Kooringal consists of a few streets of housing along the south-western tip of Moreton Island. It is connected to the other settlements on the island by two routes:[4]
the Toulkerrie-Kooringal Bypass Road which travels north through the mangroves along the west coast until the sandy western beach commences. At this point the road becomes known as the Tangalooma-Kooringal Road and travels along the western beach until it reaches Tangalooma.[4]
the Mirapool Lagoon Bypass Road which crosses the island to the east coast beach, where it becomes the Mirapool - Middle Track Road and follows the eastern beach to the north
Located just to the north-east of the locality is the Kooringal Airstrip (also known as Baroco) which is 500 metres (1,600 ft) long.[5][6] A vehicular barge service operates from Amity Point to Kooringal at some times of year. Otherwise, vehicles must use the barge to Tangalooma and drive south to Kooringal.[7]
A small island (informally known as Crab Island) is to the north-west of Kooringal and the channel between them is called Days Gutter.[8]
Campbell Point was named after George Peter Campbell (son of James Campbell), the Secretary of the Brisbane Tug and Steamship Company Ltd. In 1902 he acquired a lease for 66 square miles (170 km2) for most of Moreton Island, noting that the island as a whole is approximately 186 square kilometres (72 sq mi). He built a house and stock yard at this headland. In 1903 he began shipping drought-stricken cattle from western Queensland to the island to fatten them up for sale.[9][10][11]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Moreton Island had a population of 297 people.[12]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Kooringal had a population of 45 people.[13]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Kooringal had a population of 43 people.[1]
Economy
The Toulkerrie Oyster Farm produces fresh Moreton Bay rock oysters; it takes around three years to grow the oysters large enough for the table. The farming process is environmentally sustainable and won the 2010 National Landcare Awards for Sustainable Farm Practices.[5][14]
The waters in the Kooringal area are noted for their fishing. Consequently, many of the buildings in Kooringal are holiday homes and fishing clubhouses.[5]
^"East Moreton". The Queenslander. Vol. LXIII, no. 1403. Queensland, Australia. 11 October 1902. p. 840. Retrieved 22 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Cattle on Moreton Island". The Telegraph. No. 9, 472. Queensland, Australia. 31 March 1903. p. 7 (SECOND EDITION). Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.