The Ningy Ningy people of the Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) and Turrbal nations lived for thousands of years on the peninsula. From 1770 to 1823, British explorers Captain James Cook, Matthew Flinders and John Oxley named geographical features, such as the iconic red cliffs. On 14th September 1824, Lt Henry Miller arrived with soldiers and their families, and 29 convicts. They established a temporary penal colony near Humpybong Creek, as John Oxley intended. In May 1825, the colony moved to the banks of the Brisbane River to establish a permanent settlement.
Redcliffe is part of the City of Moreton Bay which is one of Australia’s fastest growing regional cities and third largest (as at June 2024). The Redcliffe Peninsula juts out into Moreton Bay which is located on the eastern coast of Australia, 15 kms from Brisbane, Queensland. In 200 years, the region has expanded from an indigenous culture to a vibrant multicultural community.
Timeline
| 1824 | Brig (ship) Amity arrived at Redcliffe with Lt Henry Miller, soldiers, their families and 29 convicts. |
| 1862 | Redcliffe Agricultural Reserve gazetted (announced officially) allowing farmers to take up land. |
| 1879 | First Scarborough Hotel opens. More hotels were built on the peninsula during the following years. |
| 1911 | SS Koopa (passenger steamer) commences trips bringing day trippers from Brisbane to Redcliffe. |
| 1926 | Anzac Avenue opens (main road between Redcliffe and Brisbane). Anzac Memorial Avenue is a heritage listed major arterial road lined with trees in the City of Moreton Bay. The trees were planted to honour the fallen soldiers of the First World War. The road runs for 17.8 kms from Redcliffe to Petrie. On 7th July, 1926, the Governor General and Lady Stonehaven planted the first trees at the Redcliffe end. The Mayor of Redcliffe was Alderman JB Dunn and the project was the brain child of Thomas Rothwell who was President of the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland at the time. |
| 1935 | Hornibrook Bridge opens linking Brisbane with Redcliffe. The Hornibrook Bridge was constructed in the years 1932-1935, by the firm of MR Hornibrook. The road bridge spans Hays Inlet from Bramble Bay at Brighton in the City of Brisbane, to Clontarf, in the City of Moreton Bay. The heritage listed bridge played a crucial role in shortening the commute to Brisbane, contributing to population growth and attracting visitors to Redcliffe. The bridge was eventually replaced by the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge in 2010. The portal at Clontarf serves as a reminder of the original bridge. |
| 1959 | City of Redcliffe proclaimed |
| 1965 | Redcliffe Hospital opens |
| 1979 | Houghton Highway opens due to increased traffic between Brisbane and Redcliffe. |
| 1993 | Moreton Bay Ramsar Site and Marine Park declared Located in and around Moreton Bay, the site meets all the criteria for designation as a wetland of international significance. It is large, covering more than 120,000ha, has diverse wetland habitats, and diverse flora and fauna which include threatened species and ecological communities. The site supports thousands of waterbirds representing up to 43 species of shorebirds, 28 species of migratory shorebirds and supports a flyway population of migratory shorebird species, including the endangered eastern curlew. In addition to its environmental values, the region provides important cultural, social, economic and recreational values. |
| 2008 | Moreton Bay Regional Council amalgamation. Redcliffe City joins with Pine Rivers Shire and Caboolture Shire as part of the Queensland wide amalgamation. The amalgamation marked the return of the combined broad areas of Redcliffe, Caboolture and Pine 129 years after the original Divisional Boards Act of 1879. Paul Woodcock (President Redcliffe Historical Society) and Michelle Smith (Redcliffe Museum) were handed the City’s Charter, its Emblem and the Mayoral Chain of Office at the last Redcliffe City Council meeting on 23 Feb 2008. The Region was divided into 12 divisions, each of which elects one councillor. Additionally the entire city elects a mayor. Allan Sutherland (former Redcliffe City Mayor) was elected the first mayor of Moreton Bay at the 2008 election. |
| 2016 | Redcliffe Railway line opens (from Petrie Station to Kippa-Ring Station) 2016 Redcliffe Railway line became fully operational on 4th October. In 2003 the Petrie to Kippa Ring Transport Corridor Study recommended a heavy rail line costing up to $300 million along the preserved corridor. Finally in 2009 all three levels of Government agreed it was time for the line, and they formalized their commitment in December 2010. Construction started in 2013, marked by the turning of the first sod by Mayor Allan Sutherland, Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson and Luke Howarth MP Federal Member for Petrie. The estimated $1.147 billion cost was jointly funded by the Australian Government, Queensland Government and Moreton Bay Regional Council. The Moreton Bay Rail project delivered a 12.6km dual-track passenger rail line between Petrie and Kippa-Ring, including six new rail stations at Kallangur, Murrumba Downs, Mango Hill, Mango Hill East, Rothwell and Kippa-Ring. |
| 2023 | City of Moreton Bay declared The City of Moreton Bay is the third most populous local government area in Australia behind the City of Brisbane and the City of Gold Coast, both of which are also amalgamated entities. On 8 December 2021, the council unanimously voted to rename the council area to Moreton Bay City and to seek approval from the Local Government Change Commission for the renaming. The Local Government Area was officially renamed the City of Moreton Bay on 21 July 2023. |
| 2024 | Bicentenary of the first European settlement in what subsequently became the state of Queensland. |