Pipeline of Prosperity for Magnetic Island

In 1970, Magnetic Island became the first Queensland off-shore island to receive a water supply from the mainland, when an 8km-long submarine pipeline was laid from Rowes Bay to Cockle Bay, on the south-eastern side of Magnetic Island.

Locals watch on from the Rowes Bay foreshore as the first section of pipeline for the water supply to Magnetic Island is towed out to sea and manoeuvered into place, February 1970.

Photo: Townsville City Libraries.

Work on the ambitious project began in August 1969, and at times required divers to work in water depths of up to 9 metres. To mitigate the risks associated with sharks, a spokesman for the contractor told the Townsville Daily Bulletin that precautions would be in place for the divers, possibly in the form of protective cages.

According to the Bulletin, the original contractor who had tendered to lay the pipe for $258,000 within a timeframe of six months - “abandoned” the project shortly after work commenced.

When the city council took over the work, they decided to use six-inch PVC pipe instead of the 9-inch pipe made of asbestos cement that was originally planned. PVC was chosen for the pipeline because it was lightweight and flexible and was expected to last for up to 150 years.

By June 1970 the pipeline was nearing completion, albeit a few months behind schedule. Tides and wind conditions dictated the speed of the work, and an extra 900 metres of pipe had to be added to the length of the pipeline because it proved impossible to cut through the reefs of Cockle Bay.

A water supply for the island also required additional infrastructure to be built on the island itself. This involved the construction of 24 km of pressure and reticulation mains and storage reservoirs at Picnic Bay, Nelly Bay and Arcadia. The three reservoirs could each hold 1.9 million litres, and once fully operational, would supply approximately 600 residences.

After experiencing two years of drought, the pipeline was welcome news for island residents, since many people had resorted to buying water from the mainland and having it transported to the island at considerable expense.

Others hoped that supplying water to the island would trigger a boom on the island, in the form of increased tourism and housing.

Mr Charles Thomas, president of the Magnetic Island Tourist Association told the Bulletin in February 1970 that he doubted if many people on the island realised just how much (the) water would mean to them.

“The island will grow up overnight,” Mr Thomas said.

Mr Thomas believed that within four years, development on the island would have quadrupled, with island residents commuting to the city for work, and the opening up of investment opportunities on the island.

In May 1970, the Bulletin reported that it was “widely predicted” that completion of the reticulated water scheme would set off a building spree on the island.

“According to reports, many people holding land on the island are only waiting for the water connection to start building,” the Bulletin noted.

However, the newspaper pointed out that at least one factor that would limit such a spree was that the land available for building was limited, since three quarters of the island was National Park.

“The area with the greatest potential for residential sites appears to be Horseshoe Bay. The extensive flat land at Horseshoe Bay once supported a substantial pineapple industry… which has now become virtually extinct.”

Waterfront allotments at that time were selling for up to $8,000.

A City of Baths

In December 1930, the Townsville Daily Bulletin reported that Townsville seemed to be “a city of baths”. It was referring to the growing number of public swimming baths that were popping up all over the city.

One of the many public swimming facilities (known as baths) in early Townsville, the concrete basin of the City Baths on The Strand was built around 1910. The building visible in the photo contained dressing sheds and a refreshment kiosk.Photo: Townsville City Libraries.  

In that month alone, swimming baths opened at two separate locations. One was at Picnic Bay on Magnetic Island, while the other was in a more unlikely location – behind Queen’s Road, in Hermit Park.

According to the Bulletin, on Sunday 7 December, “hordes of residents made the trip to Magnetic Island, to see the Mayor open the baths at Picnic Bay”.

 

Picnic Bay swimming baths in foreground, with jetty in centre of photo, no date.
Photo: Townsville City Libraries.

The Mayor, Alderman W.J. Heatley, described the occasion as “a most eventful day for Picnic Bay,” but more importantly, he believed that: “bathing had been rendered safe from sharks, and an attraction had been created for tourists”.

About a week later, the banks of Ross Creek, above the Queen's Road crossing (known as Sandy Crossing) were packed with people “who had travelled from every suburb in the city to see the new Queen’s Road baths opened”. Up to 3,000 people attended the occasion.

“The portion of Ross Creek which constitutes the new baths is filled up to nine or ten feet by every high tide, and form a natural swimming pool, over a quarter of a mile long and 200 yards wide. There was only one thing that prevented people bathing there with safety, and that was the fact that sharks made a habit of patrolling up and down,” the Bulletin reported.

