Woody Point is a coastal suburb of Redcliffe in the City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Woody Point had a population of 4,548 people.
Along with its neighbouring coastal suburbs on the Redcliffe Peninsula, the suburb is a popular recreational destination within the Brisbane metropolitan area.
In 1799, Matthew Flinders landed on the peninsula and named the location Red Cliff Point after the colours of the cliffs. In 1823 the peninsula was selected as the site of Queensland's first (and only) penal colony (Moreton Bay penal settlement). After arriving in 1824 to establish the colony, problems with mosquitoes and resistance from the Gubbi Gubbi (Kabi Kabi) and the people (Ningi Ningi, Ninghi Ninghi), part of the Undambi people who were indigenous to the land, caused the colony to relocate further up the Brisbane River in 1825, founding the city of Brisbane.
Redcliffe developed as a small seaside retreat accessible only by boat from Brisbane while Woody Point was originally a banana plantation.
Woody Point Jetty was built in 1888. It was reconstructed during 2008 at a cost of $9.6 million.
When the Hornibrook Bridge opened in 1935 (later replaced by the Houghton Highway and Ted Smout Memorial Bridge ), it linked Brighton, the most north-eastern suburb in the City of Brisbane, across Hays Inlet to Clontarf on the Redcliffe Peninsula. By improving the road connection between them, Redcliffe then became much more accessible and grew as part of Brisbane's suburban sprawl.
A one-off 'high speed reliability trial' motor race was held in 1936, with a 4.2km (2.65 mile) circuit using the following streets in a clockwise direction: Oxley St-Duffield Rd-Ernest St-Albert St-Margate Pde-Whytecliffe Pde-Gayundah Esplanade-Lilla St-Alfred St. Competitors had to average fixed speeds over the 27 laps.
Our Lady of Lourdes School opened in 1969 and closed in 1995.
Woody Point Special School opened on 21 August 1978.
Southern Cross Catholic College (Woody Point Primary) opened in 2002, being formed by the amalgamation of three Catholic primary schools of the Peninsula, Soubirous College and De La Salle College.
In 1958, HMQS Gayundah was run aground at Woody Point to create a breakwater.
The foundation stone of St Mark's Anglican Church was laid at 46 Kate Street (corner of Annie Street, 27°15′28″S 153°06′25″E / 27.2577°S 153.1070°E) on Sunday 26 April 1953 by Archbishop Reginald Halse. The church was dedicated on 7 April 1957 by Archbishop Halse. It was consecrated on 28 April 1968 by Archbishop Philip Strong. In the 1990s it was decided to combine the congregations of St Mark's and St Barnabas in Clontarf into a new St Peter the Fisherman's Anglican Church at Clontarf. This led to the closure of St Mark's on 24 April 1993 which was approved by Assistant Bishop George Browning. St Peter the Fisherman's was dedicated in 1993. As at July 2020, the St Mark's site has been converted into a multi-unit dwelling but the foundation stone is still visible on the street corner.
Woody Point's Apex Park & Bicentennial Park were constructed by reclaiming land along the foreshore in the 1970s.
In the 2011 census, Woody Point had a population of 4,089 people, 51.5% female and 48.5% male. The median age of the Woody Point population was 46 years, 9 years above the national median of 37. 71.5% of people living in Woody Point were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 6.3%, New Zealand 6.3%, Scotland 1.2%, South Africa 0.9%, Canada 0.6%. 89.3% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.6% Spanish, 0.4% Russian, 0.4% German, 0.4% French, 0.3% Dutch.
In the 2016 census, Woody Point had a population of 4,418 people.
In the 2021 census, Woody Point had a population of 4,548 people.
History info courtesy of Wikipedia
