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57-396: Moreton Bay is a bay located on the eastern coast of Australia 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from central Brisbane , Queensland . It 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

114-612: 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 was very rich, one of the strongest for its productive yields of edible natural resources on the Australian continent. Of particular importance for

171-441: A bay often reduces the strength of winds and blocks waves . Bays may have as wide a variety of shoreline characteristics as other shorelines. In some cases, bays have beaches , which "are usually characterized by a steep upper foreshore with a broad, flat fronting terrace". Bays were significant in the history of human settlement because they provided easy access to marine resources like fisheries . Later they were important in

228-453: A bay unless its area is as large as (or larger than) that of the semi-circle whose diameter is a line drawn across the mouth of that indentation — otherwise it would be referred to as a bight . There are various ways in which bays can form. The largest bays have developed through plate tectonics . As the super-continent Pangaea broke up along curved and indented fault lines, the continents moved apart and left large bays; these include

285-558: 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 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

342-536: 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 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

399-568: 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

456-572: Is a coastal town and locality on North Stradbroke Island in the City of Redland , Queensland , Australia. In the 2021 census , the locality of Amity had a population of 453 people. It is known as Pulan Pulan by the traditional owners , the Quandamooka people . Amity is located on the north western point of North Stradbroke Island (known as Amity Point). Directly north is the South Passage and

513-612: 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 the most important areas for dugong in Queensland. Moreton Bay

570-423: Is despite the fact that North Stradbroke Island, along with Moreton Island to the north and South Stradbroke Island to the south, are made up entirely of sand, a substance that only a few, mostly monocotyledon plants have managed to survive in elsewhere in the world. The three islands also have species of ancient ferns that have survived only on these islands. The flowering rate of these ferns are very slow, and

627-404: 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 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

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684-664: 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

741-500: 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 the Q150 celebrations, the Moreton Bay was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as

798-717: 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 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

855-537: The Gulf of Guinea , the Gulf of Mexico , and the Bay of Bengal , which is the world's largest bay. Bays also form through coastal erosion by rivers and glaciers . A bay formed by a glacier is a fjord . Rias are created by rivers and are characterised by more gradual slopes. Deposits of softer rocks erode more rapidly, forming bays, while harder rocks erode less quickly, leaving headlands . Amity, Queensland Amity

912-724: The Moreton Bay penal colony . It had been given the name Cypress Point for which it was only known as for a brief period. The site was chosen as a pilot station by John Gray because of its location close to the South Passage into Moreton Bay. It was the first European settlement on Stradbroke Island . A supply boat called The Otter , which also carried tourists, ran between Brisbane's central business district and Amity from 1885 to 1946. Amity Point State School opened on 7 April 1919, but closed in 1920. On 22 February 1937, it reopened as Cylinder Beach Provisional School. After 8 months

969-487: 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

1026-454: 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 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

1083-472: 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

1140-471: The Amity Point Library. It is a very small library being only 22 square metres (240 sq ft) on the veranda of the local community hall and open only 9 hours each week. Private sector investments on the town only cater for the large number of tourists which come to the island every holiday season to make use of the town's beaches. There is a caravan park that caters for the budget traveller in

1197-526: 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 the island. In

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1254-559: 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

1311-697: 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

1368-541: 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

1425-515: 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

1482-558: 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 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

1539-475: 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 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

1596-438: 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

1653-647: 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

1710-516: 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

1767-670: 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 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

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1824-455: 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 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

1881-521: The development of sea trade as the safe anchorage they provide encouraged their selection as ports . The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea defines a bay as a well-marked indentation in the coastline, whose penetration is in such proportion to the width of its mouth as to contain land-locked waters and constitute more than a mere curvature of the coast. An indentation, however, shall not be regarded as

1938-452: 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 the abandonment of the Redcliffe settlement, and work began on

1995-466: 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 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

2052-465: 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 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

2109-442: The mainland. Amity has little infrastructure built by either the private or public sectors. Due to this, the town's populace have to end up driving to either Dunwich for health and schooling facilities, or going by ferry or boat to the mainland town of Redlands. The only government infrastructure for the town is a single jetty , a library, a community hall, a Fire Station and a post office. No schools or hospitals are found in

2166-495: 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

2223-419: 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 the same site. Within

2280-523: 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

2337-601: The next most common language was 0.9% Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole). In the 2016 census , the locality of Amity had a population of 387 people. In the 2021 census , the locality of Amity had a population of 453 people. There are no schools in Amity. The nearest government primary school is Dunwich State School in Dunwich to the south. The nearest government secondary school is Cleveland District State High School in Cleveland on

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2394-489: 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

2451-507: 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

2508-457: The school was relocated to a site approx 1.6 km (0.99 mi) from Amity Point, where it reopened on 19 October 1937 as Amity Provisional School, but closed on 2 September 1938. On 30 January 1951, the school reopened as Amity Point State School. It closed permanently on 19 November 1961. Amity Point Post Office opened around 1942. St Peter's Anglican Church was dedicated on 29 October 1957 by Venerable Frank Knight. Its closure circa 2018

2565-415: 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

2622-506: 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

2679-445: 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 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

2736-410: 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 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

2793-405: The southern tip of Moreton Island . To the east lies the small town of Point Lookout and to the south lies the main town of North Stradbroke Island, Dunwich . Wallum Creek snakes along the southern border of the town. Rainbow Channel lies directly adjacent to Amity Point in Moreton Bay . In 1824 John Oxley named the headland Amity Point after the brig Amity he sailed in when establishing

2850-554: The spill as the "worst environmental disaster Queensland has ever seen". Embayment A bay can be the estuary of a river, such as the Chesapeake Bay , an estuary of the Susquehanna River . Bays may also be nested within each other; for example, James Bay is an arm of Hudson Bay in northeastern Canada . Some large bays, such as the Bay of Bengal and Hudson Bay, have varied marine geology . The land surrounding

2907-411: The town. The cricket club at Amity is the only investment by the private sector that is catered for the local populace of the town, though it still receives much business from tourists. Amity is surrounded by virgin forests to the south east and pristine beaches elsewhere. The forests surrounding Amity are subtropical rainforests with a significant amount of diversity in both flora and fauna . This

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2964-433: The town. This, however, is not due to a lack of government investment for the town, but rather due to the very small size of the town. There are only eighteen roads in the town, with the majority of those very small. Claytons Road, often called Point Lookout Road by the locals, due to the road leading to Point Lookout, is the only road which gives access to Amity from the rest of the island. The Redland City Council operate

3021-562: The trees are protected by Australian law so that only the Aboriginals , the original people of the island, may harvest them. The beaches around Amity township have been eroded heavily by the rainbow channel, but Flinders Beach , 2–3 kilometres (1.2–1.9 mi) to the east, and the Wanga Wallen Bank approximately 500 m (1,640 ft) to the south are in pristine condition, with a range of wildlife from U-Tube worms to Wobbegongs ,

3078-416: 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 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

3135-564: Was approved by Locum Bishop Godfrey Fryar . In the 2006 census , the locality of Amity had a population of 408 people. In the 2011 census , the locality of Amity had a population of 348 people, 50.3% female and 49.7% male. The median age of the Amity population was 53 years, compared to the national median age of 37. 86% of people living in Amity were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 4.4%, New Zealand 1.7%, Solomon Islands 1.2%, Papua New Guinea 1.2%, Latvia 1.2%. 98% of people spoke only English at home;

3192-504: 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 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

3249-493: 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 was followed by John Oxley who explored the Brisbane River in 1823. On a subsequent visit in the following year, Oxley established

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