Bulwer is on the north-west coast of Moreton Island facing Moreton Bay It is to the Brisbane central business district. It is one of the few developed areas on Moreton Island which is almost entirely national park. It consists of a few streets of housing and a long sandy beach. There are no formal road connections to Bulwer, but there are dirt tracks that connect it to other parts of the island.
History
Bulwer was probably named after Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton who was Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1858 to 1859. In August 1848, the maritime pilot station on Moreton Bay was moved from Amity Point on the northerly tip of North Stradbroke Island to Bulwer. In 1863 land was offered for sale at Bulwer for the first time, contesting of 36 lots each of 2 roods with 25 sold. In November 1865 a school and teacher's residence were erected but a teacher had not been appointed. The families of the staff of the pilot station were the principal residents at that time. That school opened in 1866-1867. In April 1875, the Queensland Government set aside 2 roods for a government school. Moreton Island State School opened circa 1876 and was renamed Bulwer State School in 1878. In 1891 it was downgraded to a provisional school, but restored to state school status in 1895. In November 1909 it was decided that the pilots and their families would live in Brisbane, with the pilots being based on a steamer in the Yellow Patch when on duty; the pilots approved the plan. The state school was closed in 1909 when the pilots' families ceased to live on the island. In the 1930s, three ships were scuttled in the area to form a harbour for small boats. The first on 8 May 1933 was the 337-ton steamer Hopewell formerly owned by timber merchants Hyne & Son of Maryborough. The second on 10 May 1933 was the 716-ton Mount Kembla. The third in September 1935 was the Kallatina, a 646 ton passenger and cargo ship owned by John Edward Burke which operated a route from Brisbane through to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Although the intention was to provide a safe harbour, during a storm in July 1938 the 35-foot motor launchAchilles struck the half-sunken Mount Kembla and sank within 15 minutes, the 12 men on board Achilles climbed onto the Mount Kembla until they were rescued by Robert Alexander Gow in his dinghy. At the 2006 census, Bulwer had a population of 70.
Transport
Bulwer is accessible from Brisbane on the mainland via the Micat Barge service. It is one of the main access points for visitors to the island, 98% of which is in the Moreton Island National Park.
Facilities
Facilities at Bulwer include a helipad and first aid station as well as holiday accommodation, a general store and public phone.
