58-568: Bramble Bay is an embayment of Moreton Bay in South East Queensland , Australia . The Brisway map reference is 12 H5, or see page 91 G19 in Refidex. The Houghton Highway , Hornibrook Bridge and Ted Smout Memorial Bridge span Bramble Bay, connecting Redcliffe with Brisbane . The Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race begins in Bramble Bay. Activities for the annual race are centred on
116-486: A decade, as no free settlers were allowed to enter within a 50 mile radius of the penal colony. In 1873 Gustavus Birch, a well educated recluse found solace in the company of the Quandamooka people having relinquished his life on the mainland, setting up camp at Pulan Pulan (Amity Point) staying for over 30 years. During that time he kept a diary of his life on the island recording in detail, every day – who visited
174-418: A downward trend in the ecosystem health of Moreton Bay over the period from 2012 to 2013, with water quality also affected by major flood events such as those in 2009 and 2011. After the 2011 Brisbane River floods washed contaminated water into the bay, commercial fishermen and recreation anglers were warned not catch or eat seafood from its waters. The flood plume was investigated to monitor its impact on
232-438: A range centred on the shores and surrounds of Moreton Bay. The southern and western parts of the bay contain shallow mud-layered waters that are protected from strong wave action by the barrier islands. This has provided excellent habitat for mangroves of which seven different species thrive within the bay, particularly in the sheltered, southern sections of the bay. The species Avicennia marina predominates. About 1% of
290-498: Is also home to other abundant wildlife, including whales, dolphins, dugong , sharks and turtles. From 1824 to 1950 turtles were hunted for commercial purposes. The loggerhead turtle population in the bay is the most significant in the country. The bay is ranked among the top ten dugong habitats in Australia and together with the Gulf of Carpentaria and Torres Strait is considered one of
348-413: Is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources. The waters of Moreton Bay are a popular destination for recreational anglers and are used by commercial operators who provide seafood to market. The Port of Brisbane coordinates large traffic along the shipping channel which crosses the northern section of the bay. The bay serves as a safe approach to the airport and reduces noise pollution over
406-669: Is the most common species. Seagrass has been lost since colonization due to increased turbidity and sedimentation from erosion in the catchment. Collectively, around 50,000 wading birds visit the Moreton Bay each year, and its wetlands are classified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA). In its Shorebird Management Strategy, the Queensland Government notes that: "Moreton Bay's extensive intertidal areas are essential for shorebirds as they provide roosting, feeding and, in some cases, breeding habitat." The bay
464-571: The Q150 celebrations, the Moreton Bay was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "Natural attraction". Moreton Bay is a Pacific Ocean Hope Spot . Moreton Bay was formed roughly 6000 years ago as the sea level rose and inundated what was then the floodplains of the Brisbane River . Moreton Bay and its islands were inhabited by the Quandamooka people. The indigenous economy
522-493: The Shorncliffe pier and nearby foreshore. Bramble Bay is the most environmentally degraded part of Moreton Bay. Because the bay is so close to the urban populations of Brisbane and Redcliffe the collection of shelled marine animals such as oysters , scallops and limpets is banned. Fishing within bay's closed waters, risks on the spot fines at all times under Queensland's closed water fishing regulations. North of Bramble Bay
580-488: The Southern Moreton Bay Islands . Together with Coochiemudlo and Garden Island these are bedrock islands. Residential development has also occurred on Coochiemudlo Island and Bribie Island . In the past Peel Island has been used as a sisal plantation, quarantine station, asylum and a leper colony. Moreton Bay is generally shallow and sandy, though a substantive channel is maintained to allow access to
638-555: The bight formed by the northern end of Stradbroke Island (in 1770, there was only one island) and the eastern side of Moreton Island. He was unaware of the South Passage (as it's now called) between the two islands, and did not sail into what is the present Moreton Bay. Matthew Flinders was the first recorded European to enter the bay in 1799 touching down at the Pumicestone Passage , Redcliffe and Coochiemudlo Island . He
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#1732858909079696-492: The trophic structure of the area. One of serious threats to marine animals in Moreton Bay is ship-strikes. Dugongs and turtles in Moreton Bay are often killed or injured when struck by speeding boats. Unlike the southern and south-western population of Australia, southern right whales off the east coast of Australia, along with the west coast, Tasmania , and eastern Victoria , are critically endangered, consisting of only 10 or more individuals. Whales have not been seen on
