Wellington Point was named by surveyors Robert Dixon and James Warner in 1842 after the Duke of Wellington who led the army of the United Kingdom in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The bay formed in part by Wellington Point was named Waterloo Bay.
Today, the names most synonymous with Wellington Point’s early history are Gilbert Burnett, Fernbourne, and Whepstead
Gilbert Burnett had been employed as overseer at Louis Hope’s sugar plantation at Ormiston, and when Hope decided to get out of the industry, Burnett took up land at Trafalgar Vale, Wellington Point and purchased much of Hope’s sugar machinery. Burnett set up his own mill about 1⁄4 mile west of Hilliard’s Creek, and by mid-1883, Burnett’s cane fields at Trafalgar Vale were well established, and he had operating the sugar mill, a sawmill, and a bone- mill, the latter providing fertiliser for the cane. Burnett also was buying up local cane for crushing.
The sawmill at Trafalgar Vale was established initially to cut timber for extensions to Burnett’s sugar mill, but local orders for milled hardwood had encouraged him to expand his sawmilling operations. By November 1884 he had ceased the cultivation and manufacture of sugar at Trafalgar Vale, and had established in its place what he claimed was the largest country sawmill in the colony. The Eucalypta, an 85ft long steamer, was built for Burnett to transport cypress pine from the Moreton Bay islands (Amity Point on Stradbroke, Coochiemudlo and Macleay islands) and hardwood from the Tweed Heads, Nerang, Coomera and Logan districts to his mill, the timber being unloaded at Hilliard’s Creek.
In the mid-1880s, Burnett entered into partnership with a number of Brisbane businessmen to subdivide much of the former Trafalgar Vale plantation as the Wellington Point Estate. The estate sold reasonably well, as the railway was about to be extended to Wellington Point and on to Cleveland. Further subdivision and sales were made by the syndicate in the late 1880s, by which time the railway had arrived.
In 1889, he replaced his earlier and more modest home with the large timber house now known as Whepstead, but initially called Fernbourne. Fernbourne was built during the wave of boom-time investment and speculation, which characterised the late 1880s, but in 1891, as the boom burst and the credit squeeze tightened, Burnett was declared insolvent. When the Burnett family left Fernbourne, they erected a smaller house on the eastern side of the railway line at Wellington Point, still on part of their original Trafalgar Vale estate and near the sawmill. This, their third home in the Wellington Point area, they also named Fernbourne, and it is likely that the first Fernbourne was re-named Whepstead at this time.
After the Burnett family left the first Fernbourne (now Whepstead), there followed a succession of owners and lessees. In 1943 Matron Ethel Dolley purchased the house and converted it into the Bay View Private Hospital. The property remained a hospital until 1973, when it reverted to a private residence. A number of owners since have maintained Whepstead as a restaurant and function centre, and finally today, as a private residence once more.
(Extract from Peter Ludlow’s book ‘Moreton Bay People 2012’ (now out of print)
Hi Peter, Re SS Eucalypta,
I understand that she was built for John Burke Shipping.
Any comment on that?
Regards
Keith Boulton
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Thanks for the comment, Keith. I have done a search of my files and found two references:
Gerald Moore says: The Bay at that time was loosely called “John Burke’s Ocean,” with two of his boats, the Eucalypta and the Roo, providing a service for the produce from the islands and Redland Bay to the markets in Brisbane. Consequently, due to the fact that no good roads existed, it was difficult to reach the South Brisbane Markets, and later the Roma Street Markets. Hence, the Bank of London, which was near the markets, did most of the farmers’ business.
Oliver Rowney says: There was one boat called the Eucalypta, about 100 feet long, very shallow draft, see. I dare say it might have gone down on that. It’s surprising what goods he used to carry. He used to carry horses and all that sort of thing. He’d have a horse box, and then he’d just tip the whole thing onto the wharf.
Hope this helps. Peter
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Hi Peter,
My research has now found that the vessel /Eucalypta /was built//by Gilbert Burnett beside his sawmill at Hilliards Creek, Wellington Point and probably in late 1884?
As Gilbert Burnett went into Liquidation in 1891 and sold many assets including his house, it would be fair to say that this was the time that the /Eucalypta w/as
sold to John Burke.
Thanks for your sent information.
Regards
Keith Boulton
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Hi Peter,
I was incorrect about the building of the Eucalypta. The correct details are as follows-
The Eucalypta was built in 1883, by Sutton & Co [Kangaroo Point] for saw miller Gilbert Burnett of Wellington Point for carrying timber for his sawmill. She was launched on 15th August 1883.
The Eucalypta was a wooden hull, Stern Paddle Wheel Steamer. Length-75 feet, Beam-16 feet and depth of hold, 5 feet. She was propelled by a stern-wheel 11 feet in diameter, driven by a pair of engines of 16 horse-power, fitted with a surface condenser. [From “The Telegraph” 18 Aug 1883.]
The vessel carried cargoes of fertilizer lBurnett’s Bone Mill] for the Sugar Plantations on the South Coast [Southport ] Run and returning with timber
As Gilbert Burnett went into Liquidation in 1891 and sold many assets including his house, it would be fair to say that this was the time that the Eucalypta was sold to John Burke.
Regards
Keith
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Thanks for the update, Keith.
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