Bulwer Island facts for kids
Bulwer Island from Fort Lytton
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Northern Australia |
| Coordinates | 27°24′30″S 153°08′25″E / 27.40833°S 153.14028°E |
| Area | 1.2 km2 (0.46 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| State | Queensland |
| City | Pinkenba |
Bulwer Island is a 120 hectares (1.2 km2) reclaimed tidal mangrove island at the mouth of the Brisbane River in the suburb of Pinkenba, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is named for Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton, the British Colonial Secretary who separated Queensland from New South Wales in 1859 and made Sir George Bowen its first Governor.
Bulwer Island Refinery
In May 1961 a TAA DC-4 airliner crashed onto Bulwer Island during landing at Brisbane Airport. The pilot had suffered cardiac arrest and slumped over the control column preventing the co-pilot from regaining control before the plane dived into the mud of the island.
Much of it is now occupied with BP Australia’s Bulwer Island Refinery, the largest in Queensland. Reclamation and refinery construction took place during 1963-65, with the reclamation greatly expanding the original island and joining it to the north bank of the river.
On 2 April 2014, BP announced that this refinery would be closed mid-2015, its jetty and terminal will remain operational. The decision was made due to increasing Asian competition and a strong Australian dollar.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse, known as Bulwer Island Light, stood on the island between 1912 and 1983, as part of a pair of leading light. In 1983 it was replaced by a skeletal tower and relocated to the Queensland Maritime Museum in Brisbane.