754-661: The "worst environmental disaster Queensland has ever seen". Quandamooka people The Quandamooka people ( Jandai pronunciation: / ˈ k w ɒ n d ə ˌ m ʊ k ə / ) are Aboriginal Australians who live around Moreton Bay in Southeastern Queensland . They are composed of three distinct tribes, the Nunukul , the Goenpul and the Ngugi , and they live primarily on Moreton and North Stradbroke Islands , that form
812-552: The 1920s. Many whale and dolphin species can be found in Moreton Bay including humpback whales , killer whales , southern right whales , sperm whales , melon-headed whales , blue whales , Bryde's whales , minke whales , common dolphins, spinner dolphins and Risso's dolphins . Under Australia's EPBC Act the southern right whale is listed as endangered and the humpback whale is listed as vulnerable. Commercial tour operators offer whale watching cruises between June and September each year. Most of larger cetaceans observed in
870-512: The Brisbane River or to Dunwich for shipment to Sydney. The bay was home to the Lightship Rose which provided a permanent navigation aid to passing ships at the mouth of the Brisbane River. The SS John Oxley was another notable boat which temporarily acted as a pilot ship. Car ferries began crossing the bay to reach North Stradbroke Island in 1947, leading to an increase in tourism on
928-569: The English navigator and cartographer Matthew Flinders passed several weeks exploring Moreton Bay. The Moreton Bay people occasionally took in and cared for English ticket-of-leave castaways, most notably Thomas Pamphlet , Richard Parsons and John Finnegan , whom the explorer John Oxley found when he sailed into the bay in 1823. The first settlement, a penal colony, was established the following year by Oxley at Redcliffe with 50 settlers, 20-30 of whom were convicts. Contacts were scarce for over
986-612: The European usage and occupation of Quandamooka in the 19th century was largely restricted to government institutions on small portions on the islands, and with free enterprise business men like the Campbell brothers who ran a saltworks and sugar plantations on Russell and Macleay islands, and the early fishing and oystering businesses in the bay who employed the Aboriginal people of Quandamooka. Large Aboriginal campsites remained throughout
1044-697: The Middle Banks, Central Banks and Western Banks. From north of Moreton Island towards Caloundra are the Yulle Road, Spitfire Bank, and the Salamander Bank, amongst others. Amity Banks are found just west of Amity Point, while the Moreton Banks lie to the west of the southern tip of Moreton Island. These banks can be hazard for marine navigation because they are constantly changing due to tidal currents. The Middle Banks area close to Moreton Island has been used in
1102-543: The Moreton Bay region, including on the mainland , until as late as the 1920s. The bay extends some 125 kilometres (78 mi) from Caloundra in the north almost to Surfers Paradise in the south. The bay's southern navigation entrance is the Gold Coast Seaway . The bay is 35 kilometres (22 mi) across at its widest point. It is separated from the Coral Sea by a chain of three sand islands : Moreton Island in
1160-447: The Ngugi tribe lived on Moreton Island . The Nunukul, Goenpul and Ngugi tribes together constitute the Quandamooka people. The archaeological remains of the Moreton Bay islands were studied intensively by V.V. Ponosov in the mid 1960s, and indigenous occupation of the islands seems to go back at least some 18,000 years BP. The Quandamooka people first encountered Europeans in 1799, when
1218-519: The Port of Brisbane at Fisherman Islands at the mouth of the Brisbane River, for international shipping. Channels in the south of the bay are only rarely deep. Waves penetrate a small way into the bay at its four southern passages. Most waves in the bay are generated by local winds. The tidal range is moderate at 1.5–2 metres (4 ft 11 in – 6 ft 7 in) in range. Moreton Bay has an average depth of 6.8 metres (22 ft), however parts of
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#17328589090791276-512: The abandonment of the Redcliffe settlement, and work began on the new convict settlement several miles up the Brisbane River in 1825. Within a couple years, this new settlement was growing rapidly and the number of ships entering the bay was increasing. As a result, the facilities required to service the pilot station at Amity grew, and in 1827 convicts were sent to the island to build a new causeway at Dunwich , remnants of which can still be found on
1334-420: The animals. The men used several different techniques to catch fish. These included netting them from canoes using nets made of vines or bark, spearing them, and trapping them. The collection of other sources of food was done by women. These included shellfish , fern roots, Pandanus trees, insect larvae, berries, lily bulbs, honey , and small game. The fern roots were roasted and pounded into flour , while
1392-440: The bay are deeper than 30 metres (98 ft). This relatively shallow depth lets light filter through to the seafloor, allowing an array of marine plants to grow which support a diverse range of fauna. The bay itself covers 1,523 square kilometres (588 sq mi) and has a catchment area 14 times larger, covering 21,220 square kilometres (8,190 sq mi). The waters of the bay are mostly blue in colour. Western parts of
