North Stradbroke Island facts for kids
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Native name:
Minjerribah
Nickname: Straddie
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NASA World Wind Landsat montage
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| Geography | |
| Location | Moreton Bay |
| Coordinates | 27°35′S 153°28′E / 27.583°S 153.467°E |
| Area | 275.2 km2 (106.3 sq mi) |
| Length | 38 km (23.6 mi) |
| Width | 11 km (6.8 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 239 m (784 ft) |
| Administration | |
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Australia
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| State | Queensland |
| Region | South East Queensland |
| Metropolis | Brisbane |
| Local government area | Redland City |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 2026 (2011 census) |
| Ethnic groups | Quandamooka people |
North Stradbroke Island (Jandai: Minjerribah), often called Straddie, is an island in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. It is about 30 kilometres southeast of Brisbane. Long ago, there was only one Stradbroke Island. But in 1896, it split into North Stradbroke Island and South Stradbroke Island because of a channel called Jumpinpin Channel. The Quandamooka people are the original owners of North Stradbroke Island.
The island has four main areas. Dunwich, Amity, and Point Lookout are small towns. The rest of the island is called North Stradbroke Island. All these areas are part of Redland City.
North Stradbroke Island is the second largest sand island in the world, covering about 275 square kilometres. It has three small towns, many lakes, and beaches along its ocean side. There are also rocky areas at Point Lookout. Aboriginal people have lived on the island for a very long time. Tourism is a big and growing industry here. For over sixty years, sand mining has also been important. Today, tourism and mining are the island's main industries.
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Island Geography and Nature
North Stradbroke Island is the second largest sand island in the world. It works with South Stradbroke and Moreton Island to form a natural barrier. This barrier protects Moreton Bay from the Coral Sea.
The island is about 38 kilometres long and 11 kilometres wide. Its highest point is 239 metres above sea level. The weather on North Stradbroke Island is sub-tropical. This means it has warm, wet summers and mild winters. It usually rains about 1587 millimetres each year. The average high temperature is 25 degrees Celsius.
In 2011, about 2026 people lived on the island. This number grows a lot during holidays. You can only get to the island by car or passenger ferries from Cleveland.
Island Towns
There are three towns on the island:
- Dunwich is the biggest town. It has a school, a medical centre, a museum, and a research station.
- Point Lookout is on the ocean side. It is the main place for tourists during holidays.
- Amity Point is smaller and a popular spot for fishing.
- Flinders Beach is a small group of holiday homes between Amity and Point Lookout.
The whole island is part of the Redland City local government area.
Beaches for Fun
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North Stradbroke Island has five main beaches for fishing, surfing, and swimming:
- Main Beach is 32 kilometres long and great for surfing.
- Cylinder Beach is a safe swimming beach with smaller waves.
- Home Beach is also popular for swimming.
- Frenchmans Beach/Deadmans Beach has cool rock pools but no lifeguards.
- Flinders Beach is good for swimming and beach camping.
Main Beach is also where you can find the Keyhole Track, a popular path for 4WD vehicles.
Lakes, Springs, and Wetlands
North Stradbroke Island has over 100 freshwater lakes and wetlands. It also has important underground water sources. These are used by local towns and a sand mining company. A lot of this underground water is also sent to the mainland. The island has more wetlands that have been around since the last ice age than anywhere else in Australia. Many of these wetlands are home to rare birds that travel long distances.
Blue Lake
Blue Lake is one of the largest lakes on the island. It is protected within the Naree Budjong Djara National Park. This lake is very important to the Quandamooka people. It gets its water from underground springs. This steady water supply means the lake has not changed much in 7,500 years. Blue Lake has been a safe place for freshwater animals and plants. With good care, it could stay this way for thousands more years.
Brown Lake
Brown Lake is a special type of lake called a perched lake. It holds its water because of a layer of leaves on its bottom. This layer stops water from sinking into the ground. Brown Lake is also very important to the Quandamooka people.
Eighteen Mile Swamp
The Eighteen Mile Swamp is the largest of its kind in the world. It is a great example of a coastal freshwater swamp. It is very long and narrow, covering 30 square kilometres. On March 27, 2011, this area became the Naree Budjong Djara National Park. Its name means My Mother Earth in the Quandamooka language. The Quandamooka people work with the Queensland government to manage this park. The swamp is very close to a large sand mine called Enterprise Mine.
