Have you ever heard of Godwin Beach? Have you been there? If you visit Bribie Island, on your return journey take the turn off to Sandstone Point at the first set of traffic lights as you come off the bridge heading towards Caboolture.
Along Bestman Road, you will see (it is not easy to find it) is a sign pointing to your left to Godwin Beach. It is a tiny settlement with an interesting history.
On the foreshore is the following cairn erected to honour Charles Godwin. The weathered plaque reads
"CHARLES GODWIN
BORN 1856
EMIGRATED TO QUEENSLAND FROM WILTSHIRE, ENGLAND.
HE ARRIVED IN BRISBANE IN 1883 ABOARD THE S.S. ROWILLA.
IN 1886 HE SETTLED IN THIS AREA NOW KNOWN AS GODWIN BEACH AND PIONEERED THE LOCAL FISH CANNING INDUSTRY.
CHARLES DROWNED IN PUMICESTONE PASSAGE IN 1910.
HE WAS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE MARY ANN, CHILDREN EVELYN ANN AND GEORGE AND THEIR DESCENDANTS."
The following information is from the website Mangrove Meanderings which has a wonderful collection of photos and poetry.
"Godwin Beach was named after Charles Godwin who started the Toorbul Fish Company, in the 1890’s. It was the first fish cannery established on Bribie Island. In 1907 he sold the business to Lionel Boyd Landsborough son of the explorer William Landsborough. In 1910 while salvaging cargo from the shipwrecked “Eastern” Godwin was knocked unconscious by a boom on his boat “Victory,” he fell overboard and drowned in the Pumicestone Passage."
There are picnic, BBQ facilities and I am sure Godwin Beach would be a magnet for photographers, just like Beachmere is.
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