Russell Island (Moreton Bay)

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For other places with the same name, see Russell Island.
Location of Russell Island
Location of Russell Island
Russell Island in Moreton Bay
Russell Island in Moreton Bay

Russell Island in Redland City is the biggest of the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, sandwiched between the mainland and North Stradbroke Island in the state of Queensland, Australia. The island is eight kilometres long (north-to-south) and nearly three kilometres wide.

Contents

[edit] History

Many people remember Russell Island for the infamous land scams of the early 1970s, when many of the islands farms were divided into over 20,000 blocks.[1] 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 thought 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, have tried to untangle ever since.

The history of the island, however, goes back much further than the scams. The island 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.[2]

[edit] Island life

House arriving on Russell Island
House arriving on Russell Island

According to the 2006 Census Russell has just under 2000 permanent residents. However, this changes dramatically on weekends and holidays when many of the 30% of dwellings on the island which are classified as unoccupied are visited by their owners. In the last five years new dwellings grown by one a day--and more. The blocks, while still the second cheapest in Australia, no longer "go for a song". 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. Contrary to current beliefs, the possibility of a bridge being built to connect Russell Island to Redland Bay is slim.

[edit] Facilities

Russell Island has a police station, supermarket, post office, garage, service station, gym, grocery/take away food, bottle shop, pet shop, part-time doctor, chemist, RSL club, bowls club, hairdresser, bakery and restaurant. In the middle of 2007 the Canaipa Shops which housed the takeaway, hardware store, hairdresser and bakery was torn down to make way for a large new supermarket and specialty stores--including the former tenants[3] 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 are resident on the Island, making the island somewhat self-supportive. Services include power, phone, broadband, water and garbage collection but sewerage and tarring of the vast majority of streets is still some time away. 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 high-speed barge carrying two police vehicles. By the end of November, 2007, a police station and public swimming pool will be built. A small primary school for around 180 students 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. Both 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, have barbecue and toilet facilities close by. 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. 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 the 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.

[edit] See also

Queensland Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Russell Island Land Fraud in Grabosky, Peter (ed.) Sutton, Adam (ed.): Stains on a white collar, The Federation Press, 1989, Annandale, NSW, ISBN 1-86287-009-8.
  2. ^ Dorrington, Wendy: The Pioneers of Russell Island, self-published, 2003, Russell Island, QLD, ISBN 1 876780 39 8.
  3. ^ Business Directory for Russell Island

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 27°40′S, 153°23′E

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Suburbs in Redland City Council