Dunwich is a town and locality on the western side of North Stradbroke Island in Queensland, Australia.[2][3] Dunwich is part of the Redland City local government area, administered from the bayside town of Cleveland on the Queensland mainland. In the 2021 census, the locality of Dunwich had a population of 737 people.[1]

Dunwich
North Stradbroke IslandQueensland
Dunwich, 2010
Dunwich is located in Queensland
Dunwich
Dunwich
Map
Coordinates27°29′57″S 153°24′09″E / 27.4992°S 153.4024°E / -27.4992; 153.4024 (Dunwich (town centre))
Population737 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density320/km2 (830/sq mi)
Established1827
Postcode(s)4183
Area2.3 km2 (0.9 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Redland City
State electorate(s)Oodgeroo
Federal division(s)Bowman
Localities around Dunwich:
Moreton Bay Moreton Bay North Stradbroke Island
Moreton Bay Dunwich North Stradbroke Island
Moreton Bay Moreton Bay North Stradbroke Island

Dunwich is one of three towns on North Stradbroke Island - the others being Amity Point and Point Lookout.[4]

History

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Originally known as Goompi and then renamed Green Point by European settlers,[5] the first settlement at Dunwich was established in 1827 as pilot station and military post.[6] It was supposed to be a good place to discharge cargo from visiting ships that traveled through the South Passage. However cargo was lost in bad weather and local Aboriginals were hostile so the post was disbanded in 1831.[6] Dunwich was named after the Suffolk village of Dunwich near to the Stradbroke Estate by Sir Ralph Darling on 16 July 1827, in honour of the family title (Viscount Dunwich) of the Earl of Stradbroke, father of Captain Henry John Rous RN, commander of HMS Rainbow, which carried Governor Darling to Moreton Bay and surveyed the immediate Dunwich area.[2]

Dunwich Provisional School opened on 21 January 1889 as a school for aboriginal children. In 1890-1 it was moved to Bribie Island. In November 1892, it was moved to Peel Island. It was later moved to the new Myora Mission on North Stradbrook Island.[7]

In 1892, a leper colony was established at Dunwich; later this facility was closed and the lepers moved to the Peel Island lazaret.[8] A quarantine station opened in 1850, although this was eventually moved to the more isolated St Helena Island in Moreton Bay. The station was converted into a nursing home for the elderly and infirmed, one of Queensland's first such facilities. The home was moved to Sandgate in 1946. The main cemetery on the island (Dunwich Cemetery) is found in this small town and contains the graves of over 10,000 people, most of which are unmarked. Other small cemeteries were established for the indigenous community and the leper colony.[citation needed]

Dunwich Post Office opened on 22 October 1896 (a receiving office had been open from 1885).[9]

A second Dunwich Provisional School opened on 18 August 1904. On 1 May 1915, it became Dunwich State School.[7]

In 1943, after the closure of the Myora Mission, some of the residents were moved to Dunwich; others went to One Mile in Ipswich.[10]

Some of the remaining buildings from the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum now form part of the North Stradbroke Island Historical Museum, located in Welsby Street, Dunwich. The Dunwich Convict Causeway also remains, although it has been expanded to accommodate modern ships.[6]

The 'Aboriginal Gang' that worked the Dunwich Benevolent Asylum were the first Aboriginal people in Australia to receive equal wages. In 1944, after a 25-year campaign, the Aboriginal workers gained equal wages almost 20 years before anywhere else in Australia. The Asylum closed shortly after with the Aboriginal Gang only getting equal wages for one and a half years.[11]

Demographics

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In the 2011 census, the locality of Dunwich had a population of 883 people, 48.1% female and 51.9% male. The median age of the Dunwich population was 39 years, 2 years above the national median of 37. 86.2% of people living in Dunwich were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 3.8%, England 2.4%, India 0.7%, France 0.6%, Germany 0.6%. 90.8% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.6% Indonesian, 0.5% Other Australian Indigenous Languages, nec, 0.5% German, 0.5% Yumplatok (Torres Strait Creole).[12]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Dunwich had a population of 864 people.[13]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Dunwich had a population of 737 people.[1]

Heritage listings

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St Mark's Anglican Church and Dunwich Public Hall, 2009

Dunwich has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Amenities

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The Redland City Council operates a public library in Ballow Road.[19]

Education

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Dunwich State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Bingle Road (27°29′46″S 153°24′15″E / 27.4960°S 153.4041°E / -27.4960; 153.4041 (Dunwich State School)).[20][21] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 172 students with 14 teachers (11 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent).[22] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 177 students with 15 teachers (12 full-time equivalent) and 15 non-teaching staff (10 full-time equivalent).[23] The school includes a special education program.[20]

Dunwich previously had a secondary school until 2012, when it was closed due to low enrolment numbers.[24] The nearest government secondary school is Cleveland District State High School in Cleveland on mainland to the south-west.[4]

Transport

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There is no bridge to North Stradbroke Island. Vehicular ferries which cross Moreton Bay link the mainland with North Stradbroke Island dock at Dunwich. Mining companies have also extensive barge docking and loading facilities at Dunwich.[citation needed]

Dunwich Airport is a small aerodrome with the IATA code of SRR and ICAO code of YDUN. Despite its name, Dunwich Airport is approx 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south-east of the town of Dunwich in the locality of North Stradbroke Island (27°31′08″S 153°25′39″E / 27.5189°S 153.4276°E / -27.5189; 153.4276 (Dunwich Aerodrome)).[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Dunwich (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  2. ^ a b "Dunwich – town in City of Redland (entry 10900)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Dunwich – locality in City of Redland (entry 43641)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  5. ^ "North Stradbroke Island". Redland City Council. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Hogan, Janet (1982). Living History of Brisbane. Spring Hill, Queensland: Boolarang Publications. p. 23. ISBN 0-908175-41-8.
  7. ^ a b Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  8. ^ "Stradbroke Island". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 10 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  9. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.[dead link]
  10. ^ Anderson, Robert V. (2001). "History, Life And Times of Robert Anderson: Gheebelum, Ngugi, Mulgumpin". doczz.net. Uniikup Productions. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020. Community and personal history of a Ngugi Elder of Mulgumpin in Quandamooka, South East Queensland, Australia.
  11. ^   This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Getting Equal: Australia's first successful Aboriginal wages case (13 September 2021) published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 30 September 2021.
  12. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Dunwich (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 March 2015.  
  13. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Dunwich (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  14. ^ a b c d "Schedule 4 - Heritage Places Register" (PDF). Redland City Council. March 2006. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Dunwich Cemetery (entry 600773)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  16. ^ "Dunwich Convict Causeway (entry 601021)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  17. ^ "Public Reserve incorporating the Privy Pit and Site of Convict Barracks and Store (entry 602139)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  18. ^ "St Mark's Anglican Church and Dunwich Public Hall (entry 601163)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  19. ^ "Library opening hours and locations". Redland City Council. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  20. ^ a b "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  21. ^ "Dunwich State School". Dunwich State School. 6 February 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  22. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  23. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  24. ^ "Dunwich high school closes its doors". Redland City Bulletin. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Airports - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 22 October 2020. Archived from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
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