Peel Island - Queensland
Peel Island is situated in Moreton Bay near Brisbane . Originally settled by Europeans as a Quarantine Station from 1874, then as an Inebriate Asylum and a Leper Colony from 1907, Peel Island has a very interesting history and is a great place to visit.
There is no formal accommodation on Peel Island. Horseshoe Bay, with its sandy beach, is popular with boating visitors. It is a popular overnight anchorage for sailors, considered by many to be the best shelter from northerly winds in Moreton Bay. Sea kayakers also use the island for overnight stays.There are limited facilities in Peel Island, however there is a toilet block.
There are Tours to and around Peel Island.
Local Tour Operators have a great knowledge of their area, So why not experience it with people who know all the best spots.
There are some interesting Things To See and Do on Peel Island.
Visit the Redlands Bay Tourist Information Centre at Cleveland, where they can help you with your holiday plans.
Redlands on Moreton Bay Visitor Centre
Shop 2, Raby Bay Harbour
152 Shore St West
PO Box 8159
Cleveland
Queensland, 4163
Phone 07 38210057 or 1300 667 386
Fax 07 38213875
Email: explore@more2redlands.com.au
www.more2redlands.com.au
For more information about North Stradbroke Island visit www.straddieonline.com.au
What to do around Peel Island.
# Take a walk around the walking tracks left over from the Leper Colony days.
# Fishing is extremely popular around Peel Island, from the shore, or a boat.
# The island is only accessible by watercraft.
# Sea kayakers also use the island for overnight stays.
# The island is well known for its natural beauty, with bird and animal life undisturbed from the pollutions of modern times.
# June to November is Whale Watching Season in Moreton Bay. The most common sightings being of Humpback Whales.
# Throughout the year dolphins, turtles and dugong can be seen in Moreton Bay.
# Birdwatching on Moreton Bay islands is very popular, both on the beach and islands and on the water, where migratory species gather each year.
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Although first St Helena Island and then Dunwich on North Stradbroke Island were originally sites for Quarantine Stations, Peel Island was used as a quarantine station for the colony of Brisbane from May 1874. Sailing ships would anchor to the north of the Island, the passengers would disembark on Peel Island for a quarantine period before moving on to Dunwich on nearby Stradbroke Island. The arriving sailing ships would be fumigated and scrubbed down with cabolic to sanitise them before they ventured on to Brisbane with the new arrivals. The Quarantine Station closed down by 1910 as the number of ships requiring quarantine had diminished. Remains of the old quarantine station are at the south west corner of the island where the old well can be found.
The Benevolent Asylum at Dunwich was becoming overcrowded and in 1904 40 male inmates were transferred to Peel Island Quarantine Station. From 1910 to 1916 the Station was used as Inebriate Asylum as there were problems at the Benevolent Asylum at Dunwich. Peel Island was used as a sisal farm, the inmates would harvest the sisal and manufacture rope which was sold to help fund the asylum. You can still see the remnants of the sisal plantations when walking around the western side of the island.
In 1907 the Island became a site for a leper colony, a Lazaret was built. The Peel Island Lazaret was perhaps Queensland's first truly multi cultural community. For within its small confines were chinese, aborigines, south sea islanders, and whites of both european and australian origin. They were housed in four compounds: white males, white females, coloured males, and coloured females.The Lazaret went through 52 years of incredible twists and turns until Leprosy was eventually minimised and cured and the Colony was shut down in 1959, with the last 9 patients being transferred to South Brisbane Hospital.
Now it is enjoyed by many locals and visitors.In December 2007 Peel Island was proclaimed a National Park. Tracks used when the island was a leper colony can be used to walk across the island. Features worth visiting there is the old leper colony town, located on the north west of the island. The housing there is currently being restored, possibly for school camps, but there is asbestos in some of the housing that was used for indigenous Australians. An interesting trival point is that after the island was decommissioned as a leper colony it was discovered that the strain of leprosy was non-contagious.
More of this interesting history can be found at Peel Island History.
Moreton Bay Events Calendar for 2008
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