Bulwer

Bulwer is a coastal town and locality at the north-western end of Moreton Island in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Bulwer is a coastal town and locality at the north-western end of Moreton Island in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Bulwer had a population of 49 people.

Bulwer was probably named after Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) who was Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1858 to 1859.The British Colonial Secretaryseparated Queensland from New South Wales in 1859 and made Sir George Bowen its first Governor.

In August 1848, the maritime pilot station on Moreton Bay was moved from Amity Point on the northerly tip of North Stradbroke Island to Bulwer. In 1863 land was offered for sale at Bulwer for the first time, contesting of 36 lots each of 2 roods with 25 sold.

In November 1865 a school and teacher's residence were erected but a teacher had not been appointed. The families of the staff of the pilot station were the principal residents at that time. That school opened in 1866-1867.In April 1875, the Queensland Government set aside 2 roods for a government school (suggesting the previous school was operated privately). Moreton Island State School opened circa 1876 and was renamed Bulwer State School in 1878. In 1891 it was downgraded to a provisional school, but restored to state school status in 1895.

In November 1909 it was decided that the pilots and their families would live in Brisbane, with the pilots being based on a steamer in the Yellow Patch (the part of Moreton Bay to the north of Moreton Island near the entrance to the shipping channel to Brisbane) when on duty; the pilots approved the plan. The state school was closed in 1909 when the pilots' families ceased to live on the island.In the 1930s, three ships were scuttled in the area to form a harbour for small boats. The first on 8 May 1933 was the 337-ton steamer Hopewell formerly owned by timber merchants Hyne & Son of Maryborough. The second on 10 May 1933 was the 716-ton Mount Kembla. The third in September 1935 was the Kallatina, a 646 ton passenger and cargo ship owned by John Edward Burke which operated a route from Brisbane through to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Although the intention was to provide a safe harbour, during a storm in July 1938the 35-foot motor launch Achilles struck the half-sunken Mount Kembla and sank within 15 minutes, the 12 men on board Achilles climbed onto the Mount Kembla until they were rescued by Robert Alexander Gow in his dinghy.At the 2006 census, Bulwer had a population of 70.In the 2016 census the locality of Bulwer had a population of 49 people.