Tag Archives: nickel refinery

Saunders Beach: Bird Smuggling Destination

29 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by in BIRD LIFE, LOCAL HISTORY, SAUNDERS BEACH

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Tuesday the 25th February 1964 was two nights before a new moon. At 8pm on that day darkness had closed around Saunders Beach. The Melisande, a sleek, steam-driven clipper, glided to a stop in shallow water about one kilometre from the beach. She was answering a beach bonfire.

Image 1. The Melisande was once owned by the King and Queen of Belgium. She had two engines each capable of 15 knots and allegedly sunk in Hong Kong Harbour in typhoon.

Image 1. The Melisande was once owned by the King and Queen of Belgium. She had two engines each capable of 15 knots and allegedly sunk in Hong Kong Harbour in typhoon.

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New Year’s Eve 1891

31 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in LOCAL HISTORY, SAUNDERS BEACH

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The first Europeans to settle on what is now Saunders Beach were the Saunders family. They spent New Year’s Eve 1891 hosting a party for about thirty guests at their residence Springfield, north of the Black River.

The guests danced and sang and an enjoyable night passed too quickly, reports The North Queensland Herald of 6 January 1892 (available on microfilm at James Cook University).

On New Year’s Day “a riding party proceeded to a fine beach…where a pleasant picnic took place”. Afterwards some members of the party relaxed under the spreading trees while the more energetic rode races or walked along the beach. That night there was more dancing until the party-goers were exhausted.

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