HISTORY OF SHOALWATER BAY
Mathew Flinders
When Mathew Flinders mapped
the Queensland coast 200 years ago he was charting new territory
for the British colonialists. Watching him from rocky headlands
were small tribes of aboriginals whose ancestors had known the
Shoalwater/Byfield area for thousands of years. Flinders replaced
a broken mast with a giant hoop pine which was growing right
on the beach - an uncommon occurrence on the Australian coast.
Locals
Flinders remarked on the health and happiness
of the local natives......no wonder, these people lived in one
of the most diverse wilderness areas in the world! Their hunting
and gathering areas were characterised by
- sandy ocean beaches,
- rocky headlands,
- mangrove estuaties,
- swamps,
- perched freshwater lakes,
- strong-flowing creeks,
- grasslands,
- heathlands,
- open, dense and closed canopy forests,
- vine forest and
- rainforest.
Landforms such as
- giant sand dunes,
- lowland swamps,
- hills,
- gullies and
- rugged mountains
which supported varied food sources such as
- fish,
- crustaceans,
- shellfish,
- kangaroos,
- wallabies,
- possum,
- echidna,
- snake and
- birds. (50% of Australia's bird species inhabit the general area).
Graziers
Graziers started moving into the area during the mid 1800s.
There was a limited amount of tree clearing but a total annihilation
of the aboriginal population. The natives were shot, poisoned
and pushed off cliffs into the sea. The remainder were dispersed
to remote aboriginal reserves.
Fruit farms
Fruit farms were established in the Byfield area from the early
1900s. Generally the more fertile rainforest areas were cleared.
Bananas were established on the frost free hills, citrus
on the colder lowlands.
State Forest
The Queensland Government established the Byfield State Forest
in 1947 and began planting Pinus Carribea.
Military Training Area
The Commonwealth Government withdrew grazing leases in the
SWB area and resumed the land and surrounding sea as a military
training area for the Australian Defense Forces during the
mid 1960s.
Stockyard Point
During the 1970s the Queensland State Government allowed a
small land development at Stockyard Point.
Byfield
Byfield was largely rezoned during the 1970s and 1980s into
Rural Residential B. Subdivision followed and most original
blocks were cut down from 160 acres to 25 acres(10 hectares).
Telephone, electricity, a General Store and a bitumen road
further transformed the area.
Sand Mining
Major mineral sand mining proposals for the ancient parabolic
dunes stretching from Corio Bay to Shoalwater Bay were vetoed
by a Commonwealth Commission of Inquirey in the early 1990s,
which also recognised the importance of the dunes as the water
catchment for the Capricorn Coast, as well as the significance
of the Shoalwater/Byfield area as a unique wilderness.
National Park
The Queensland State Government progressively declared the
Byfield National Park, which now stretches from Corio Bay to
Five Rocks Beach.
Foreign Military Invasions
The Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area is now shared with
the Singapore Armed Forces for a nominal fee of $1/year. They
conduct regular live firing exercises.
The Australian Government has agreements with
the United States of America and conducts major joint military
exercises at SWBMTA.
Talisman Sabre 2007
"Talisman Sabre 2007" (May/June) is the next big military
program on the agenda, involving approximately 30,000 military
personnel from Australia and the U.S.A. and their associated
war paraphernalia in a mock battle situation, orchestrated
from military headquarters in the U.S.A. using computers. High technology,
cutting edge weaponry is to be used and tested. Nuclear powered U.S.A.
Navy submarines, aircraft carriers and battle ships loaded
with depleted uranium weapons will be stationed adjacent to The Great barrier
Reef Marine Park. Live weapons firing will occur over land
and sea, including anti-tank missiles, heavy artillery, so called "smart
bombs", etc.