Island History

The traditional owners, tribes of Indigenous people including the Noonuckle, the Goenpul, the Quandamooka and the Kombamerri, occupied the islands from the Pleistocene age. It is thought that Moreton, North Stradbroke and South Stradroke islands were once joined, forming a long narrow peninsula beginning at the Southport Spit. South Stradbroke became a separate island in 1898 when wild seas broke through the narrow sand isthmus at Jumpinpin.

The peninsula would have given easy access to mainland Indigenous people visiting the island tribes – for social interaction and a change of diet, especially seafood feasts. Indigenous occupation of the island was nomadic and completely in harmony with nature. Their strength and obvious good health, as noted by early white observers, was probably due to the quality of natural food available. Fish, shellfish and other seafood was supplemented by turtles, wallabies, snakes, lizards, echidnas and bandicoots. Honey, berries and fruit were plentiful and flour was made by grinding roasted fern root.

Couran,or Quaran, (early maps show alternate spellings) is an Indigenous word for ‘Moreton Bay ash’, ‘eldest brother’ or ‘dugong skirt’ – it varies from tribe to tribe. Once a base for fishermen and oystering, Couran was subdivided into small farms in the 1920s. Several families took up the land but struggled to make a living over the next 20 years. Families of fishermen had also established themselves on the island as anyone with fishing or oystering licence could squat on adjoining land.

Some visitors to the island arrived unexpectedly when their ships were wrecked on the island’s shores. The Scottish Prince came to grief in 1887 without loss of life while the Cambus Wallace was wrecked near Jumpinpin in 1994. The Cambus Wallace cargo contained large quantities of dynamite which was later ignited, the resultant explosion causing a large crater to form in the sand hills which eventually filled with fresh water from the island’s water table to become Claytons Lake.

Today, government at both State and local level recognise the recreational value of South Stradbroke Island. All the Crown Land now under lease has become a Conservation Park under the trusteeship of the Gold Coast City Council. Five generations of white settlers and countless generations of Indigenous people have not destroyed its unique qualities. Sensible planning ongoing today will ensure that future generations may enjoy its charm as well.

As early as 1897 the appeal of the island to holiday-makers has been strong and the first holiday establishment on the island was called Roe’s Kamp after its founder Reginald Roe.

Today, Interpacific Resorts owns 60 hectares of the northern section of the island and has developed the award winning Ecotourism resort we know as Couran Cove Island Resort. The resort showcases the natural beauty of the island and resort management and staff are dedicated to helping guests experience the character and charm the island naturally exudes. With their commitment and the passion of all Ecotourists, the unspoiled splendour of this most beautiful island will be cherished and maintained well into the future