(Friday 15 - Sunday 17 May 2020)

Beachmere is a seaside village, just north of the mouth of the Caboolture River, on the edge of Moreton Bay, in sight of the southern tip of Bribie. Beachmere is around 45 minutes from the Brisbane Airport, 30 minutes from the Sunshine Coast, and just 10 minutes from the Bruce Highway and Caboolture, with rail and bus services south to Brisbane, north to Nambour and beyond, and west to Mt Isa.
In this Pocket Book, Beachmere is on Maps 430, 431, 448, 449, 465, 466.
Yet, Beachmere is at the end of a journey. There is no journey that goes through Beachmere to another destination. All journeys start and end at Beachmere. It is this very thing that has allowed Beachmere to keep its sense of welcoming peace and tranquillity; a place to spend time in, to enjoy and to relax. When you get to Beachmere, you've arrived, and you never want to leave!
Beachmere has many parks and picnic areas, and boat ramps with access to Moreton Bay and the Caboolture River. Both dogs and horses have access to beachfront areas with owners taking advantage of miles of beach for exercise and play.
It is a popular destination for photography enthusiasts with the sea, the river and several lakes hosting a myriad of birds, kangaroos and wallabies. Enthusiastic anglers and boaties can enjoy their sports close to home, with regular sightings of turtle, dolphin and dugong to enjoy.
Beachmere will celebrate its Sesquicentenary in 2020.
The passing in 1860 of the Crown Alienation Act opened up large reserve-like sections of land to settlers at the fixed price of one pound per acre. In 1870, Thomas Edwin Bonney, the grandson of a convict, took up land under the Act. He held land from Toorbul Point to King Johnnie Creek and built a homestead he named "Beachmere".
In 1871 T.E. Bonney was granted a sugar lease in partnership with W.G. Geddes. In 1887 Mr Millman opened the first dairy, which later became the Beachmere Dairy Farm and Cheese Factory. In 1893, Richard Baker acquired the greater part of Beachmere which was kept in the family until the late 1960s.
Over the past 150 years, Beachmere has grown from that first sugar farm and dairy into an important food bowl for the region. However, in the 1920s, it also gained fame as a major holiday destination with an influx of visitors for the Christmas and New Year holidays. In 2020, it is a thriving coastal village with strong community connections.

"Beachmere – Then and Now"-a book of stories celebrating Beachmere compiled by Karen Wallwork.

Thomas Edwin (T.E.) Bonney’s restored resting place, Toowong Cemetery

As part of the community celebrations, a book of stories will be available celebrating Beachmere. "Beachmere – Then and Now" is a compilation of over 150 stories providing a history of events and happenings in Beachmere over the past 150 years. Sourced from previous community publications, and gathered from personal interviews, they are all contributions by residents of, and visitors to, Beachmere.
This is a "legacy" project and a long needed historical resource. Local families and educational organisations will treasure it for many years to come.

Another ongoing project has been the restoration of Beachmere’s founding settler’s grave.
Thomas Edwin (T.E.) Bonney’s last resting place is in Toowong Cemetery. When located some months ago, it was in a sad state of repair. As part of the Sesquicentenary Celebrations, it has been repaired and restored. A plaque was also added to the restored grave which reads:
"Thomas Edwin Bonney, the first European settler in the area, built his homestead in 1870. He named it Beachmere; 'beach' on account of the narrow sand strip of beach in front of the house and 'mere' because of the marshy nature of the land. The town continues to prosper.
With gratitude, The Beachmere Community."
Other community projects include producing a Commemorative Quilt, siting a Recognition Stone, and placement of a time capsule.
"Beachmere – Then and Now" is just one of the elements of the Sesquicentenary Celebrations which have evolved into all encompassing Back to Beachmere weekend. Following the book launch, locals will gather for a Gala Opening event, the first day in a weekend of events and activities.

