Redlands Research Station

History

The land that would become Redlands Research Station was originally cleared during the 1880s. The government purchased the first 8.5ha in November 1948 to develop a research farm, with further purchases made in 1953 (43.5 ha) and 1958 (14.4 ha).

The station now has a total area of 66.4 ha. Over half the land is uncleared and provides valuable habitat for a range of native wildlife species.

Location and geology

Redlands Research Station is situated at Cleveland, near the shores of Moreton Bay about 30 kilometres from Brisbane, Queensland. Being close to Moreton Bay, elevation is low and ranges from 15 m above sea level on the flats of Hilliards Creek to 37 meters above sea level on the higher areas.

Climate

The climate at Redlands Research Station is generally temperate with a widely dispersed but summer dominant rainfall pattern. Of the annual average rainfall of 1322 mm, two-thirds usually falls between November to April.

Temperatures are mild, with maximum temperatures rarely exceeding 32^oC and minimums rarely dropping below 5^oC. Terrestrial minimum temperatures of -2 or -3^oC are recorded once or twice a year.

Soil types

The soils of Redlands Research Station can be broken into three major groups:

• east of Hilliards Creek, soils are typical krasnozems – coloured brown to dark brown, of clay loam to light-medium clay texture and moderately deep with adequate internal drainage
• west of Hilliards Creek, soils are variable yellow podzolics with a shallow ‘A’ horizon varying in colour from grey to brown, overlying a mottled clay ‘B’ horizon. These soils erode easily and have poor internal drainage
• along the creek flats of Hilliards Creek is an area of silty soloths. These soils are shallow with poor internal drainage.

Irrigation

Trials conducted on the station are assured of access to water. Water is drawn from Hilliards Creek, fed by greywater from Redland City Council. The station also has access to a greywater pipeline owned by the council. Overhead, pop-up and trickle irrigation systems are in use.

Facilities

• Industry services building, home to a number of industry groups and the main administration building
• Science services building, which houses research staff
• Queensland crop development facility, comprising propagation facilities and five glasshouses, three of which are designed for PC2 level plant quarantine
• Research and development nursery complex, with state-of-the-art tunnel house and extensive shade houses
• Large shade houses
• Plastic tunnels for sheltered growth environments
• Fruit fly-proof growing areas
• Machinery sheds
• Engineering workshops
• Turf research laboratory
• World-class tissue culture laboratory and growth rooms
• Greens testing facility
• A living turfgrass library of over 130 demonstration plots of warm season turfgrasses

Further information

• DEEDI Customer Service Centre