Wynnum / Manly / Lota Foreshores - plus areas or parkland in road reserves & between road and sea.

The first European record of the Wynnum/Manly/Lota Foreshores and the Moreton Bay area occurred in 1770 when Captain James Cook named Moreton Bay and several features on the outer islands of the Bay, but sailed to the east thinking they were part of the mainland. In 1799, Matthew Flinders sailed inside the islands to the inner Bay but failed to notice the mouth of the Brisbane River.

From 1824 to 1839, the settlement at Moreton Bay was a penal colony and no free settlement was allowed. In 1842 this restriction was lifted and free settlement of the area began. In 1859 the area was surveyed by James Warner whose survey map of Wynnum shows the coast as composed of “mud and mangroves, covered at high tide”. The shoreline of the Bay has been considerably altered since European settlement of the area.

The first land sales in the area took place in 1860 at Lytton and around Waterloo Bay. Most of the initial settlement was concentrated in the Wynnum North region. Grazing, viticulture, farming and fishing were the primary occupations for these early settlers in the Wynnum/Manly/Lota area. In 1882, the first subdivision in the area took place at Manly Beach Estate and the first subdivision in Wynnum was the East Wynnum Estate in 1884. The area soon became popular with holiday makers and holiday homes were constructed along the Bay.

When land was subdivided in Lota the land along the foreshore was reserved for the esplanade. Farms and vineyards dominated the Lota area, supporting a range of crops and sugar, orchards and grazing. Closer settlement of the area began in the 1890s and by 1920s most of Lota had been developed. It has remained primarily a residential area but was a popular holiday spot in the 19th and 20th centuries. Until 1973, people could camp at the lower end of the Esplanade.

The arrival of the railway line to Cleveland in 1889 further boosted the popularity of the Wynnum/Manly/Lota area, particularly as a seaside resort. The many guesthouses and camping sites along with the provision of safe bathing areas and fishing and picnic spots were marked features of the Wynnum/Manly/Lota Foreshores. The Bay was well sheltered and favourable to boating activities.

Farming and fishing remained the primary occupations for residents of the area. Oyster leases were established along the foreshore and creeks. A flourishing fishing industry was partially responsible for the growth of Wynnum and the fishing fleet operating out of Wynnum Creek was the second largest in Queensland. In the 1930s the fleet consisted of 28 licensed fishing boats, employed 108 men, and landed some 2,000 tonnes of fish annually at the Wynnum Fish Depot. The Wynnum fishing fleet, based in Wynnum Creek, has along association with the area although its size has declined in recent years.

The boat slip at Lota Creek is thought to be the first slip built to service Lota House. Constructed in the late 19th century, the present slip is an upgrade of this earlier one. Lota House (1863) was the residence of William Duckett White whose property of 300 acres extended from the Lota foreshore to Manly Road. Lota House is now the Edward Marsden Tooth Memorial Home for the Aged and the oldest surviving house in the Bayside area. White grew sugar cane, grapes and ransome cattle. He is said to have patrolled the cliffs above the beach to prevent day trippers stealing oysters.

Endeavouring to continue to attract holiday makers and residents to the area, much attention was paid by the local authority to increasing the amenity of the foreshore area. Clearing of timber along the foreshore (where the esplanade parks are today) began in 1890 and bathing boxes were erected in the area of the present Manly Baths. The planting of shade trees along the Esplanade commenced in 1895.

The development of facilities included the establishment of the fish markets at Wynnum Creek and the construction of slips and moorings for boating and fishing. Public baths were constructed at Manly. A public bathing enclosure was constructed alongside Jetty No.1 at Wynnum Creek in 1891. In an effort to fund the improvements to the foreshore, in 1909 the Wynnum Council struck a special “Esplanade Improvement Rate” of a penny in the pound on all properties in the Shire. In 1913 the sea wall between Jetty No.2 and Darling Point was constructed. In 1915 a pavilion and kiosk were added to the Manly Jetty. The foreshore became known for their saltwater baths, play and picnic areas, shade trees and open grassed spaces.

By the late 1920s access to the area was possible by rail, bus or road, further increasing its popularity as a resort and also as a place of residence for commuters working in Brisbane.

During William Jolly’s term as Lord Mayor of Brisbane (1925- 1931), priority was given to the construction of a durable arterial road system, the acquisition of more of Brisbane’s scenic viewpoints for public use and purchase and improvement of public parks. Prompt attention was given to the improvement of the foreshores at Sandgate, Wynnum and Manly with a view to increasing their attraction as seaside resorts. Plans were formed to reclaim portions of the foreshores to increase the recreation areas available. The construction of good arterial roads and improvements to the jetties made the areas more accessible and attractive to the public.

During the 1930s Depression improvements on a large scale were carried out along the Esplanade by relief workers engaged on construction projects of civic improvement and beautification. This work included reclamation of 2.023 hectares (5 acres) of mudflats, formation of a drive to the Wynnum Jetty, construction of 610 metres (2000 feet) of stone revetment wall and the Wynnum Wading Pool. Opened in 1933, Wynnum Wading Pool was constructed on parkland reclaimed from the sea. A revetment wall was built and backfilled and an area left empty to create the tidal pool. The pool is a large oval shape measuring 128m x 54m with a depth at the centre of approximately 750mm. The pool has concrete walls and a sandy bottom and a system of automatic valves to maintain the water depth from the tide flow.

The stone sea-wall that supports the Wynnum Pier was another Depression era project. The wall allowed the flats to be reclaimed as parkland. A sandy beach was formed, Pandanus Beach, which was opened in 1987.

In 1958 work began on the Manly Boat Harbour dramatically altering the environment of Manly’s coastline. Protective wave break walls were built to the north and south and gradual dredging took place between them. Dredging and land reclamation developed it into a safe haven for boats. The dredged soil was used to form the parks and parking areas adjoining the Harbour.

In 2000 the eastern end of the northern wave break of Manly Boat Harbour was gazetted as Norfolk Point in honour of Lieutenant Matthew Flinders who in the sloop Norfolk explored and mapped Moreton Bay in July 1799. Greene Park, on the north bank of Wynnum Creek, is named for a prominent Wynnum family. The Greenes operated a timber yard and John Greene was a builder and sawmiller.

His sons were building contractors in Wynnum and built most of the early buildings. They also built and operated the Star Theatre which burned down in 1959. Sam Greene published the Waterloo Bay Leader, was elected alderman in 1913 and is well remembered in the Wynnum and Manly areas. His son John was the last mayor of Wynnum and second Lord Mayor of Brisbane.

1. Beitz, Mervyn N. (editor), Mangroves to Moorings, Manly Centenary Committee, Brisbane, 1982

2. BRISbites Suburban Sites http://www.brisbites.com/suburbView. asp, Wynnum, Wynnum North, Manly, Lota

3. Brisbane City Council Heritage Unit, Heritage Trail Wynnum Manly, Series No. 8, 4th edition

4. Ludlow, Peter, Moreton Bay People, Volume Two, Peter Ludlow, Brisbane, 1993

5. Nolan, Carolyn and Longhurst, Robert, Brisbane’s Moreton Bay, Our Heritage in Focus, State Library of Queensland Foundation, Brisbane, 1996

6. Brisbane City Council Water Supply and Sewerage Department Detail Plan no. 899 (from mid- 19302)