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Redcliffe is a historic bayside peninsula suburb in the City of Moreton Bay, reported as Queensland’s first European settlement site and now known as a beachside community with a notably older population than many nearby suburbs. For buyers and renters weighing up Redcliffe, its combination of esplanade lifestyle, an established housing stock and genuine bayside flood exposure make it worth understanding in some detail before deciding. This guide covers population and housing, transport, schools, health, shopping, parks, planning and, in particular, the storm-tide and flood considerations that are more material here than in many other suburbs.
Population and Housing
Redcliffe recorded a population of 10,434 at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 52, notably higher than typical for South East Queensland suburbs. Housing is a mix of older, established low-rise dwellings typical of a long settled peninsula and beachside suburb, alongside some newer apartment development closer to the esplanade.
Transport
Redcliffe itself has no train station. The Redcliffe Peninsula rail line, opened in 2016, terminates at Kippa-Ring, an adjacent suburb, and is reached from Redcliffe by bus. Anyone relying on rail as a daily commute option should factor in this bus to train connection rather than assuming direct rail access from within Redcliffe.
Schools
Redcliffe State High School, established in 1958 as the first public high school on the peninsula, and Clontarf Beach State High School nearby, are the main government secondary options. Southern Cross Catholic College operates a primary campus at Woody Point, adjacent to Redcliffe, as one of four campuses across the peninsula. As with any suburb, always confirm the current catchment for a specific address using the Queensland Government’s EdMap tool (qgso.qld.gov.au/maps/edmap), and remember that being within a catchment never guarantees a place.
Health
Redcliffe Hospital is a public Metro North Health facility with around 250 beds, including the Moreton Bay Integrated Care Centre, and is a genuine major asset for the suburb and surrounding peninsula.
Shopping and Everyday Life
There is no major regional shopping centre within Redcliffe itself. Kippa-Ring Shopping Centre is nearby, but Redcliffe’s own city centre retail strip serves the suburb directly with day to day shopping and dining.
Parks and Local Life
The Redcliffe Jetty and Esplanade foreshore parkland is the suburb’s flagship public space and a defining part of its beachside identity. Bee Gees Way, an esplanade multimedia tribute walkway marking the group’s connection to Redcliffe, is a distinctive local landmark. Redcliffe Public Library on Oxley Avenue rounds out the suburb’s everyday amenities.
Planning and Development
Redcliffe is covered by the City of Moreton Bay Planning Scheme’s Redcliffe-Kippa-Ring local plan. More specifically, storm-tide and coastal hazard overlays, gazetted in 2015, apply to low-lying parts of the peninsula, and Council maintains a Regional Flood Database and storm-tide hazard study because of the suburb’s exposed bayside position. This is a genuinely more specific and material consideration than a general overland-flow note in many other suburbs, and it is well worth an exact address check for any esplanade adjacent or low-lying property in Redcliffe.
Flood and Property Due Diligence
No suburb-wide flood or storm-tide verdict should be assumed. For any specific address, use the City of Moreton Bay’s official flood-mapping tools, which can identify whether storm-tide or coastal hazard overlays apply to that particular property.
Nearby Suburbs Worth Comparing
Buyers assessing Redcliffe often also look at Kippa-Ring, Woody Point, Clontarf and Scarborough, each offering a slightly different mix of rail access, esplanade proximity and housing stock along the same peninsula.
Useful Narevella Reading
- Compare Suburbs, to see how Redcliffe stacks up against other suburbs on the metrics that matter to you.
- Find Property For Me, if you would like help researching a specific property or address.
- Queensland Property Research Checklist, for a broader checklist to work through before buying anywhere in Queensland.
- Moving to Moreton Bay: What to Research Before Choosing an Area, for wider context on choosing an area within the region.
- Moreton Bay Area Guide, for wider context on the City of Moreton Bay.
This guide is general research information only, based on publicly available sources at the time of writing, and is not financial or legal advice. Property decisions should be based on your own due diligence, including address specific checks with the City of Moreton Bay and Queensland Government tools, and independent professional advice where appropriate.
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