Banksia Beach, Queensland

Banksia Beach is a town and suburb on Bribie Island in the City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia.^[2][3] In the 2021 census, the suburb of Banksia Beach had a population of 7,180 people.^[1]

Banksia Beach Bribie Island, Queensland
Fishing at Banksia Beach with the Bribie Island Bridge in the background
Banksia Beach
Coordinates	27.0416°S 153.1416°E / -27.0416; 153.1416 (Banksia Beach (town centre))
Population	7,180 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	898/km2 (2,325/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4507
Area	8.0 km2 (3.1 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	5.4 km (3 mi) NNW of Bongaree 26.0 km (16 mi) ENE of Caboolture 69.6 km (43 mi) NNE of Brisbane CBD
LGA(s)	City of Moreton Bay
State electorate(s)	Pumicestone
Federal division(s)	Longman
Localities around Banksia Beach: White Patch Welsby Woorim Pumicestone Channel Banksia Beach Woorim Pumicestone Channel Bellara Woorim

Geography

Looking from Banksia Beach across the Pumicestone Channel towards the Glass House Mountains

Banksia Beach is on the western coast of Bribie Island, separated from mainland Queensland by the Pumicestone Channel.^[4]

The western part of the suburb is within the Bribie Island National Park. Apart from that the land use is almost entirely residential. The areas closest to the coast are developed as canal estates, while the northern part of the suburb is residential housing intermingled with the Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club.^[4]

History

The name Banksia Beach was the name of the estate subdivision assigned by the land developer Jock McIlwain.^[3] It was named as a township by the Qld Place Names Board on 23 November 1972.^[2] The name refers to the plant genus Banksia, which grows in the area.^{[citation needed]}

Historically Dux Creek flows into the Pumicestone Channel at 27.0528°S 153.1352°E / -27.0528; 153.1352 (Dux Creek) with:^[5]

• Banksia Beach to the north of the creek mouth (27.0441°S 153.1329°E / -27.0441; 153.1329 (Banksia Beach))^[6][4]
• Sylvan Beach to the south of the creek mouth (27.0645°S 153.1443°E / -27.0645; 153.1443 (Sylvan Beach)) extending south to Quota Park in Bongaree^[6][4][7]

but the canal development has replaced Dux Creek with two canal developments with Skippers Canal effectively replacing Dux Creek and extending south with Voyagers Canal extending to the north.^[4]

As part of the Australian Bicentenery commemoration, a monument to the exploration of Matthew Flinders was erected beside the beach and officially unveiled on 16 July 1988. It was designed by Kirsti Simpson and sculpted from Helidon sandstone by Tom Farrell.^[8]

Banksia Beach State School opened on 28 January 1992.^[9]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, the suburb of Banksia Beach had a population of 5,995 people.^[10]

In the 2021 census, the suburb Banksia Beach had a population of 7,180 people.^[1]

Education

Banksia Beach State School is a government co-educational primary school (Early Childhood-6) at Sunderland Road (27.0463°S 153.1483°E / -27.0463; 153.1483 (Banksia Beach State School)).^[11][12] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1046 students with 70 teachers (64 full-time equivalent) and 43 non-teaching staff (28 full-time equivalent).^[13] It includes a special education program.^[11]

There is no secondary school in Banksia Beach. The nearest government secondary school is Bribie Island State High School in Bongaree to the south.^[4]

Amenities

Pelican at Banksia Beach

Bribie Harbour Shopping Village is a shopping centre at 25 Sunderland Drive (27.0446°S 153.1385°E / -27.0446; 153.1385 (Bribie Harbour Shopping Village)).^[14][15]

Bribie Island Community Arts Centre is an art gallery and community art centre at 191 Sunderland Drive (27.0482°S 153.1534°E / -27.0482; 153.1534 (Bribie Island Community Arts Centre)).^[14][16]

Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club is an 18-hole golf course at 141-159 Avon Avenue (27.0314°S 153.1486°E / -27.0314; 153.1486 (Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club)).^[14][17]

Solander Lake Bowls Club is at 70 Sunderland Drive (27.0457°S 153.1405°E / -27.0457; 153.1405 (Solander Lake Bowls Club)).^[14][18]

There are a number of parks in the suburb, including:

• Col Fisher Park (27.0380°S 153.1326°E / -27.0380; 153.1326 (Col Fisher Park))^[19]
• Cosmos Park (27.0466°S 153.1415°E / -27.0466; 153.1415 (Cosmos Park))^[19]

• Dampier Park (27.0400°S 153.1475°E / -27.0400; 153.1475 (Dampier Park))^[19]

• Oxley Park (27.0368°S 153.1481°E / -27.0368; 153.1481 (Oxley Park))^[19]

Attractions

The Matthew Flinders Exploration monument is in Col Fisher Park at the northern end of Solander Esplanade (27.0374°S 153.1330°E / -27.0374; 153.1330 (Matthew Flinders Exploration monument)).^[8]