Pine - Post-War Changes – By Leith Barter

After World War 2, the Shire briefly resumed its rural character. The supply of electricity to households, which had commenced in the 1930s, had been provided to most areas of the Shire by 1952.
The Australian Paper Manufacturers (APM) Petrie Mill, now known as the Amcor Cartonboard Petrie Mill, commenced manufacturing operations in 1957. This stimulated the economy of the area and caused a massive surge of population in Petrie which had remained a small farming town with a hotel, two stores and only a small number of houses.
Construction of the mill was accompanied by the damming of Sideling Creek to create Lake Kurwongbah in 1961. The lake provided a reticulated water supply which further encouraged urban development during the 1960s. PGH Brickworks opened in 1961 using locally obtained supplies of clay. Extractive industry had also been occurring for many years along the floodplains of both the North and South Pine Rivers.
Urban Growth
During the 1960s, the rural nature of the Shire began to change rapidly as sustained residential development commenced. The changing character of the area was particularly evident along Gympie Road where a ribbon of scattered houses and assorted businesses evolved into the Shires major business district, and in the Hills District (Ferny Hills, Arana Hills and Everton Hills), where the first suburban lots had been sold in the late 1950s. Around 1960, the first residential subdivision also took place in the Albany Creek area.
By the early 1970s, the Shire's population had exceeded 25,000 and the main industrial area at Brendale had been established. Further rapid residential development accelerated during the 1970s.
During this period, the North Pine Dam was also built to supply water to the City of Brisbane and the Shires of Pine Rivers, Redcliffe and Caboolture. The water body created by the Dam, which was opened in 1976, was named Lake Samsonvale in recognition of the historic property, a substantial part of which is now inundated.
The urban expansion of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s (from a population of only 8,760 at the 1961 Census, climbing to 13,309 in 1966, 26,187 in 1971, 45,192 in 1976 and 62,575 in 1981) dramatically changed the economic character of the Shire; the rural economy diminished in relative importance as the region became a dormitory suburban area for a workforce employed predominantly in Brisbane.
With the expansion of industrial and commercial development at Brendale, Strathpine and Lawnton, however, opportunities for local employment increased and the Shire's economic base became more diversified. Retailing expanded rapidly in the area, culminating in the development of the Westfield Strathpine shopping centre which was opened in 1983.
Step Back in Time
In order to discover our origins and learn more about our pioneering past, visit Old Petrie Town in the North Pine Country Park, situated on Dayboro Road, Kurwongbah, via Petrie, which is the home of many of the Shire's historic buildings and the site of many community activities.
Visit the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum, also in the North Pine Country Park, to discover more about the heritage of the Shire and to enjoy a constantly changing range of travelling displays.
The information on these pages is regularly updated by the Local Studies Librarian, Pine Rivers Shire Library Service.

Contact leith.barter@pinerivers.qld.gov.au