Cotton Tree, Queensland

Cotton Tree is a neighbourhood within the suburb of Maroochydore in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.GeographyAlthough not officially bounded, Cotton Tree is generally recognised as being bounded by the Maroochy River and Cornmeal Creek to the north, and to the south and west by Aerodrome Road and by the Pacific Ocean to the east.EtymologyThe area takes its name from the Hibiscus tiliaceus plant which is also known as Coastal Cotton tree or Cottonwood. Plenty of these are still visible near caravan park and the old creek near Fourth Avenue.HistoryThe first European 'holiday maker' to arrive was convict John Graham in 1827 who escaped from Moreton Bay and spent six years living with local aborigines belonging to the Gubbi Gubbi language group.The whole (Maroochy Shire) area was protected by the Bunya proclamation 1842-1860. This was established after Andrew Petrie explored the area in 1838 and named the Maroochy River using the language of Brisbane aboriginals who accompanied him.Timber getters arrived in the 1850s but the Maroochy River bar wasn't navigable so Mooloolah River bar was used instead with Cotton Tree used as a timber depot in 1856 by William Pettigrew and purchased 1864. He ran steamer ships in both rivers and to Brisbane and thus opened a post office receiving office in 1891 as the first shop in Cotton Tree. The headland at Alexandra Headland was used as a bullock paddock and for his own home which was also part of his 330-acre landholding.