History of Bellbowrie

Lesley Jenkins recently published a historical snapshot of Bellbowrie as part of the BRISbites community history project.

Bellbowrie means "place of flowering gums" and was originally part of the the Turrbal and/or Jagera aboriginal lands which covered most of the Ipswich area before white settlement. Evidence of aboriginal occupation includes a 22M bora ring at the end of Riversleigh Road in Bellbowrie.

Originally part of Moggill township, the area was home to miners, timber cutters and farmers from about 1849 when the Williams mine was subdivided into 40 hectare farmlets after the coal seam ran out.

Modern Bellbowrie was developed by Booker Industries in the early 70s. They created 2000 building blocks on 265.5 hectares. It was one of the first "planned" communities in the west and was designed as a village with a rural atmosphere. It was officially "opened" on 15 November 1973.

Landmarks in the area include the Moggill Cemetery, which is the burial place of the first white settler in the area. A number of streets also carry the names of local pioneers including Gibson Crescent (T. Gibson), Hallett Close (Joseph and Ann Hallett) and Twine Place (Job and Ann Twine).