility for all lighthouses. Reilly died in October 1919 at the age of 80 - making him the oldest and longest-serving lightkeeper in Australia. From August 1920 and during the war the Comboyuro Point Lighthouse was operated by Charlie Waye, accompanied by his wife Doris, son Norm, and two daughters Joy and Dot. The lighthouse began as a "Comboyuro Point Light" - lightroom erected in 1863 with large kerosene burners. In 1867 a new lighthouse was built to replace the old lightroom. With the increased shipping into Brisbane, a higher tower with a new and powerful condensing apparatus was built in 1874 but this had to be shifted 200 ft inland in 1890 because of encroachment of the sea. Erosion continued and it was further shifted 366 ft inland in 1905 (see photo above). The cottage remained in position for 12 months then it too had to be shifted. This is how it appeared for the next 50 years - right through WW2 when Charlie Waye was the lightkeeper. He left for Hook Point in 1945. In 1954 it was converted to "gas automatic, unattended" and the services of the lightkeeper were dispensed with. After considerable erosion, the lighthouse was discontinued in October 1960. Finally, the Comboyuro Lighthouse collapsed into the sea later that year. The Lightkeeper's cottage - which was about 500 yards inland from the lighthouse - was a 4 bedroom weatherboard house with galvanised iron roof, verandah, big dining room, and lounge. It was dismantled in the 1960s. An era had come to an end. All that now remains are two mango trees and a Brazilian cherry tree about 40 m to the west of where the house once stood. Source: indicatorloops.com/comboyuro.htm

The Bribie Island landscape has changed a lot since Matthew Flinders, Bongaree, and their crew landed on the island in 1799. Even centuries later, the expedition has left an indelible imprint on the island and its residents. You can explore this history with the Bongaree Self Guided Walkabout, a heritage waterfront walk. The community of Bongaree is proudly named in honour of an Aboriginal explorer from Broken Bay, near Sydney. Bongaree accompanied Flinders on his expeditions and helped encourage communication between the white explorers and the traditional caretakers of the areas they visited. It’s easy to forget that communities like Bribie Island have long and colourful histories pre-dating the thriving collection of galleries, cafés, and museums there today. Walking tours are a fantastic way to get out of the air conditioning, and explore the beauty and history of an area. Bongaree Jetty Built in 1911, the SS Koopa started Island tourist trips, and by the 1920s thousands came to Bribie Island to camp and fish. After World War 2, cars could cross the Pumicestone Passage by barge, and by the early 1960's Brisbane boat trips stopped, and the Bribie Toll Bridge opened in 1963. Source: www.visitmoretonbayregion.com.au/natural-attractions/bong...