South Passage (Queensland) facts for kids
The South Passage is a natural waterway that connects the big Moreton Bay to the Pacific Ocean. It's like a watery doorway between two islands: Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island. This passage is one of a few ways to get into Moreton Bay from the ocean. Other entrances include the North Passage and the Jumpinpin Channel further south.
Long ago, the South Passage was the main way for ships to enter Moreton Bay. It starts as a shallow area with sandbanks between Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island. Then, it flows along North Stradbroke Island, past places like Amity Point and Dunwich.
It's not a good idea to cross this passage in a small boat, especially when the ocean waves are big. There are many changing channels and sandbanks that can make it tricky. The water here moves very fast! When the tide comes in (the "flooding tide"), the water can rush at about 150 centimetres (almost 5 feet) per second. When the tide goes out (the "ebb tide"), it's still fast, around 100 centimetres (about 3 feet) per second. About half the water that leaves the bay through this passage comes back in the same way when the tide turns.
History of the Passage
This important waterway wasn't always known to European explorers.
Early Discoveries
The famous explorer Lieutenant James Cook sailed past this coast in May 1770, but he didn't notice the channel. It was Matthew Flinders who first saw an opening between the islands on July 14, 1799. He was the first European to spot it.
Later, in 1824, a man named John Oxley was exploring the Brisbane River. After his trip, he sailed out of Moreton Bay through the South Passage on a ship called the Amity. He was the first European sailor known to have used this route to leave the bay.
Mail Ships and Wrecks
A steamboat called the Lucinda used to deliver mail along the Queensland coast. Its captain, James South, often used the South Passage to make the mail route quicker. Some people thought the passage was named after him, but it seems that's just a coincidence. The name "South Passage" was used even before Captain South started using it.
Sadly, a big accident happened here on March 11, 1847. The ship SS Sovereign was wrecked while trying to go through the passage. Forty-four people lost their lives, and only ten were saved. Because of this sad event, the main shipping route into Moreton Bay was moved to the northern entrance the very next year. The place where ships could get a pilot (a guide for safe navigation) was also moved to Cowan Cowan on Moreton Island. Another ship found wrecked in the passage is called the Rufus King.
