Alberton, Queensland

Alberton is a locality in the City of Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.[2] It is bounded in the north by the Logan River and in the west by its tributary, the Albert River.

Alberton Gold Coast, Queensland
Alberton Sugar Mill, 1922
Population	576 (2011 census)[1]
• Density	33.88/km^2 (87.8/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4207
Area	17.0 km^2 (6.6 sq mi)
LGA(s)	City of Gold Coast
State electorate(s)	Coomera
Federal Division(s)	Forde
Suburbs around Alberton: Eagleby Carbrook Carbrook Eagleby Alberton Woongoolba Stapylton Stapylton Woongoolba

History

The Aboriginal name for the area was Wobbomerijee (where Wobum means mud and Mudtheri means sticky).[2]

Alberton State School and students, circa 1892

European settlement began in 1863 when the first settlers arrived, mostly German immigrants.[3] A town reserve was established in 1865 on the southern bank near the junction of the Logan and Albert Rivers.[4]

The Ageston sugar plantation and sugar mill operated from 1866 to the 1890s and was described as "one of the finest plants in the Moreton district" in 1873.[5]

In 1869, the first Lutheran church was established near the Lutheran cemetery on Zipfs Road. The area was known as Elkana (meaning "God has created and blessed").[3][6] Later the area was called Alberton after Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, but the name Elkana is preserved in Elkana Road.[7]

St Peter's Lutheran Church, Alberton, 2014

In 1870, a ferry service across the river was introduced with the first bridge being built in 1876 at Yatala.[3] A German school was established early in the 1870s beside the church. The Alberton Provisional School opened on 13 May 1876 with children attending German school on only one day a week. On 13 October 1884 the provisional school became the Alberton State School.[3][8] In 1886, a new larger Lutheran church (the present St Peter's at 187 Alberton Road) was built. It was consecrated in 1887 by Rev Hellmuth.[3]

In October 1886, a well-known property on the Albert River owned by W. K. Witty called "Yellowwood Estate" was advertised for subdivision into suitable sized farms and then auctioned by Simon Fraser & Son.[9] A map advertising the auction states that 40 choice farms were available and the auction was to be held on Saturday 27 November at the Palm’s Hotel, Beenleigh.[10]

The Gem Hotel, 2014

The Gem Hotel was established prior to 1911,[7] but it was destroyed by fire on 27 June 1933 but was insured.[11] By December 1933, the hotel had been rebuilt and was still operating in April 2014 on the corner of Stapylton-Jacobs Well Road and Rotary Park Road.[12][13]

The German school was demolished in 1919.[3] The Alberton State School closed in 1966.[8][14]

In the 1950s, a very notable Bora ceremonial site on the Logan river was destroyed, and replaced with a pineapple plantation owned by a Mr. Inklemann. The site bore the characteristics of the classic twin circles, with a north-south orientation, the large northern ring measuring 70–80 feet in diameter, while the smaller ring lay some 100 feet to its south. In the middle of the latter was a native stone hut, consisting of several stone slabs supporting a stone roof, not unlike the dolmen structures of prehistoric Europe.[15]

According to the 2011 census it had a population of 576.[1]

In September 2012, an archaeological dig was undertaken on the former Ageston sugar plantation, revealing stone and steel structures, a Cornish boiler and evaporating pans.[5]

Economy

Prawn farming, Alberton, 2014

Alberton is primarily a rural area with sugar cane plantations and prawn farms.[7]

Amenities

The Gold Coast City Council operates a fortnightly mobile library service which visits St Peters Hall in Alberton Road.[16]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Alberton (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 January 2013.
2. "Alberton (entry 48111)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
3. "History". Alberton Lutheran Parish. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
4. "THE ALBERT RIVER". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 16 November 1865. p. 3. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
5. "Ageston Plantation Dig 2012". Gold Coast City Council. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
6. "LOGAN PIONEERS". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 30 May 1914. p. 17. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
7. "Alberton History". City of Gold Coast Council. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
8. "Agency ID 6326, Alberton State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
9. "Advertising". Logan Witness. IX (445). Queensland, Australia. 30 October 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 29 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
10. "Yellow Wood Estate Albert River". 29 May 2019. hdl:10462/deriv/257042. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
11. "FIRE AT ALBERTON". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 28 June 1933. p. 4. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
12. "Classified Advertising". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 11 November 1933. p. 5. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
13. "Welcome". The Gem Hotel. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
14. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 4 April 2014.
15. Ponosov 1974, pp. 2,69-70.
16. "Mobile Library 2018 timetable" (PDF). Gold Coast City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.

• Ponosov, Vladimir Vasil'evich (1974). Results of an archaeological survey of the Southern region of Moreton Bay and of Moreton Island (1963-1964) (PDF). University of Queensland.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

External links

Media related to Alberton, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons

• Alberton Lutheran Parish