The biggest mysteries in Qld revealed

From persistent rumours of a Spanish galleon supposed to have run aground on Straddie hundreds of years ago, to long-lost tunnels under Brisbane and strange craters near Bundaberg, Queensland has many mysteries and myths. SEE THE LIST

Southeast QLD biggest mysteries revealed

From rumours of a 15th century Spanish galleon on Stradbroke Island to long-lost tunnels under Brisbane, a strange red deer population in Oxley and even stranger craters in central Queensland, we take a look at some of our state’s great mysteries, myths and legends.

Some are very credible, others stretch the imagination, but you can bet many people have theories on what the true story is.

INSKIP POINT SINKHOLE

The new sinkhole at Inskip Point

On September 26, 2015, a giant hole opened up and swallowed a chunk of beach at Inskip Point.

Astounded campers watched helplessly as cars and a camper van were slowly pulled into the ocean.

An estimated 200m-long, 100m-wide stretch sank into the water to a depth of more than 10m, with trees still visible just under the surface.

Experts believe it might have been caused by a submarine landslide, but no one really knows. The bizarre site still draws tourist to see “the bite’’ for themselves.

TUNNELS UNDER BRISBANE

Air raid shelters being dug at Wooloowin. Picture: The Courier-Mail Photo Archive

The well known urban legend of a labyrinth of tunnels under Brisbane may not be as fanciful as one may think.

During WWII bunkers, air raid shelters and tunnels were dug across the city as Brisbane began preparing for a Japanese invasion.

These wartime developments soon become the stuff of folklore.

During the redevelopment of the Howard Smith Wharves in 2018, two WWII bunkers were discovered beneath the Story Bridge.

The University of Queensland’s St Lucia Campus now uses war-era tunnels as service ducts and for drainage, while the Powerhouse in New Farm has a WWII bunker.

STRADBROKE ISLAND GALLEON

The legend of a 15th century Spanish or Portuguese shipwreck off the coast of Stradbroke Island may never be solved. Photo: Supplied

The mystery of the Stradbroke Island galleon is one that never seems to go away.

Some say a reputed 15th century Spanish or Portuguese shipwreck off the coast of Stradbroke Island is mere talk, others say it is a possibility.

Reports have surfaced over the years about artefacts being found scattered across the island, including a 1597 silver Spanish coin.

Dutch merchant traders occasionally were known to get blown far off course from the East Indies (Indonesia), ending up in Australia, several hundred years ago.

Macassan (Indonesian) trading vessels were known to have interacted with indigenous Queenslanders for hundreds of years.

Who knows, this one might even be true.

OXLEY WILD RED DEER

Wild red Deer. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Red deer (Rusa) are now fairly common in Brisbane’s inner west and even as close to the CBD as Oxley — not to mention the occasional fox seen in inner suburbs such as Kedron.

Red deer were originally released near Esk, northwest of Brisbane, but can now be found around the city’s fringes.

While very beautiful they are an invasive species which cause a lot of damage to vegetation and Brisbane City Council has a culling program which removes up to 120 a year.

They can also be a serious traffic hazard and have caused at least one accident involving a motorcyclist in the westside.

GIN GIN CRATERS

The Mystery Craters, located halfway between Bundaberg and Gin Gin. Photo: Supplied

Located halfway between Bundaberg and Gin Gin, mystery craters have sparked the imagination of many a visitor to the area.

Discovered only in the early 1970s, they are believed to have been formed about 25 million years ago.

It is not yet fully understood what the origin of the 35 crater shaped holes might be.

The site is so mysterious it even made an appearance on TV show Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. One explanation suggested by a scientist was that the craters were in fact sinkholes caused by the collapse of the earth beneath.

HIDDEN WEAPONS

VE Day celebrations in Brisbane in 1945. Photo: Courier Mail Photo Archives

UXOs (unexploded ordnance, not little green men in UFOs) occasionally turn up across Brisbane, but some believe there are still caches of weapons lying buried around Brisbane and other parts of Queensland that have been forgotten since WWII.

At the end of the war, many unused or unwanted weapons and machinery were scrapped, stockpiled or buried as it was simply too expensive to ship them back to the United States or even interstate.

A WWII munitions dump was found in Nundah during construction work next to a motorway, one of the more recent examples to show this practice was common.

Originally published as The biggest mysteries in Qld revealed