The palm tree fringed Settlement Cove swimming lagoon, situated on the Redcliffe foreshore, is open to the public free of charge making this a very appealing option for people with young children wanting to splash or swim.
The swimming lagoon is 95 metres in length with water depth ranging from very shallow up to 1.8 metres. A partly fenced children’s pool with fountains is located next to the lagoon. Settlement Cove’s swimming lagoon and children’s pool contain salt water which is cholorinated.
Settlement Cove’s swimming lagoon has a wet area of about 3,200 m2, almost as large as the 3,600m2 Streets Beach swimming lagoon at South Bank Parklands. The wet areas of both lagoons were assessed with the same method, by Redlands2030 using Google Earth’s polygon ruler.
Moreton Bay Council provides lifeguards at Settlement Cove with hours varying throughout the year. From (November to February) lifeguards patrol from 06:00 AM to 08:00 PM seven days a week. When it’s cooler (March, April, September, and October) lifeguards are still there every day but only from 7:00am to 6:00pm. From May to August, lifeguards patrol only on weekends.
Signs next to the swimming lagoon advise that the area is under CCTV camera surveillance “for the purpose of security, public safety and crime prevention”.
Food and drinks are available from the Settlement Cove Fish n’ Chips food van which operates during busy periods.
Nearby attractions within walking distance include a sandy beach (Suttons Beach), the Redcliffe Jetty (from where Brisbane Whale Watching operates during the whale watching season), and an assortment of eateries and shops on the Redcliffe waterfront.
The free public swimming lagoon at Settlement Cove is very popular, regularly attracting well over 100,000 visits a year according to annual reports published by Moreton Bay Council.
There are some car parks next to the Redcliffe Peninsula Surf Lifesaving Club 200 metres south of Settlement Cove. More car parks are available near Captain Cook Park, about 700 metres north of the lagoon.
Swimming lagoon maintenance and repairs
From time to time the swimming lagoon is closed for maintenance. Major works are typically scheduled for the cooler winter months when fewer people want to go swimming. The lagoon may also be closed during the warmer months to deal with equipment failure. This summer the lagoon was closed on 6 January and reopened on 8 January. Another closure was announced on 11 January. Information about closures and reopening of the swimming lagoon is posted to the City of Moreton Bay Facebook Page.
Development history of the Settlement Cove lagoon
The Settlement Cove swimming lagoon was developed in the early 1990s by Redcliffe City Council. Work began in May 1993 and the lagoon was officially opened a few months later in November 1993. Initially, the lagoon operated with sea water drawn from and returned to Moreton Bay. Upgrades in 1995 included addition of sand filters and salt water chlorinators. The lagoon was totally refurbished in 2003.
When it embarked on the significant capital investment of developing Settlement Cove, Redcliffe had a much smaller population than Redlands. In 1991 Redcliffe City’s population was 47,799 while Redland Shire’s population was 80,690 according to the 1991 Census. In 2008 the City of Redcliffe was amalgamated with Pine Rivers Shire and Caboolture Shire to form Moreton Bay Regional Council. The region was given city status in 2023.
Other free public swimming lagoons in Queensland
Public swimming lagoons in Queensland – South Bank
Useful information about Settlement Cove swimming lagoon
Moreton Bay Council annual reports
