Tin Can Bay is a coastal town and locality in the Wide Bay–Burnett region in Queensland, Australia. The locality is split between the Fraser Coast Region (the northern part of the locality) and the Gympie Region (southern part of the locality), but the town itself is within Gympie Region. In the, the locality of Tin Can Bay had a population of 2,293 people.

Geography

The locality of Tin Can Bay is bounded on the east by the Great Sandy Strait, which separates mainland Queensland from Fraser Island. The area is a Ramsar Convention wetland of International Importance and an Important Bird Area of Australia. The town is located on a peninsula between Snapper Creek and the Great Sandy Strait.

History

European settlement began in the 1870s as the point where logs would be floated to the timber mills at Maryborough. It later became, and still remains, an important fishing port, with a focus on prawns as well as recreational fishing. The town was originally called Wallu, but was changed to Tin Can Bay in 1937. The origins of "Tin Can" are uncertain, but is believed to be derived from an indigenous name, possibly tinchin meaning mangrove in the Yugarabul dialect of the Yuggera language, or tinken meaning vine with large ribbed leaves from Doombarah Clan, Dulinbara dialect, Kabi language. Wallu State School opened on 1 February 1934 in a school building which had been relocated from the Wolvi area. It was renamed Tin Can Bay State School on 21 April 1937, reflecting the town's name change (although the name Tin Can Bay was in informal use prior to the official name change). The Tin Can Bay Library opened in 1985 and underwent a major refurbishment in 2005. Tin Can Bay was formerly in the Shire of Cooloola until its amalgamation in 2008 into the Gympie Region.

Demographics

In the, the locality of Tin Can Bay had a population of 1,994 people. In the, the locality of Tin Can Bay had a population of 2,242 people. In the, the locality of Tin Can Bay had a population of 2,293 people.

Heritage listings

Tin Can Bay has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Education

Tin Can Bay State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at 2 Schnapper Creek Road (-25.9254°N, 152.995°W). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 271 students with 26 teachers (24 full-time equivalent) and 22 non-teaching staff (15 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. For secondary schooling to Year 12, the nearest government secondary school is Gympie State High School in Gympie to the south-west.

Amenities

The Gympie Regional Council operate a public library at the park on Tin Can Bay Road (-25.9147°N, 153.0058°W). The Tin Can Bay branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 18 Whiting Street. Tin Can Bay Country Club is at 222 Tin Can Bay Road. Cooloola Coast Bowls Club is at 4463 Gympie Road. There are boat ramps in the locality, located at:

Attractions

The seaside town is a popular holiday destination. Recreational facilities include hotels, holiday units and caravan parks, with houseboats and yachts for hire and a marina. Active sports facilities include an 18-hole golf course, two bowls clubs, tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool. An important tourist feature is the regular arrival of wild Australian humpback dolphins which usually appear early mornings next to the Norman Point boat ramp. These dolphins can be hand fed under close supervision. Bird watching is another popular activity as Tin Can Bay is home to a wide variety of birds.

Events

Each September the town hosts the Tin Can Bay Seafood Festival, a day of family fun, with entertainment, novelty competitions such as mullet throwing and prawn eating, helicopter joy flights over the bay, seafood and market stalls. Other events throughout the year include the Bay to Bay Yacht Race, Dragonboat Regatta, Cooloola Coast Flower Show and the Foreshore Family Carnival from Boxing Day to New Year's Eve.