The Eighteen Mile Swamp is home to many rare and endangered animals and plants. This includes a special tree called Cryptocarya foetida. The tall sand dunes next to the swamp are also very old, some up to 300,000 years old.
Myora Springs and Myora Creek Swamp
Myora Springs is a unique wetland on the northwest side of the island. It is a sacred gathering place for the Quandamooka people. It is also an important home for fish. Rare animals like the water mouse and the endangered swamp orchid live here.
Lake Kounpee
Lake Kounpee is another perched lake. It was partly drained in 1987 after sand mining caused damage. The mining company tried to fix it for 10 years but could not. The lake changed from clear freshwater to a reedy waterhole.
Other Lakes and Wetlands
Other perched lakes include Black Snake Lagoon, Ibis Lagoon, Welsby Lagoon, Native Companion Lagoon, and Tortoise Lagoon. These are all within the Naree Budjong Djara National Park. Amity Swamp was hurt in 1991 when a large amount of diesel spilled from a sand mining company. This spill was not reported for three years. The mining company was never fined for this.
Flinders Swamp is home to the rare acid frog and the burrowing skink. The Keyholes are clear freshwater lakes at the northern end of the Eighteen Mile Swamp. They were popular for canoeing. However, a mine called Yarraman Mine now operates nearby, so public access is closed.
Island Animals
North Stradbroke Island is home to many rare and special animals.
Some examples include:
- Migratory wading birds: These are birds that travel long distances. There are 34 species listed by special agreements (JAMBA and CAMBA).
- Wallum froglet (Crinia tinnula): These small frogs live in many wet areas across the island.
- Cooloola sedge frog (Litoria cooloolensis): These frogs are found in several lakes and swamps. The ones on North Stradbroke Island might be a unique species.
- Oxleyan pygmy perch (Nannoperca oxleyana): This small fish lives in the Eighteen Mile Swamp, Blue Lake, and Little Canalpin Creek.
Island Plants
There are 780 different types of plants recorded on the island. 599 are native, and 181 were brought in by people. 14 of these plants are considered threatened or near threatened. Two of them are found only on North Stradbroke Island.
Some examples include:
- Notophyll vine forest: These forests grow on the lower parts of tall sand dunes. They are home to rare plants like Cryptocarya foetida.
- Bauer's wattle (Acacia baueri): This plant is vulnerable and grows in wet, sandy areas.
- Durringtonia (Durringtonia paludosa): This plant is near threatened and found in Myora Swamp and Eighteen Mile Swamp.
- Swamp orchid (Phaius australis): This endangered orchid grows in wetlands like Flinders Beach and Myora swamps.
- Soft swamp fern (Thelypteris confluens): This vulnerable fern is found in permanently wet areas.
- Christmas bells (Blandifordia grandiflora): This plant is endangered.
- Underwater spikerush (Eleocarpus difformis): This endangered plant is found only on the island.
- Swamp daisy (Olearia hygrophila): This endangered plant is also found only on the island.
Island History
North Stradbroke Island has the oldest signs of human life in southeast Queensland. The Aboriginal name for the island is Minjerribah, which means "island in the sun".
The first European to visit was Matthew Flinders in 1802. He was looking for fresh water. He was very impressed by the health and kindness of the Aboriginal people. There is an old Aboriginal story about two shipwrecked sailors who came to the island even earlier.
In 1823, three sailors from Sydney were shipwrecked and spent time on the island. The local Aboriginal people gave them food, shelter, and even a canoe. Their stories made people interested in the Moreton Bay area. In 1827, Governor Ralph Darling named the island Stradbroke Island and the town Dunwich. These names honored Captain Henry John Rous, whose family had titles like Earl of Stradbroke.
A mission was started in 1843 but did not last long. Later, Myora Mission was set up in 1892. It became a place where Aboriginal people were made to work for low wages. They worked at the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum. After a long fight, Aboriginal workers here got equal wages in 1944, almost 20 years before other Aboriginal people in Australia.