1450-466: The bay are humpbacks, and several smaller dolphins live or regularly visit the bay. The Moreton Bay bug ( Thenus orientalis ) is a species of slipper lobster found throughout the waters of Australia's north coast. The bug is a relatively expensive delicacy served in many restaurants in Queensland. The Moreton Bay fig ( Ficus macrophylla ) is a large tree endemic to the east coast of Australia within
1508-649: The bay are sometimes tinted green from algae, brown from suspended sediments or yellow-brown from humic runoff. The average annual temperature of the sea ranges from 21.0 °C (69.8 °F) in July to 27.0 °C (80.6 °F) in February. As well as the Brisbane River, the Pimpama River , Logan River , Albert River , Pine River , Tingalpa Creek and the Schulz Canal all empty into Moreton Bay. Within Moreton Bay are
1566-465: The bay include Pumicestone Passage and numerous boat ramps, marinas and jetties , including the Shorncliffe pier . Moreton Bay is filled with sandbanks from sand supplied via littoral drift along the coast of Moreton Island. The field of sandbanks extends across the entrance to Moreton Bay and evolved after sea level reached its present position, about 6,500 years ago after the last ice age Between Tangalooma and Skirmish Point on Bribie Island are
1624-468: The bay is coral reef. Land clearing and settlement in the catchment has led to unfavourable conditions for coral growth. Climate change is expected to raise sea levels and produce warmer waters that will aid coral growth in the bay. The bay may experience widespread outbreaks of bacteria lyngbya which can cause skin lesions and asthma attacks upon contact. The eastern shovelnose ray is found in high abundance in Moreton Bay and has an important role in
1682-547: The bay is very turbid . At times two sewerage plumes from the rivers are visible in Bramble Bay. The residence time for Bramble Bay, that is, the period of time that a parcel of water remains at a particular location, is 59 to 62 days, the longest for any part of Moreton Bay. In 2009, the annual Healthy Waterways Partnership Report Card rated Bramble Bay an F from a previous C. The rating deteriorated because of an increase in phytoplankton and nitrogen concentrations, as well as decreases in water clarity and salinity . During
1740-518: The bay's marine ecosystems. It contained sewerage, pesticides, heavy metals such as lead and zinc as well as hydrocarbons. An oil spill occurred in March 2009 from the MV Pacific Adventurer dumping 100 tonnes (98 long tons; 110 short tons) of oil, 30 tonnes (30 long tons; 33 short tons) of fuel and other toxic chemicals on Brisbane's suburban beaches. Premier Anna Bligh described the spill as
1798-414: The camp, the food they caught and foraged for, weather patterns and other significant events. Significantly he recorded many Aboriginal words and their local meaning, and clearly identified the men, women and children with whom he shared his reclusive life. As free settlers began to move in, the indigenous peoples were pushed out of the more fertile lands into the coastal fringe, with many of them moving to
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1856-645: The city to the west of the runway. A number of barge, ferry and water-taxi services also travel over the bay. Moreton Bay was the site of conflict between the Quandamooka people and early European settlers . It contains environmentally significant habitats and large areas of sandbanks. The bay is the only place in Australia where dugong gather into herds. Many parts of the mainland foreshore and southern islands are settled. The waters of Moreton Bay are relatively calm, being sheltered from large swells by Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island . In 2009 as part of
1914-461: The east coast for many years (unlike humpbacks) as the first whale came back to both Australia and New Zealand in the early 1960s, largely due to mass illegal hunts by the Soviet Union as well as Japan, although at first it was reported to take only four whales. Recent increases in sightings along the east coast indicate very slow but certain recovery of the species in that area, and Moreton Bay
1972-503: The eastern side of the bay. Many were pushed out of their lands when the English colonial government established a penal colony near there in 1824. Each group has its own language. A number of local food sources are utilised by the tribes. The term Quandamooka refers geographically to the southern Moreton Bay, the waters, islands and adjacent coastal areas of the mainland. The Nunukul and Goenpul tribes lived on Stradbroke Island , while
2030-521: The fleshy part of Pandanus trees were used to make a drink. The game animals consumed by the Quandamooka included lizards, snakes, waterbirds, and marsupials . The Quandamooka people made several tools and weapons from materials found locally. These included boomerangs and shields , as well as dilly bags made from woven reeds. These tools were frequently decorated with patterns, which were either burned or painted. Tools and weapons were also occasionally traded with other nearby tribes. On 4 July 2011,