The celebration weekend, Friday, 15 to Sunday, 17 May 2020, will also include a Saturday of festivities with children’s beach activities, a Sandgarden Competition, Street Parade and Mini Festival with historical re-enactments, and an evening Bush Dance. Sunday is the final day of the celebration with a High Tea and “Wrap Party”. Various events, organised and conducted by other local groups, will coincide with the celebration, including an art show by local artisans.
By celebrating this historical event in a Celebration of Community, involving the entire Moreton Bay region, the Sesquicentenary Committee will bring together the young and the old, indigenous and non-indigenous, new locals and local experts, whilst recording the history of an important destination for Moreton Bay residents.
The Celebration will promote and instill a sense of belonging in the current Beachmere community. It will be a once in a lifetime event for Beachmere residents and a further opportunity to develop community pride and cohesion.
Beachmere has an interesting history and is a place of many happy memories for generations of Queenslanders, many of which have been included in the book “Beachmere – Then and Now”. They include memories of wartime, environmental emergencies and unique and wonderful holidays. Did you know that:
• in June 1942, not long after the Battle of the Coral Sea, the 2/25th Australian Infantry Battalion was placed on an invasion alert and ordered to establish coast watching posts. They selected Beachmere, among other sites, as one coast watch site.
• the tsunami of 1960 was experienced in Beachmere.
• there is a street on the official maps of Beachmere that has vanished.
• a bucket and dragline once provided Beachmere’s water supply.
• there are many, many species of Australian trees and flowers in the Beachmere environment. The Conservation Park & Wetlands are recognised as being of international importance under the Ramsar Convention of 1971.
• Beachmere is the first location in the Moreton Bay Region to have a Drone Flying Field; at the rear of the Rogers Street Sports Complex.
There is so much to surprise you in this lovely seaside village.
Beachmere has its own shopping centre, with a supermarket, a variety of shops, a hotel, a service station, a motel, a State primary school and a Steiner school. There are medical, allied health and dental facilities, a butchery, a bakery, cafés, restaurants and more. Beachmere’s public amenities include halls, child care, a kindergarten, lawn bowls greens and a caravan park.
Beachmere has all the amenities of many other small towns and villages, but it is the sense of “community” that sets Beachmere apart. Its central meeting area, Clayton Park, map 449 C7, is the venue that supports events throughout the year, attracting residents and visitors of all ages: Community Carols, Movie Nights, Spring Fairs, Festivals and Picnics, amongst others.

Clayton Tower and surrounds – Then

Clayton Tower and surrounds – Now

From the Beachmere Sailing Club in 1967, to 1983 when the Beachmere Lawn Bowls Club was established through to the Community Hall Association in 1988, Lions and Lioness Club, Men’s Shed, Network Group, Fishing Club, Sunshine Club, Slimmers Club, Football Club, and most recently a campus of U3A, together with many others, community groups thrive in Beachmere. The town may be small in numbers, but it is huge in heart.
There is a unique generosity of spirit in Beachmere. The continual involvement of volunteers, through groups, associations and committees, ensure Beachmere retains and grows that spirit of community and encourages all residents to feel invited and involved. It is a spirit of participation and connectedness, of being part of a bigger family and with a richer fabric of life.
As Beachmere moves past its 150th year, it is that spirit of community, with its volunteering heart, that will take Beachmere into the next 150 years as the best seaside village in which to start a family, grow up, build a life and enjoy retirement.
Special note:
Usually I write nearly all the front cover stories covering some 184 for our various Pocket Books, with some four million copies. However, the whole above article has been superbly written by Karen Harris, the President, Beachmere Area Network Group, ph 0402 114 201 and 0456 818 017. PO Box 103, Beachmere Qld 4510 - president@bang.org.au
I only added some map references and notes for the photos. Pocket Books is so very pleased to be involved with this 150th anniversary. When my wife, Nevenka, and I, first established Pocket Books in 1990, Caboolture was only our second book, having printed one for Bacchus Marsh in Victoria. Before moving to the district at Caloundra and Peachester, I spent a month each year in the early 1990’s staying at the Beachmere Motel. Even though I write about the Caboolture district each year, Pocket Books feels a special closeness to the history of Beachmere.

'Lehman's Kiosk at Beachmere' oil painting by Margaret Courtney of Wamuran.

Thanks again to Karen Harris for her great article; to Margaret Courtney for supplying the photo of her painting - ‘Lehman’s Kiosk at Beachmere’. The original Lehman’s store opened 1934. Thanks also to Jessica Culley of Down To Earth Photography who provided many of the photos.
Thanks to Karen Wallwork for writing the 206 page book - “Beachmere – Then and Now”, and Chris Sutton for its design and editing.

Gerry Clarke B.PED., Pocket Books.

Attributions for:
• Cover Photos:
Beachmerevista 1970s - Image courtesy of Moreton Bay Regional Council, Image ID P1165
Beachmere Intersection - Image courtesy Down To Earth Photography (Jess Culley)
Beachmere town centre - Image courtesy Down To Earth Photography, Jess Culley
• Cover story images:
“Beachmere – Then and Now” a book of stories celebrating Beachmere compiled by Karen Wallwork - image courtesy Christine Sutton
Thomas Edwin (T.E.) Bonney’s restored resting place, Toowong Cemetery - Image courtesy Darcy Maddock, Friends of Toowong Cemetery
Clayton Tower and surrounds – Then - Image from “Lost Caboolture Facebook page”.
Clayton Tower and surrounds – Now - Image courtesy Down To Earth Photography, Jess Culley.
‘Lehman’s Kiosk at Beachmere’ oil painting by Margaret Courtney of Wamuran