Pinkenba, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pinkenba Brisbane, Queensland
Bulwer Island, 2010
Pinkenba Location in Queensland
Population	350 (2021 census)
• Density	19.2/km2 (50/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4008
Area	18.2 km2 (7.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	10.4 km (6 mi) ENE of Brisbane CBD
LGA(s)	City of Brisbane (Hamilton Ward)
State electorate(s)	Clayfield
Federal Division(s)	Lilley
Suburbs around Pinkenba: Brisbane Airport Moreton Bay Port of Brisbane Brisbane Airport Pinkenba Lytton Eagle Farm Murarrie Hemmant

Pinkenba is a small town and coastal area located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It's on the eastern side of the city, right by the water. In 2021, about 350 people lived there.

Exploring Pinkenba's Location

Pinkenba is a long, narrow piece of land on the northern side of the Brisbane River. It faces Moreton Bay and is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the center of Brisbane. This area is quite separate from other neighborhoods. It's surrounded by the Brisbane Airport to the west, Moreton Bay to the north, and the Brisbane River to the east.

Key Neighborhoods in Pinkenba

• The neighborhood of Myrtletown is found at the northern end of Pinkenba.
• Bulwer Island is a neighborhood located in the middle of Pinkenba.
• The area once known as Meeandah is now a neighborhood at the southern end of Pinkenba.

Pinkenba's Coastal Points

Pinkenba has two important points of land that stick out into the water:

• Juno Point, which is on Moreton Bay.
• Luggage Point (also called Uniacke Point), located at the mouth of the Brisbane River.

Most of the land in Pinkenba is used for factories and businesses, with only a small area for homes in the town center.

Pinkenba's Past: A Look at History

Pinkenba is located on the traditional lands of the Yugarabul Aboriginal people. The Turrbal people are the traditional owners of this area. The name Pinkenba comes from the Turrbal word binkinba, which means "place of land tortoise."

How Places Got Their Names

• The former suburb of Meeandah got its name from a railway station. This station was named after the Greek word meander, which describes how Serpentine Creek used to wind through the area. This creek is now a drain because of the Brisbane Airport's development.
• Bulwer Island was named after Edward Bulwer-Lytton, a British official who helped separate Queensland from New South Wales in 1859. It used to be an island but became connected to the mainland in the 1960s through a land reclamation project.

Schools and Early Development

Pinkenba had a school that opened in 1875 as Boggy Creek State School. It changed its name a few times, becoming Pinkenba State School in 1900. However, with very few students, it closed down in 2010.

Estate map of the Town of Pinkenba, Brisbane, Queensland, 1892, showing how the town was planned.

In 1892, a meatworks opened in Pinkenba, which led to the creation of a town for workers. Land was sold for homes in the new town of Pinkenba. A post office also opened in 1892.

Churches and Transport Links

• A Baptist church opened in Pinkenba in 1902.
• In 1902, a special railway line was built to the wharf to help move goods.
• Pinkenba Wharf was a very important place during World War I. Many soldiers left Australia from here. A memorial was built in 1919 to remember those who served in the war.
• Pinkenba also had a Presbyterian church that opened in 1915 but was later taken down around 1980.
• Brisbane's first large-scale sewerage treatment plant opened at Luggage Point in 1923.

Seaplane S.23, Coriolanus, moored at Pinkenba in 1939.

Pinkenba During the War Years

Qantas chose Pinkenba for its flying boat base in the 1930s. During World War II, the Royal Australian Navy had a defense station here. The remains of this station are now a heritage-listed site.

Important Discoveries and Industry

In 1963, Queen Elizabeth II unveiled a memorial in Pinkenba. It celebrated the discovery of oil in Australia at Moonie. Pinkenba was chosen because an oil refinery was planned nearby.

The Bulwer Island Oil Refinery started with a huge land reclamation project in the Brisbane River. This project connected Bulwer Island to the mainland. It became Queensland's largest oil refinery. It stopped refining oil in 2015 and now works as an import terminal.

Modern Developments and Cruise Ships

In 1975, Myrtletown, which was once its own suburb, became a neighborhood within Pinkenba.

Pinkenba is now home to two cruise ship wharves for Brisbane. The new Brisbane International Cruise Terminal opened in Myrtletown in 2020. It can welcome the world's largest cruise ships.

Who Lives in Pinkenba?

In 2021, Pinkenba had a population of 350 people. The average age was 42 years old. About 15.4% of the population were children under 15. Most people (62.5%) were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included New Zealand and Iran. English was the main language spoken at home.

Places of Historical Importance

Pinkenba has several sites that are listed for their historical importance:

Pinkenba War Memorial, 2013.

• Pinkenba State School (former site)
• Luggage Point Stores Buildings
• Pinkenba War Memorial
• Former RAN Station 9 (a Navy defense station)
• Former Pinkenba Police Station
• Amoco Time Capsule

Pinkenba's Economy and Businesses

Pinkenba is an important industrial area. It's home to BP's Bulwer Island Refinery (which is now an import terminal) and Shell's Pinkenba Terminal. Shell's facilities here include its Queensland office, a bitumen plant, and fuel storage.

Learning and Schools

There are no schools directly in Pinkenba. Children usually go to primary school in Hamilton and high school in Hendra.

Local Facilities

• The Pinkenba Post Office is located on McBride Road.
• The Luggage Point Wastewater Treatment Plant helps clean water for the city.
• The Bulwer Island Power Station generates electricity from gas.

There have been plans for new developments in the area, including homes and an immigration center.

Things to See and Do

Pinkenba has a historical trail that was created to highlight the area's past. There are also plans to make Pinkenba more beautiful, starting with the local park and historical path.

Getting Around Pinkenba

You can reach Pinkenba by road using Kingsford Smith Drive. A railway line to Pinkenba was built a long time ago to help develop the port. The Pinkenba railway station opened in 1882 but closed in 1993.

In 2011, about 9.1% of people working in Pinkenba used public transport, while 63.6% drove a car to work.