2088-530: The form of art, songs, and dances. The three tribes that comprise the Quandamooka people spoke dialects of a Durubalic language. The language that the Goenpul tribe of central and southern Stradbroke Island speaks is Jandai , and the Nunukul dialect of northern Stradbroke island was called Moondjan, the term for its distinctive word for "no". The Quandamooka people used several local food sources, including many from
2146-506: The future re-establishment of the species in the former habitats. Moreton Bay's sea grass beds and corals are subject to ongoing threat from soil run-off caused by agriculture in the Lockyer Valley and construction activity in south east Queensland. Professor John Olley has noted that mud is now flowing out to Moreton Bay 10 times as fast as it did before Europeans settled in the region 120 years ago. The 2013 Healthy Waterways Report shows
2204-488: The importance of fish, kangaroo and fern-root called dingowa in the diet of the local tribes. His paper, titled 'Natives of Moreton Bay' also has a detailed summary of inter-tribal fights in the Bribie Island region, as witnessed by castaways John Finnegan and Thomas Pamphlett . In the 1840s, resident white administrators estimated the Aboriginal population of the area to be around 4,000. They were only outnumbered with
2262-512: The influx over the five-year period of 1850-1855 that saw the disembarkation of 3,000 European migrants on their land. The name Morton's Bay was given by Captain Cook when he passed the area on 15 May 1770, honouring Lord Morton , president of the Royal Society . The spelling Moreton was an error in the first published account of Cook's voyage (Hawkesworth's Voyages ). Cook gave the name only to
2320-491: The island. In the 1950s both sand mining and the first land sales at Point Lookout occurred. On 1 September 2007, four people were killed in a boat accident on the bay, two kilometres from the Pinkenba boat ramp. Ten others were injured. Moreton Bay has at least 102 shipwrecks of which 26 have their exact location known. See Mount Elliot, Shipwreck for details of a lighter vessel wrecked in 1937. Problems came about when
2378-401: The less occupied small islands. The three Quandamooka peoples each faced dispossession and the loss of their hunting and fishing grounds. The presence of settlers introduced a number of diseases that ravaged the islands and coastal areas. Forced displacements and the removal of children also had an impact. The indigenous people living on Stradbroke island were able to sustain their lifestyle for
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2436-570: The longest period; however, in 1897 the Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the sale of Opium Act moved all indigenous people to reservations, with the exception of those who were imprisoned or were employed as servants. The lifestyle of the Quandamooka people was semi-nomadic, moving between semi-permanent campsites. They built shelters of various kinds, ranging from simple lean-tos for an overnight stay to more robust huts used at well-frequented campsites. Their traditions were recorded in
2494-466: The most important areas for dugong in Queensland. Moreton Bay is the only place in Australia where dugongs gather in herds. In the past the dugongs in herds numbered in the thousands. Some herds 5 km long by 250 m wide were seen during the 1800s. In 2009, there were just between 600 and 800 remaining. The dugongs were traditional foods of indigenous Australians. They were hunted for their oil and to make other products by early Europeans up until
2552-498: The natural long shore transport of sand along ocean beaches. The bay's heritage protected wetlands, mudflats, and waterways are some of the healthiest in the region, supporting seasonally up to 25% of Australia's bird species. The combination of muddy habitats on the western side of the bay and sandy habitats on the eastern side of the bay together with coral and seagrass beds support more than 43 species of shorebird. Seven species of seagrass live in Moreton Bay. Zostera capricorni
2610-526: The newcomers displayed a lack of respect for Aboriginal marriage rules, stole bones and other artefacts and desecrated sites important to the Aboriginals. In 1843, Catholic missionaries chose Dunwich as the site for the first Catholic mission to Australian Aborigines. The existence of the quarantine station on Stradbroke Island from 1850 to the 1870s led to the official discouragement of pastoralism or wider settlement for fear of spreading disease. Thus
2668-489: The north, North Stradbroke Island , and South Stradbroke Island in the south. Tipplers Passage is the main channel on the western coast of South Stradbroke Island. The Gold Coast Seaway is at the southern extent of Moreton Bay, before the Gold Coast Broadwater . The bay itself contains around 360 islands in total. This includes the populated Russell , Macleay , Lamb and Karragarra Islands collectively known as