In 1894, a ship called Cambus Wallace crashed on the island during a storm. The efforts to salvage the ship, including blowing up some explosives, weakened the sand dunes. By 1896, storms created a permanent opening, splitting the island into North and South Stradbroke Islands.
One of North Stradbroke Island's most famous people was Oodgeroo Noonuccal, also known as Kath Walker. She was an Aboriginal poet and fought for Aboriginal rights. She helped create an important agreement in 1997 about Aboriginal land rights on the island.
Quandamooka People
The Quandamooka people are the traditional Aboriginal owners of North Stradbroke Island. They are made up of the Noonuccal, Goenpul, and Ngugi tribes. Quandamooka is the Aboriginal name for Moreton Bay. These groups used to move around the island, living off the land.
In July 2011, the Quandamooka people won a 16-year legal battle to have their Native Title rights recognized. This means their rights to land and water on and around North Stradbroke Island are officially recognized. Their native title covers most of North Stradbroke Island and several smaller islands nearby.
Sand Mining on the Island
History of Mining
Sand mining started on North Stradbroke Island in 1949. Companies like Consolidated Rutile Limited (CRL) and later Sibelco Australia mined mineral sands and silica sands. Silica sand is used to make glass, including for digital tablets like iPads. Mineral sands are used in paints, plastics, and even medical devices.
Mining first happened on the beaches, which caused little harm. But in the late 1960s and 1970s, mining moved inland and grew much larger. This changed the island's landscape a lot. Even though mined areas are replanted, the original nature of the island cannot be fully brought back.
In the 1970s and 1980s, there were ideas to build a bridge to the island and greatly increase its population. But these plans were stopped because of concerns about the impact on wetlands and fish breeding areas.
In 1991, the Australian Government tried to make a deal with mining companies. The idea was to turn half of North Stradbroke Island into a national park. In return, mining could continue in certain areas. But this agreement was never signed.
Sibelco Australia operated three sand mining sites: Enterprise, Vance, and Yarraman. Enterprise was the largest mine. It operated close to the Eighteen Mile Swamp. Some people worried that the buffer zones (safe distances) between the mine and the wetlands were too small to protect these important natural areas.
Environmental Concerns and Closure
There have been environmental concerns about sand mining. In 1991, a large diesel spill from a mining company polluted Amity wetlands. This was not reported for several years. The company was never fined for this incident.
In 2009, it became known that some mining leases on the island had expired. This led to an announcement in 2010 that sand mining would gradually stop by 2027. The mined land and wetlands would become part of a national park, eventually covering 80% of the island.
There was a lot of discussion about this. Some residents worried about jobs and the island's economy. Environmental groups argued that 2027 was too late, as the mines were expected to run out of minerals by then anyway. They wanted mining to stop sooner.
In 2011, a new law was passed called the Stradbroke Island Sustainability and Protection Act. This law allowed the Enterprise Mine to continue until 2019, the Yarraman mine until 2015, and the Vance mine until 2025. It also made it harder for environmental groups and Indigenous owners to challenge the mining leases in court.
Later, in 2013, a different government passed a law to allow sand mining for an extra 16 years, until 2035. However, when a new government came into power in 2015, they changed the end date back to 2019.
Mines Closing
The Yarraman mine closed in 2015. The Enterprise mine closed in 2019, as planned by the 2011 law. The smaller Vance mine will continue to operate until 2025.
In 2019, Sibelco Australia, the Queensland government, and the Quandamooka people signed an agreement. They plan to restore the land where the three sand mines operated. This will cost a lot of money and take five to six years. The Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation will help with the restoration and develop the island as a cultural and wildlife sanctuary.
Arts, Culture, and Tourism
The island is growing its tourism industry, focusing on arts and culture. Workshops teach skills like fibre art and basketry. The Quandamooka Festival celebrates Indigenous culture. A new Quandamooka Arts Museum and Performance Institute is also being built to promote the island's rich cultural heritage.
Images for kids
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View of the Sibelco-owned Yarraman mine site.
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The Sibelco-owned Enterprise Mine overlaid onto a map of Brisbane suburbs, to illustrate the area of the sand mining.
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Sibelco-owned Enterprise mine dredging path and buffer zones to 18 Mile Swamp, Ramsar listed, and now Naree Budjong Djara National Park
