Bells Caravan Park Mural Will Put Clontarf’s Stories on the Wall

Clontarf locals are being asked to help shape a new mural at Bells Caravan Park, with their memories and stories set to provide inspiration for the artwork.

City of Moreton Bay has commissioned artist Jennifer Kent to create the mural on the caravan park’s amenities block as part of its Art At Large public art program.

Before the final design is installed, Council is holding a free community workshop with Kent at Redcliffe Library on Friday, 28 August. The 90-minute session, running from 1.30pm to 3pm, will give residents a chance to share stories, memories and connections to Clontarf and Bells Caravan Park.

The workshop is open to all ages and no art experience is required. Council is encouraging people interested in drawing or storytelling, as well as those who simply have something to contribute about the area, to take part.

What those contributions ultimately bring to the mural remains to be seen. Council has not released a final design for the amenities block, making the workshop part of the process rather than a preview of a finished work.

More Than 140 Years of Clontarf

There is no shortage of local history to draw from.

Clontarf was already appearing on maps of the Peninsula during the nineteenth century. Council records show “Clontarf” and “Clontarf North” were among townships listed for sale in 1882, during the land boom that helped establish Redcliffe as a seaside destination.

Getting there was another matter. With the Peninsula still relatively isolated, generations of day-trippers arrived by water. The best-known of the passenger steamers, the Koopa, carried its first passengers to Redcliffe Jetty in 1911 and continued bringing visitors until it was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War.

Clontarf’s role changed dramatically with the opening of the 2.8-kilometre Hornibrook Highway on 4 October 1935. The new crossing connected the Peninsula more directly with Brisbane’s northern suburbs and, according to Council’s historical records, helped drive significant population growth across Redcliffe.

The suburb’s name changed too. Clontarf was commonly known as Clontarf Beach for many years, but following debate within the former Redcliffe City Council, the Queensland Place Names Board approved Clontarf as the official suburb name in 1971.

The foreshore remains central to the suburb’s identity. Council’s own planning work describes Clontarf as the urban entry to the Redcliffe Peninsula coast, sitting between Hays Inlet and the shores of Bramble Bay, with the historic Hornibrook Bridge abutment identified as an important part of its character.

Local Stories Before the Paint

Kent is the lead artist with South-East Queensland-based Manamana Dreaming, a First Nations family group working across art, cultural education and community projects. Her portfolio includes collaborative murals and other projects developed with schools, families and community participants.

For the Bells Caravan Park commission, the first public step is not painting the wall but hearing from the people who know the place.

The workshop will be held at Redcliffe Library, 476 Oxley Avenue, from 1.30pm to 3pm on Friday, 28 August. It is free, although Council is taking bookings, and participants under 18 must attend with a guardian.

Exactly what will eventually appear on the Bells Caravan Park amenities block has not yet been revealed. For Clontarf locals, the next opportunity is to help provide the stories that could shape it.

Updated 7-September-2026