2726-550: The north-west, and Pine River flows into Bramble Bay to the south-west. Some definitions place the mouth of the Brisbane River and the Boondall Wetlands in Bramble Bay. This would also place the mouths of a number of smaller creeks south of Shorncliffe, including Cabbage Tree Creek (formerly Tighgum Creek), Nundah Creek and Kedron Brook , within the Bramble Bay catchment. Both rivers flowing into Bramble Bay carry high loads of nutrients and suspended sediments . Water in
2784-419: The ocean. The collection of these resources was often segregated by gender. Canoes were used to fish in Moreton Bay for Mullet , and to hunt Dugongs and Sea Turtles . They were also used to travel to the mainland to hunt. Hunting and fishing were male specialisations. Dugongs were highly prized catch, because of their multiple uses. The meat was roasted and eaten, while medicinal oil was also obtained from
2842-511: The past as a source of sand for large projects such as the nearby Brisbane Airport and port facilities. Past dredging has removed 18 million metres and the removal of another 40 million metres is planned. Future sand extraction is expected to aid a major shipping channel straightening project. To ensure the shipping channel remains open, several areas of the bay have been allocated for dredged material dumping sites. These sites have been selected to provide beach nourishment , aiding
2900-460: The past the bay contained large areas of seagrass which attracted feeding dugongs, however there are no seagrass beds in the bay today. This is due to a lack of sunlight reaching the seabed. 27°18′S 153°06′E / 27.300°S 153.100°E / -27.300; 153.100 Moreton Bay Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from central Brisbane , Queensland . It
2958-593: The same site. Within a year the first permanent European settlement at Dunwich had been built. Due to poor weather, smuggling, and conflict with aborigines this convict out-station was difficult to sustain and was closed in 1831. The first immigrant ship from England, the Artemisia , reached Moreton Bay in December 1848 after a four-month journey. The next year saw the arrival of the Fortitude carrying more free immigrants to
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#17328589090793016-416: The settlement. By the 1850s, the region's earliest industry was utilising the bay for the transport of timber. After felling, the logs were dragged or rolled into flooded streams from where they were washed downstream to tidal reaches and bound together into rafts. After the floods had ceased and tides returned to normal, the currents of the bay and sometimes boats were used to delivered the timber north to
3074-551: The shoreline forms the southern peninsula shape of the Redcliffe City suburbs of Clontarf and Woody Point . The southern shoreline follows Brisbane City suburbs of Brighton , Sandgate and the northern Shorncliffe shoreline. The former suburb of Cribb Island was also found on the southern shoreline of the bay until it was disbanded for the construction of the Brisbane Airport . Bramble Bay flows into Hays Inlet to
3132-506: The smaller bays of Waterloo Bay, Redland Bay, Raby Bay , Deception Bay and Bramble Bay . The bay contains a number of island villages such as the settlement on the bayside of Moreton Island, Tangalooma and on North Stradbroke, Dunwich and Amity Point . Prominent coastal communities and mainland suburbs situated on the bay include Deception Bay , Scarborough , Redcliffe , Margate , Woody Point , Brighton , Sandgate , Cleveland , Victoria Point and Redland Bay . Other attractions in
3190-505: Was an instance of a southern right whale being fatally struck by a ferry in August 2014. This whale was a calf, and her mother was also seriously injured by the accident and her fate is still unknown. Another southern right whale, possibly with a calf was also hit few days prior to the incident with a sighting of possibly the same whales near Victoria Point . These ship-strikes and entanglements in fishing gear may contribute severely to preventing
3248-472: Was followed by John Oxley who explored the Brisbane River in 1823. On a subsequent visit in the following year, Oxley established the first European settlement in the bay at the present site of Redcliffe. After Oxley in 1823 came convicts and soldiers. As the South Passage between Moreton and Stradbroke Islands was the shortest shipping route , a depot and pilot station were established at Amity Point in 1825. European settlement began in earnest after
3306-445: Was probably a prominent calving ground for these coast-loving whales. Very small but steady appearances of southern rights have been confirmed in Moreton Bay, Gold Coast, and Hervey Bay . Seasonal presences of right whales have been recorded in Moreton Bay at least in the late 1990s, and small family groups of whales have been observed visiting the southern bay each year since 2002, especially around Toondah Harbour . However, there
3364-521: Was very rich, one of the strongest for its productive yields of edible natural resources on the Australian continent. Of particular importance for the interclan trade and ceremonial life were in particular massive oyster beds, the annual mullet catch, and bunya nut harvesting, on the coast and inland, which led to annual migrations either way to enjoy the abundance of the respective tribal group's territory. An 1823 account by explorer John Uniacke described
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