Backward Glance: Waterfalls and waterways

From the impressive hinterland waterfalls to the string of sparkling beaches, there is no doubt water is one of the key attractions of the Sunshine Coast.

Local residents and visitors alike can enjoy the rolling surf or smooth water, bathing in the many pools and streams.

Fishing from the ocean beaches or in the many creeks and lakes provides an opportunity to relax and unwind.

There are many opportunities to enjoy a wide variety of water sports or simply enjoy one of the many picturesque views of water as a feature in the landscape.

A glance back in time reveals the important role the coast and rivers have played in the early growth and development of the Sunshine Coast region and how widely they continue to be used for recreation, transport and economic purposes.

Several of the region’s larger towns are located at river mouths.

Maroochydore is located on the beautiful Maroochy River while Caloundra is located at the junction of the Pumicestone Passage and the open ocean of the Coral Sea.

Early records show that from the beginning of European settlement rivers were fundamental to the development of the region.

They served as “transport highways” and were the location of many valuable stands of timber, including red cedar, a prized resource.

By the mid-1860s, timber getting was big business.

It started in coastal areas near rivers and moved inland as reserves of timber became depleted.

The rivers provided both a means of access to timber resources and the most efficient means of transporting timber – rafting it downstream from the logging areas.

Brisbane saw miller William Pettigrew established a timber depot near the mouth of the Mooloolah River in 1865 and a depot and sawmill on the Maroochy River at Maroochydore.

The mill commenced operation in 1891, but the depot at the Mooloolah River eventually failed because of a lack of timber supplies and in 1903, the Maroochydore Mill closed.

While the importance of the timber industry declined, the ports and small settlements that had developed at the river mouths made it possible for holiday makers to visit these places and by the late 1880s their potential as resorts was recognised.

Caloundra had not been a transport base for servicing the timber industry, but the sheltered waterway of the Pumicestone Passage developed as a thoroughfare for boats shipping provisions from Brisbane to Caloundra, as well as passenger steamers serving resorts at Redcliffe and Bribie Island.

Many people preferred to travel north from Brisbane using the coastal steamers as road access into the Coast region remained very difficult until well into the interwar period.

The opening of the North Coast Railway in 1891 attracted more visitors to the area but because road access to the coastal beaches remained poor, the rivers continued to play an important role in providing a link between the inland towns with railway stations and the coastal resorts.

Many day trippers and holiday makers travelled by boat down the Maroochy River to Cotton Tree.

Some came via Yandina and some by tram from Nambour to Deepwater in Petrie Creek, where they then boarded boats.

For settlers living along the river bank the waterway continued to provide a vital link, bringing supplies and transporting agricultural produce destined for Brisbane.

This was a time when few people could swim, so the emphasis was on safe bathing locations.

The sheltered waters of the Maroochy River and the Pumicestone Passage were ideal spots and the wide expanse of calm water at Cotton Tree, inside the bar in the Maroochy River, was very popular – as it is today.

Like Maroochydore, the development of Mooloolaba as a resort at the mouth of the Mooloolah River reflected a preference for swimming in the sheltered river.

The surf beach beckoned the more adventurous.

Early tourist brochures provide interesting descriptions of the rivers as “a fisherman’s paradise” with their hire boats and the many good fishing spots abounding in cod, bream, flathead, whiting and tailor.

They also highlight the attractive walks along the riversides, the calm creeks and lakes for swimming, the safe rock pools abounding with marine life and the wooded foreshores that make an ideal picnic ground.

In the hinterland, the deep gorges on the steep slopes of the Blackall Range mean the presence of numerous waterfalls and picturesque streams and it is these water features, along with the panoramic views of the coastline that early guest houses promoted.

In more recent times several key dams constructed during the period from the late 1950s to 1989 have not only provided valuable supplies of water but also became notable tourist destinations, offering recreation and camping areas, walking tracks and spectacular water views.

By taking a glance back it becomes evident that the Sunshine Coast’s waterways and coastal areas have always been a magnet drawing people to the area for various reasons.

Thanks to Sunshine Coast Council’s Heritage Library Officers for the words and Picture Sunshine Coast for the images.

In 2017 we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Naming of the Sunshine Coast. For more information on this milestone anniversary visit www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/fifty

Image captions

Hero image: Holiday crowds at Cotton Tree Jetty and Camping Grounds, ca 1918.

Carousel images:

Image 1: Group picnic at Kondalilla Falls, ca 1913.

Image 2: Rowing boat on the Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, late 1920s.

Image 3: Family in a row boat on the Mooloolah River, Mooloolaba, September 1925.

Image 4: Day trippers with river boats at the jetties, Cotton Tree, Maroochydore, ca 1925.

Image 5: Private jetties along the Maroochy River bank, Maroochydore, ca 1920.

Image 6: Charles Clarke and friends displaying their catch of fish at Mooloolaba, 1930s.