From Oysters to Auctions: The Long Story of Ningi’s Land

Long before the roads were cut and paddocks fenced, the Ningi Ningi people lived across the Redcliffe peninsula and along the Pumicestone Passage. Archaeological traces remain in the form of bora rings and shell middens, the latter filled with oyster shells that show how central shellfish were to their diet. For thousands of years, the people hunted, fished, and foraged here, constructing bark huts and fishing nets admired even by early surveyors for their skill.

When Matthew Flinders landed at Woody Point in 1799, he found nets, a canoe, and a dwelling but no people, leaving a hatchet in exchange for the net he took. The brief notes he left mark the beginning of change that would unsettle an ancient way of life. The word “Ningi” is commonly linked to oysters, tying the area to Toorbul Point and the shellfish beds of the Passage.

The Block Today

At 1179–1219 Bribie Island Road, Ningi, a large parcel of 19.81 hectares stretches flat against the bitumen. With approximately 409.7 metres of road frontage, it presents as open ground, yet it sits in the middle of a landscape constantly redefined by water.

Across the road, the Ningi retail strip brings daily convenience with its supermarket and takeaway shops. Within ten minutes, Sandstone Point and Bribie Island are reached, while the Bruce Highway lies to the west. The block is framed as tightly held and a blank canvas, carrying the sense of possibility that comes when location and size align.

That is why the parcel is now being prepared for auction on Friday, 19 September 2025, at 10:00 am, with offers welcomed beforehand.

Water as a Quiet Author

This corridor has long been shaped by water. In 2019, the City of Moreton Bay (then Moreton Bay Regional Council) acquired nearby 1077 Bribie Island Road to create a dredged material management facility, noting the old aquaculture ponds already there. 

Further back, the Sandstone Lakes estate was built around an artificial lake, continuing a theme of planning that uses water as both a feature and a foundation. Even the conservation areas close by, such as Ningi Creek Conservation Park, confirm that the wetlands remain a living presence. This block is part of that story: paddocks giving way to ponds, and ponds paving the way for suburbia.

Community Voices

Locals who know the land well describe it as muddy and full of mangroves. Some worry about more cars feeding into the already congested Bribie Island Road. Others argue it should be preserved as green space, calling on Council to keep the mangroves and wetlands intact.

While opinions differ, a shared theme emerges: this is not just another piece of land, but a site bound up in ecological and community value. The debate captures the tension between growth and preservation that runs through the whole district.

Its location opposite established shops and within easy reach of Bribie Island suggests commercial or lifestyle potential. At the same time, its wetlands and cultural history ask for careful thought about what should come next. 

This is a block that stands at a crossroads—between its long past, its environmental present and the growth that continues to move along Bribie Island Road.

The land will be offered at auction on Friday, 19 September 2025, at 10:00 am by Precinct Realtors, with offers welcomed beforehand.