The suburb of Deception Bay takes its name from a small bay in the west of Moreton Bay, south of Pumicestone Passage and north of the Redcliffe Peninsula. In the north of the bay at Beachmere is where the Caboolture River and Burpengary Creekmeet the ocean. It was named in 1823 by Lt John Oxley, who thought the bay was a river and because of his mistake and the shallowness, named it Pumice Stone River; he later changed the name to Deception Bay. The name Deception Bay is often abbreviated to D-Bay. The suburb acquired a negative reputation due to crime and high unemployment during the 1980s and 1990s as it was populated with one of the most concentrated social housing in Queensland by the government of the day. However, community problems subsided after 2001 due to development and population growth in the area. Despite this, some residents would still prefer to see the name changed to avoid any negative perceptions.
In the, Deception Bay recorded a population of 19,672 people, 51.1% female and 48.9% male. The median age of the Deception Bay population was 34 years, 3 years below the national median of 37. 73.6% of people living in Deception Bay were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were New Zealand 6.7%, England 4.2%, Philippines 1%, Samoa 1% and Scotland 0.4%. 86.3% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 2.1% Samoan, 0.3% Tagalog, 0.3% Filipino, 0.3% Hindi and 0.2% Mandarin.
Settlement
The area was once large parcels of land supporting dairying and farming and, while some large blocks remain today, most have been subdivided to provide housing for a growing community. In the past few years, the beachfront area has received a major re-design, under the urban renewal programme of the Queensland Government. The suburb also contains a new development area, North Rise. Bayswater Resort is a resort located in the Moreton Downs Estate. Neighbouring suburbs include Rothwell, Narangba and North Lakes. A notable resident of Deception Bay was Dr Joseph Bancroft, a pioneer in experimenting in native plants for their health properties and, through his meatworks, in the preservation of meat, fish and vegetables. His son, Thomas, carried on the tradition with some work in cultivatingcotton and castor oil. A rough-hewn pyramidal block of granite stands today on the foreshore highlighting the achievements of these two doctors, and the streets around Dr Bancroft's home, Joseph Street and Bancroft Terrace, are named in his honour. On 15 March 2008, Deception Bay became a suburb of a new super council, Moreton Bay Region. Deception Bay divided into two divisions, with the area of the suburb falling north of Deception Bay Road becoming a part of Division 2.
Heritage listings
Deception Bay has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Deception Bay State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at King Street. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 349 students with 31 teachers and 25 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program. Deception Bay North State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at Old Bay Road. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 455 students with 41 teachers and 32 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program. Moreton Downs State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at Parsons Boulevard. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 641 students with 49 teachers and 30 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program. Christ the King Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary school for boys and girls at 54 Thompson Street. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 290 students with 20 teachers and 23 non-teaching staff. Deception Bay State High School is a government secondary school for boys and girls at Phillip Parade. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1097 students with 87 teachers and 57 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program. Deception Bay Flexible Learning Centre is a Catholic secondary school for boys and girls at Cnr Grosvenor Terrace & Silver Street. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 133 students with 13 teachers and 12 non-teaching staff. Arethusa College is a private secondary school for boys and girls at 83 Deception Bay Road. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 236 students with 29 teachers and 41 non-teaching staff. The school provides flexible education and vocational training for students who have failed to thrive in mainstream schooling. It also has campuses in Spring Hill and Windsor. Kairos Community College is a private secondary school for boys and girls at 100-166 Maine Terrace. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 53 students with 5 teachers and 5 non-teaching staff.
