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Nelly Bay, Queensland

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Nelly Bay is a town on Magnetic Island and a suburb of the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] A tourism hub on the island, it is especially significant as the site of the ferry terminal, which links it to Townsville. In the 2021 census, the suburb of Nelly Bay had a population of 1,213 people.[1]

Nelly Bay
Magnetic Island, Queensland
Rocky Bay (foreground) and Nelly Bay foreshore, showing Magnetic Harbour in the distance.
Nelly Bay is located in Queensland
Nelly Bay
Nelly Bay
Map
Coordinates19°09′30″S 146°50′55″E / 19.1583°S 146.8486°E / -19.1583; 146.8486
Population1,213 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density258.1/km2 (668/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4819
Area4.7 km2 (1.8 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)City of Townsville
CountyElphinstone
ParishMagnetic
State electorate(s)Townsville
Federal division(s)Herbert
Localities around Nelly Bay:
West Point West Point Arcadia
West Point Nelly Bay Coral Sea
Picnic Bay Picnic Bay Coral Sea

History

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Robert Hayles, a local entrepreneur, started tourist ventures in the bay around 1911 and in 1917 correspondence between the Townsville Harbour Board and the Queensland Marine Department notes the existence of a jetty in the bay.[4] During the Second World War an anti-aircraft battery was built on the foreshore of the bay. While the concrete foundations of the battery still exist, they are now overgrown, and surrounded by a housing estate.[5]

Nelly Bay Post Office opened on 1 July 1927 (a receiving office had been open from 1923), closed in 1982 and reopened in 1994.[6]

Nelly Bay Provisional School opened on 15 September 1924. In 1928 it became Nelly Bay State School. The school closed on 18 October 1942 but reopened on 1 October 1943. It changed its name to Magnetic Island State School in the 1970s.[7][8]

 
Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal (on right) with construction at Magnetic Harbour (to see, click on the blank and then click on the image after the file opened)

In February 1984, Bob Katter Jr., the then new Minister for Northern Development, announced the $100 million development of a harbour and marina precinct in Nelly Bay proposed by Geoff Orpin, a former Maroochy Shire Councillor who moved to Magnetic Island in 1980. At the time, the project was to be called Magnetic Keys, and Katter insisted all environmental concerns would be addressed with construction beginning within six months. However, it was another 18 months before the developer was even able to obtain the correct permission and leases to perform feasibility and environmental impact studies in the bay.[9]

In 1987, the development was sold to the Linkon Group and Essington Developments,[10] but Essington Developments sold their interests in the project soon-after to Pacific Properties Pty Ltd.[9]

While there was a large amount of interest in the development, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) delayed granting a permit due to the possible environmental effects of the proposed harbor development. In October 1987, they finally changed the zoning of the bay to permit the harbour development, but waited until October of the following year before issuing the necessary construction permit in an atmosphere of controversy. The permit included certain conditions the developer had to meet, including rehabilitation insurance to cover the rehabilitation of the environment should the development not proceed.

At around the same time, the Townsville City Council, originally opposed to the development, rezoned the Bright Point area for tourist usage and requested state government ministerial rezoning for the entire development. The Townsville City Council further approved the construction of a hotel and unit development on the Bright Point headland which also allowed the headland to be quarried for rubble for the harbor breakwater under the pretext of preparing the site for the development.[9]

Major construction works started in August 1989, despite major objection from local residents and environmental groups.[citation needed] The following year saw a number of court cases and tribunals held in opposition to the project, but none of these halted construction. It was later alleged that the developer made an unrecorded donation to Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney's election campaign. Further improprieties were suggested between Townsville City Council employees and one of the judges overseeing a case appealing the development. It was also alleged that the developer offered a bribe to GBRMPA during its deliberations some years earlier.[9]

In 1990, one of the main lenders for the project collapsed, followed by one of the major stakeholders in the project, Pacific Properties. However, work continued to accelerate until July 1990, when the dredge being used on the project sank, followed shortly by the collapse of the Magnetic Keys Consortium. It was then revealed that rehabilitation insurance had not been obtained by the developer, and the development was surrendered to the state government.[9]

In 1995, a number of proposals were raised to complete the development.[11] None proceeded. In 1998, these proposals were revised to reduce the number of lots from 88 to 40 and more than halve the occupancy from 1328 to 638.[12] With some minor alterations, this was the proposal which was finally agreed.

In 2003, the new ferry terminal began operations. The terminal contains a small retail area and is next to bus stops and car parking.

Demographics

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In the 2011 census, the suburb of Nelly Bay had a population of 1,055 people.[13]

In the 2016 census, the suburb of Nelly Bay had a population of 1,196 people.[14]

In the 2021 census, the suburb of Nelly Bay had a population of 1,213 people.[1]

Transport

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Nelly Bay Ferry Terminal

Nelly Bay is home to Magnetic Island's largest infrastructure development, Magnetic Harbour, also known as Nelly Bay Harbour. The development consists of a new ferry and barge terminal, with an emergency services helipad, retail services, a marina[15] and multi-storey residential dwellings. A frequent ferry service is operated by Sunferries, with its passenger ferry to the Townsville breakwater, and Fantasea with its vehicular barge to South Townsville.

Education

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Magnetic Island State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 16 Mandalay Avenue (19°09′26″S 146°51′06″E / 19.1571°S 146.8516°E / -19.1571; 146.8516 (Magnetic Island State School)).[16][17] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 134 students with 11 teachers (8 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (6 full-time equivalent).[18] The school includes a special education program.[16]

There is no secondary school on the island. The nearest secondary school is Townsville State High School in Railway Estate.[19]

Amenities

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The Townsville City Council operate a mobile library service which visits the Lions Park at Nelly Bay on Tuesday, but its opening hours may be affected by the tide times.[20]

Notable residents

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  • Julian Assange, WikiLeaks co-founder, sporadically lived the first years of his life in Nelly Bay with his mother in the early 1970s.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Nelly Bay (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  2. ^ "Nelly Bay – town in City of Townsville (entry 24028)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Nelly Bay – suburb in City of Townsville (entry 49814)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Picnic Bay Jetty (entry 602231)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
  5. ^ "Nelly Bay Gunsite – 16 Heavy Anti-aircraft Battery". Peter Dunn's Australia at War. 3 April 2002. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  6. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  8. ^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  9. ^ a b c d e "Nelly Bay, Magnetic Island Development". Rivermouth Action Group Inc. Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  10. ^ "Magnetic Keys Proposal". Nelly-Bay.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  11. ^ "Nelly Bay Harbour Proposal 1995". Nelly-Bay.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  12. ^ "Nelly Bay Safe Harbour – Magnetic Harbour 1998". Nelly-Bay.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2009.
  13. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Nelly Bay (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 5 November 2015.  
  14. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Nelly Bay (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  15. ^ "Nelly Bay Marina". Magnetic Island Marina. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  16. ^ a b "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Magnetic Island State School". Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  18. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  19. ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  20. ^ "Mobile Library Service" (PDF). Townsville City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  21. ^ "Wikileaks founder Julian Assange a born and bred Queenslander". The Courier-Mail. 29 July 2010. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
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