Caloundra Early Settlers Timeline
This is the second in our series from Caloundra local history research by a fellow member, Ruth L Carmichael. Knowing the local history for a location helps your understanding of your ancestors’ possible circumstances. From Ruth’s research, this early settlers timeline for Caloundra shows some of the regions key events.
Mailcoach Landsborough to Caloundra – showing Mr A King and Mr W Bulcock – 1886
1860s
In 1865 Alexander Archer (1828-1890) travelled from Brisbane to Caloundra along the Pumicestone Passage and wrote “it would make a capital sea-bathing place, as there are beautiful sites for houses and there is good garden soil, but it is too far from Brisbane to be much frequented for such a purpose for many years to come” but it was not long before Caloundra’s early settlers came.
1870s
1870 Charles Ballinger (1829-1881) purchased land but never lived in Caloundra. Charles’ son Thomas John Ballinger (1853-1938) built a slab hut by the beach south of Lake Currimundi in 1881 and became the first European resident in Caloundra.
1875 Robert Bulcock (1832-1900) purchased 277 acres of land in Caloundra from Charles Ballinger. He built a house in 1878 as a retreat from politics. On 16 Aug 1917, Robert Bulcock junior developed part of Portion 12. The Bulcock family became an integral part of Caloundra history.
1880s
William Landsborough 1825-1886
1882 Samuel Leach (1838-1892) owned land at the junction of Pumicestone Passage and Bell’s Creek. Samuel was the second resident in Caloundra. The Leach family moved to Landsborough in the early 1900s.
1882 William Landsborough (1825-1886), the Explorer, purchased land in Caloundra at Golden Beach and called his property “Loch Lamerough” (discover his story in a future post).
James Campbell Moffat (1842-1905) acquired the deed to 20 acres on Portion 13 on 18 August 1882. His only child died aged 11. The Moffat family story is kept alive today by descendants of his siblings.
1886 Anthony Alder was issued with a licence for the first hotel built at Shelley Beach.
1888 John Wilson (1846-1909) and wife Margaret had a guest house ‘Sea Glint’ on Tooway Lake.
1890s
Caloundra Lighthouse
1890 Allan King (1861-1934) lived in a shack on Moffat Headland and ran a guest house from Westaway’s Bar House in 1899. In 1908 he built King’s Grand Central Guest House at Kings Beach.
1896 Carl Edlundh (1858-1936) was the first lighthouse keeper. View the mountains and the sea from heritage-listed Caloundra Lighthouses
1900s
In 1906 the Hotel Francis was constructed in Victoria Terrace.
Thanks to Ruth for researching our Caloundra local history and sharing us this summary.
Part 3 of Caloundra history next week
More about Caloundra’s early local history next week. If you missed it, read part 1 and look for 3 on our blog, next week. Did you find an ancestors name in the Caloundra early settlers timeline? Leave a comment below. We would love to know.
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Source of Mail Coach image from the National Archives of Australia.
