ONE OF OUR BEST KEPT SECRETS, IS IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS!
The Southern Moreton Bay Museum on Russell Island, could be regarded as the islands’ best kept secret.
There is all manner of material to view, read and examine that tells the long history of our islands going back almost 150 years.
And it wouldn’t happen if it were not for the dedication of a special ‘few’.
These days the museum is mostly manned by Kay Ross and Al Prestwood and a few others.
And, to be honest, they could do with a bit of help!
“Some more volunteers would be nice”, Kay Ross told The Friendly Bay Islander.
She also told us one of the many stories that are told at the museum, of which many islanders would not be aware.
As Islanders, we are all used to travelling by boat, and the main change in recent years along with the type of vessels we travel on, is the jetty we leave from.
It wasn’t always as comfortable and modern, as it is today on all our islands.
Kay tells us, with some delightful photos, that on Russell, while the locality of the jetty is similar, the actual position has changed over the years.
In later years, after the demise of the farming, tourists and residents became the main users of the jetty.
Early in the 20th century plentiful fruit and vegetables for the markets and Brisbane were loaded onto the trusty Moreton Bay vessel, Ivanhoe.
To make it easier to cart the boxes, rail lines were put down and a trolley was used to carry the fruit to the boat.
The trolley was always available to use to carry parcels and freight from the end of the jetty to the jetty head, making life a bit easier for residents.
However many years ago it was decided that there was a safety issue and the trolley disappeared.
In recent times a very helpful Council officer contacted the museum and asked if we would like the trolley as a reminder of the past, and Kay and Al are delighted to have it on display.
If you would like to check out the island museum, or get involved as a volunteer, you can see the trolley and many other aspects of island history at the SMBI Museum at 55 Jackson Road Russell Island Open Fridays 9 – 12.00 . Contact 0408 154 245 Kay; 0408 769 829 Brendan E:kayross@bigpond.com
• Kay Ross and Al Prestwood
• The crowded Russell Island jetty in the 1980’s
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