Woody Point, Queensland

Woody Point jetty and beach

Woody Point is at the south-east of the Redcliffe peninsula, approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) north-northeast of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia.

Woody Point shoreline, ca. 1876

In 1799, Matthew Flinders landed on the peninsula and named the location Red Cliff Point after the colours in the cliffs. In 1823 the peninsula was selected as the site of Queensland's first penal colony but, by 1825 the prisoners were moved further up the Brisbane River to escape the mosquitoes and the resistance from local Aboriginals. Redcliffe was once a small seaside retreat 40 km north of Brisbane. When the Hornibrook and Houghton Highways linked Brighton, an outer Brisbane suburb, to the Redcliffe peninsula, Redcliffe then became much more accessible and grew as part of Brisbane's suburban sprawl. Woody Point was formerly a banana plantation. Woody Point's Apex Park & Bicentennial Park were constructed by reclaiming land along the foreshore in the 1970s.

Woody Point Memorial Hall, 2016

Heritage-listed sites at Woody Point including Woody Point Memorial Hall along the Hornibrook Esplanade.[2]

Woody Point's current renovations include the construction of high-rise apartment buildings overlooking Bramble Bay, Moreton Bay, The Port of Brisbane and the Ted Smout Highway. Until recently, restaurants and cafes were very limited in the suburb, however currently Woody Point boasts some of the most highly rated and recognized restaurants on the Redcliffe Peninsula including The Steak & Crabhouse & Masala Point Cafe.

The closest shopping centre is either Margate Village, some 2 km north or Bayside Plaza in Clontarf, some 3 km southwest. Woody Point accommodates localized convenience retail, a corner store, takeaways, a medical clinic and pharmacy & an Australian Post branch within its Woody Point Village.

The Clontarf branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the corner of Victoria Avenue and Georgina Street.[3]

In the 2011 census, Woody Point recorded a population of 4,089 people, 51.5% female and 48.5% male. The median age of the Woody Point population was 46 years, 9 years above the national median of 37. 71.5% of people living in Woody Point were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 6.3%, New Zealand 6.3%, Scotland 1.2%, South Africa 0.9%, Canada 0.6%. 89.3% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.6% Spanish, 0.4% Russian, 0.4% German, 0.4% French, 0.3% Dutch.[4]

• Woody Point Jetty - 240 metre jetty, re-opening in December 2008. Original jetty was built in 1888 and has been reconstructed during 2008 at a cost of 9.6 million. The new jetty has informative displays, seating and facilities for fishing.[5]
• HMQS Gayundah shipwreck at Picnic Point.
• Bramble Bay foreshore including Bicentennial Park and Apex Park.
• Launching point for fishing boats and the Humpybong yacht club.
• Scott's Point and Gayundah coastal arboretum.
• Bells Creek
• Crockatt Park featuring BBQ and picnic area and great kids playground.

Clubs on the point include Eildon Croquet Club, Redcliffe Outrigger Canoe Club and Humpybong Yacht Club.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Woody Point, Queensland.

• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Woody Point