Hervey Bay Caravan Parks

Caravans at Pialba Hervey Bay, Queensland  Source:State Library of Queensland Image qhbp00122

Hervey Bay has been a great destination for campers.  A reader remembers going to the bay every Christmas holidays to camp in the family caravan. She enjoyed the freedom and remembers putting her clothes on the night before in anticipation of an early rise next morning to play with cousins and family at the beach. Pialba, Scarness, Torquay and Burrum Heads Caravan parks have been reserves for camping purposes owned by the Department of Natural Resources Mines and Energy and are managed by the Fraser Coast Council as a Trustee. Another camping area at Dayman Point was also available as discussed in the Maryborough Chronicle on the 22nd of August, 1952.

Banana Ridge Kiosk October 1971 to December 1975. Source Fraser Coast Libraries Image Gallery

These were considered hugely popular in 1954 but nothing by today's standards. The Maryborough Chronicle  6th January 1954 states "the number of campers at the various centres between Christmas and New Year were roughly as follows;— Pialba 138, The Pines 30, Scarness 146,Torquay 30, Nielsens camp 31,Urangan 35, Keys's camp 54,Gataker's Bay 15." 

Electricity had been "laid out to the camping reserves at Pialba and Scarness" according to the Maryborough Chronicle 2nd June 1954.

Discussions about whether the reservations were Caravan Parks were taking place as reported in the Maryborough Chronicle on the 4th of August,1954.

Pialba Caravan Park and Kiosk in the background.

Camping fees were often a point of contention:
"An overwhelming majority of members of the Hervey Bay Chamber of Commerce supported a resolution registering a vigorous protest at the action of the Burrum Shire Council in increasing the fees for campers at Hervey Bay from 10/- to £1 a week" Maryborough Chronicle  16th September, 1953.

The fee collector would travel from camp ground to camp ground collecting fees and sometimes would miss campers.

Do you have memories of Hervey Bay camping and caravan parks?

References
Maryborough Chronicle 22nd of August, 1952 retrieved from Trove
Maryborough Chronicle  16th September, 1953 retrieved from Trove
Maryborough Chronicle  6th January 1954 retrieved from Trove
Maryborough Chronicle  4th of August,1954 retrieved from Trove

Tags #Herveybay #camping #caravanparks #localhistory #Daymanpoint #Pialba #Scarness #Torquay #BurrumHeads #Urangan