To combat the shark threat, a group of residents headed by Messrs. Garbutt Bros. (E.T., Jack and Arthur) banded together and formed a working bee, spending all their spare time erecting a substantial wire netting and post fence to ensure a shark proof area between the Queen’s Road bridge and the new barrier.

On the day of the opening, there was a “splendid high tide, with the sun shining brightly, and the people lost no time in taking to the water,” which was soon teeming with hundreds of bathers.

“Lads in their home made canoes paddled about, and a couple of speed boats raced about in whirls of foam and noise on the upper reach,” the Bulletin noted.

Alluding to the depressed economic climate, in a speech made on behalf of the working bee participants, Mr E.T. Garbutt said it was a lesson for the people of Queensland.

“In that working bee were all denominations, and all shades of political opinions pulling together, and if the people of Queensland pulled together and worked as they did, the clouds of depression which were hanging over them would soon disappear,” he said.

In officially opening the baths, Alderman Heatley praised those who had given up their free time so that others could enjoy themselves.

“The baths were free and that was something neither the Council nor the Government could give them; it could only be accomplished by a band of men, getting together, and giving their services free,” the Bulletin reported.

Perhaps spurred on by the success of the Queen’s Road baths, another public swimming enclosure was erected within just months, this time at Rowes Bay. It opened on 7 March 1931, and was another example of the Townsville community working together during difficult economic times.

Flooding at Sandy Crossing, Hermit Park, 1968.
Photo: Townsville City Libraries.

Note: I have not been able to find a photograph of the Sandy Creek swimming baths. If any readers have a photograph in their possession, I'd love to see it.

Magnetic Island Honeymoon Hut

Here's my article from yesterday's Townsville Eye in the Townsville Bulletin (14 June, 2014):

The relocation of a 1920s Arcadia Guest House honeymoon hut from its original Arcadia site to Picnic Bay at the end of May, has uncovered an intriguing mystery.

An Arcadia Guest House honeymoon hut, similar to the one that has just been relocated to Picnic Bay. 1946.
Photo:  Magnetic Island History and Craft Centre.

During preparations for the move, the hut offered up part of its history when one of the external weatherboards fell an inch or two, revealing what appeared to be a piece of jewellery.  

Magnetic Island History and Craft Centre President Zanita Davies caught sight of the item and was quite surprised by what she found.

“I was fortunate enough to notice a small piece of chain caught behind the dropped board and under the floorboards,” Ms Davies said.

“I removed what I thought was a piece of costume jewellery, only to discover an Australian soldier’s dog tag,” she said.

The hut in situ at Arcadia, before the relocation, 2014.
Photo:  Magnetic Island History and Craft Centre.

 

The honeymoon hut in its new location at Picnic Bay, 2104.
Photo:  Magnetic Island History and Craft Centre.

Ms Davies believes the hut would have been used by servicemen while the guesthouse was in use as an R & R location during World War II, which goes some of the way to explaining how the dog tag got there.  Museum staff are now researching the soldier’s history and have been in contact with a member of his extended family in an attempt to find out more.

The hut was part of Hayles’ Arcadia Guest House, a popular holiday destination for honeymooners and travellers alike for many decades.  The tiny, one-roomed huts provided sleeping accommodation for guests, and were arranged a good distance apart, to ensure privacy and rest.  Verandahs at both the front and back kept the huts cool.

Arcadia Guest House was only one part of the Hayles family’s successful north Queensland tourism venture.  In 1900 Robert Hayles had begun operating a ferry service from Townsville to Picnic Bay, with the small steamer Bee.  The previous year Hayles had built the Magnetic Hotel in Picnic Bay.  He later acquired land at Arcadia and during the 1920s, Hayles Magnetic Island Pty Ltd acquired the vessels Mandalay, Malanda, Maree, Ferry Alma, Merinda, Maroubra and Malita in order to service the demand for ferry travel.

Part of Arcadia Guest House, Magnetic Island.
Photo:  CityLibraries Townsville Local History Collection.

“Hayles’ cottage is a living artefact of the Hayles era on Magnetic Island and a very tangible reminder of this settler family,” Ms Davies said.

“The building was given to us by Gary McGill, owner of Arcadia Hotel, and we were fortunate to get some financial support from Hayles Trust Fund for its removal,” she said.

Despite taking three years to get all the relevant council permits in place, Ms Davies said the relocation went very smoothly and without incident.

The historic building’s new home is near the State heritage listed Picnic Bay school and historic Butler Hut museum as part of the Magnetic Island History and Craft Centre.

Ms Davies said the museum’s intention was to return the building to its original layout of one room with verandahs.

 
“The cottage will require substantial refurbishment and will be used for display and museum storage and conservation activities,” she said.