Mount Cotton, Queensland


Mount Cotton is a locality in the City of Redland, Queensland, Australia. The area was settled by Germans in the late 1860s. In the 20th century, poultry farms were established and in recent years the number of residential sub-developments has expanded.

History

Mount Cotton is named after the mountain that is in the area. It was named by Robert Dixon, a surveyor in the colony of Queensland. He named it after the commandant of the Moreton Bay penal settlement, Major Sydney Cotton. In 1933, the first chicken farm in the area was established. Until the Shire of Tingalpa was abolished in 1949, Mount Cotton hosted its council chambers.
Sirromet Wines winery on Mount Cotton Road opened in 2000. The vineyards are located on the Granite Belt where the climate is more suitable for grape growing.

Geography

Mount Cotton is a koala conservation area. In the west, the Venman Bushland National Park preserves a section of bushland along Tingalpa Creek.
To the east, a wildlife corridor goes from the mountain towards Eprapah scout environmental site and Victoria Point, along Eprapah Creek.

Poultry

Several poultry farms are located in Mount Cotton. A Hillview Road chicken farm is developing a biomass power plant which is expected to provide renewable energy to the electrical grid. The project has faced opposition from local residents and delays as the plant was re-designed to encompass improvements in technology. Developers Cleveland Power claim the power plant will be able to supply electricity to 7500 homes annually.

Demographics

In the, Mount Cotton recorded a population of 4,804 people, 50.8% female and 49.2% male. The median age of the Mount Cotton population was 32 years, 5 years below the national median of 37. 76.8% of people living in Mount Cotton were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 7.8%, New Zealand 4.1%, South Africa 2.4%, Scotland 0.7%, Ireland 0.5%. 93.7% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 0.7% Afrikaans, 0.3% German, 0.3% Dutch, 0.2% Portuguese, 0.2% Japanese.

Amenities

The Redland City Council operates a mobile library service which visits the Mount Cotton Community Park at Bohemia Court.