BLACK SWAN PARK ies o The Jett f Cotton Tree The Jetties of Cotton Tree

Timber on the river...... Up until the late 1800s, the sole transport link from to the Maroochy area was by boat. Timbergetters such as Petrie, Pettigrew (right), Low and Grigor arrived on the coast by boat in search of timber resources within the region. Steamers ‘Tarshaw’ and ‘Tadorna Radjah’ anchored on the A bullock team hauling huge logs along the main street of The early explorers used the rivers and river, late 1800s. William Pettigrew’s timber depot is visible to the sawmill and ships, c1930. creeks to access inland areas. They found on the south bank of the river. a wealth of timber, including red cedar, beech Prior to 1884, logs were either floated across the mouth and pine. of the and picked up at sea, or pulled by From the 1870s, the Maroochy River was used to bullocks to a depot at . transport timber harvested from the inland areas and the . In 1891, a sawmill and wharf was built slightly northwest William Pettigrew used Maroochydore as a timber landing place from 1884, of this point. The wharf became a loading area for the twenty years after he first established a depot with James Low and William transport of timber to Brisbane. Steamer ships operated Grigor, at Mooloolah Heads. on both the Maroochy and Mooloolah Rivers to supply Brisbane with timber. Timbers from the Eudlo, and Yandina areas were floated down local streams to the Staff from the Maroochydore sawmill, c1890s. Timbers from the landing place at Maroochydore. on the rive sawmill were transported by boat to Brisbane to supply Brisbane’s Travel r...... growing population.

The Maroochy River was a popular route for travel as there was limited road access within the region. The ferry system and series of jetties along the river provided a means of transport for daily commuters, holiday- makers and the distribution of supplies.

Holiday-makers camped on the banks of Cotton Tree Lagoon from the late 1800s. In 2009, the Cotton Tree caravan park was

heritage listed, as it was recognised as being L P . o n H M as 5 ca io o a s 92 e. l eg li n en 1 e se r ri da the oldest campground in . y g , c Tr w tt e v y riv er ies n o le th e. er m er ferr jett tto ul rs in re b ak b ies ee o d g an ms T oa er oat moor ton Tr at C a d th far ton ts s bo jou ing at the Cot ed the ose ane ot ‘Ve ard rney inat r o working on sugar c t C ra’ ing the s comm and term Ab ver mp a 0. and enced ove the Ch nd ca 190 ‘Fav is ristmas break a p, c orite’, c1925. the S cam alvation Army Christmas

For further information on the history and heritage of the Maroochy River and Cotton Tree visit: www.library.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au