| Cotton Tree Maroochydore, Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Cotton Tree | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 26°39′10″S153°06′02″E / 26.6528°S 153.1005°E | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4558 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 0.001 km (0 mi) E of Maroochydore | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Sunshine Coast Region | ||||||||||||||
| County | Canning | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Maroochydore | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Fairfax | ||||||||||||||
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Cotton Tree is a coastal neighbourhood within the suburb of Maroochydore in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. [1]
Although not officially bounded, Cotton Tree is generally recognised as being bounded by the Maroochy River and Cornmeal Creek to the north, and to the south and west by Aerodrome Road and by the Pacific Ocean to the east. [2] [3]
The area takes its name from a large Hibiscus tiliaceus tree which is also known as the cotton tree. [4] [5] [6] Plenty of these are still visible near the caravan park and old creek around Fourth Avenue.
The first European 'holiday maker' to arrive was convict John Graham [7] in 1827 who escaped from Moreton Bay and spent six years living with local aborigines belonging to the Gubbi Gubbi language group. [8]
The whole (Maroochy Shire) area was protected by the Bunya proclamation 1842–1860. This was established after Andrew Petrie explored the area in 1838 and named the Maroochy River using the language of Brisbane aboriginals who accompanied him.
Timber getters arrived in the 1850s but the Maroochy River bar wasn't navigable so Mooloolah River bar was used instead with Cotton Tree used as a timber depot in 1856 by William Pettigrew and purchased 1864. He ran steamer ships in both rivers and to Brisbane and thus opened a post office receiving office in 1891 as the first shop in Cotton Tree. The headland at Alexandra Headland was used as a bullock paddock and for his own home which was also part of his 330-acre landholding. [9]
The Cotton Tree area was first gazetted as a wharf and water reserve (215 acres) in 1873. [10] By 1880 it was re-gazetted as a camping reserve and used by the Salvation Army amongst others.
The town of Maroochydore was subdivided from the Cotton Tree reserve in 1903 by Surveyor Thomas O'Connor. (Thomas & O'Connor streets both near Bradman Avenue bear his name).
Until the 1910s, Cotton Tree was accessible only by water. Then a road through what is now Maroochydore was planned to access the area. By 1927 it was a main road. By 1937 it was a bitumen road.
The fatal Maroochy air crash occurred on the beach on 30 December 1950. [11]
Cotton Tree has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
A heritage application for Cotton Tree Bacpackers timber building was made but subsequently refused. [13]
Cotton Tree has its own post office located in King Street since the 1930s.
The suburb consists of a beach, a river mouth, several restaurants and cafes, lawn bowls club, RSL club, surf club, [14] Swan's rugby club, [15] library, [16] child care centre, resorts, homes, units, Weir's surf shop, olympic swimming pool and numerous other shops, offices and businesses. The Maroochydore Surf Life Saving Club is right on the beach. Pincushion Island currently sits just 100m off the sand to the north of river mouth. (The river mouth moves not the Island)
A large part of Cotton Tree is used for camping and is now known as the Cotton Tree Caravan Park. Today camping still takes place on 8.7ha of the total 90-110ha. The land size changes significantly based on the sand movement and development of river mouth. Cotton Tree includes 2 caravan parks which maybe heritage listed. [17] Also includes 2 Rugby union fields, 6 tennis courts, 3 bowling greens, 50m swimming pool, 2x0.5 basketball courts, 2 ping pong tables and 2 waterfront parks, 1 on the river, 1 on the beach. Surf breaks include Pipes/Seabreeze, Poofters dunnies/Abdul's, Carpark, Pinnies, the Mouth and North Shore. (Pipes was named after the location of the old sewer effluent pipe, Poofters after a derelict toilet block, Abdul's after death of local surfer Ryan Abdy)
Although 'unbounded' as a suburb it's generally recognised as being east of Aerodrome Road and including all numbered avenues and esplanades. Sometimes known as Forgotten Tree.
The Sunshine Coast is a peri-urban region in South East Queensland, Australia. In 1967, it was defined as "the area contained in the [former] Shires of Landsborough, Maroochy and Noosa, but excluding Bribie Island". Located 100 km (62 mi) north of the centre of Brisbane in South East Queensland, on the Coral Sea coastline, its urban area spans approximately 60 km (37 mi) of coastline and hinterland from Pelican Waters to Tewantin.
Mooloolaba is a coastal suburb of Maroochydore in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It is located 97 kilometres (60 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is part of the Maroochydore urban centre.
Noosa Heads is a coastal town and suburb in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia. It is a popular holiday destination. In the 2021 census, the suburb of Noosa Heads had a population of 5,120 people.
Caloundra is a coastal town in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.
The Shire of Noosa is a local government area about 130 kilometres (81 mi) north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. The shire covers an area of 870 square kilometres (335.9 sq mi). It existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it was amalgamated with the Shire of Maroochy and City of Caloundra to form the Sunshine Coast Region. The shire was re-established on 1 January 2014. In the 2021 census, the shire had a population of 56,298 people.
Maroochydore is a coastal town in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the urban area of Maroochydore had a population of 63,673 people.
Mudjimba is a coastal suburb in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia, and forms part of the Maroochydore urban centre. In the 2021 census, Mudjimba had a population of 2,664 people.
Alexandra Headland is a coastal suburb of Maroochydore in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Alexandra Headland had a population of 4,235 people.
Bli Bli is a rural town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Bli Bli had a population of 10,138 people.
The Shire of Maroochy was a local government area about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia. The shire covered an area of 1,162.7 square kilometres (448.9 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1890 until 2008, when it amalgamated with its neighbours to the north and south to form the Sunshine Coast Region.
Moffat Beach is a coastal suburb in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Moffat Beach had a population of 2,691 people.
Marcoola is a coastal town and mixed-use locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. The Sunshine Coast Airport is within the locality. In the 2021 census, the locality of Marcoola had a population of 3,355 people.
Twin Waters is a coastal suburb of Maroochydore in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Twin Waters had a population of 2,966 people.
The Sunshine Coast Region is a local government area located in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia, from which it takes its name.
The Maroochy River is a river in South East Queensland, Australia. The river rises from the eastern slopes of the Blackall Range and flows east through Eumundi before entering the sea at Cotton Tree, Maroochydore. Other populated centres in the catchment include Nambour, Eudlo, Yandina and Coolum.
The Maroochy air crash was an aircraft accident that occurred at 11.10am on 30 December 1950 at Maroochydore beach, Queensland, Australia. Three children were killed and fourteen others were seriously injured as a result of the accident.
Maroochydore is a coastal suburb of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, and is the central suburb and central business district of the Maroochydore urban centre. In the 2021 census, the suburb of Maroochydore had a population of 20,629 people.
Cotton Tree Caravan Park is a heritage-listed caravan park at Cotton Tree Parade, Cotton Tree, Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 3 April 2009.
Dunethin Rock is a heritage-listed park at Dunethin Rock Road, Maroochy River, Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 5 February 2009.