REDCLIFFE
Redcliffe is a metro suburb of
Brisbane, but a two kilometer stretch of water has supplanted this
‘city’ a world away from Brisbane. It is fascinating how a bridge or
tunnel can have this effect on a society. Redcliffe has a non-stop
holiday glow in the air that perpetually remains suspended over the
town.  
Since the 1880s, Redcliffe
has been a popular "seaside resort" location due to its proximity to
Brisbane.
Redcliffe holds the
distinction of being the first European settlement in Queensland,
first visited by Matthew Flinders
on 17 July 1799. Explorer John Oxley recommended "Red Cliff Point" –
named after the red-coloured cliffs visible from Moreton Bay – to the
Governor Thomas Brisbane for the new colony, reporting that ships
could land at any tide. The first settlers settled in Redcliffe on 13
September 1824, under the command of Lieutenant Henry Miller with 14
soldiers, some with wives and children, and 29 convicts. However, this
settlement was abandoned after one year and the colony was moved south
to a site on the Brisbane River at North Quay, 28 km (17 mi) south
that offered a more reliable water supply.
Redcliffe became a pastoral
district in the 1860s and in the 1880s boomed as a seaside resort town
with the paddle steamer Koopa making regular trips to its jetty from
1911.
The Hornibrook Bridge
first completed in 1935 allowed easy access to and
from Brisbane by motor car leading the way to rapid suburban
development. To date that development has been managed, but signs are
apparent the developer’s chequebook is gaining sway, with toaster
buildings and heritage management in conflict.
The Redcliffe Museum is worth a look and gives insight
into history.  
The Anglican Church is the only downtown house of
prayer.
The old has given way to the new characterless offer
in the hotel industry.
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The Redcliffe War Memorial
is overshadowed by the ‘settlers’’ monument. 
Whilst redevelopment flaws are apparent, Redcliffe is
a Brisbane delight. Stay a day or two in summer and enjoy. 
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