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Suttons Beach Pavilion – A Short History
The story of Suttons Beach began with the purchase of land by the Rev John Sutton, an Anglican clergyman. One of six clergymen brought out to Queensland in 1860 to minister to far flung members of the church. The following year John married Frances Johnson whom he had met on the voyage over and the couple settled at Gladstone. In 1865 he purchased 21 acres on the sea front at Redcliffe and in following years he purchased more land along the sea front. In 1870 the Rev Sutton was appointed rector of St Johns Cathedral in Brisbane in 1870, a post he held until his retirement in 1885. By this time the Sutton family had settled at Redcliffe. Sutton was elected to the Divisional Board and generally interested himself in community affairs, donating 48 perches of land in Sutton Street for a church building and often officiating at church services and weddings. In the 1880s he subdivided his land and offered the blocks for sale. At the same time, in 1884, the Rev. Sutton appointed trustees for a reserve on the water frontage of some of his land at Redcliffe, near MacDonnell Creek.
A few years later more land near the Redcliffe jetty was added to this reserve and in June 1897 the Rev. John Sutton died after a long illness. Following his death, the Reserve was managed by the trustees whose ideas as to improvements to the area quite often differed from those of the council. Ultimately however, Council was able to resume the land and plan improvements
The new two-storey pavilion on Suttons Beach was opened in December 1937. Designed by architect C E Plant, it was built of reinforced concrete with tiled roof by George Day and Sons. The building contained dressing sheds, shower, locker space and a small store for the sale of hot water. The second floor of the building at Suttons beach was taken up by a spacious cafe, accessed via a long concrete stair from Marine Parade. The building was erected at a cost of ₤5500. By the mid-seventies the bathing pavilion on Suttons Beach was in need of some refurbishment. Redcliffe City Council leased the pavilion to the Redcliffe Historical Society for use as a museum between 1975 and 1998, enabling the Redcliffe Historical Society to display their extensive collection of local memorabilia before relocating to the new Redcliffe Museum building some years later.
The pavilion site was leased from council in 2000 by Sam’s Seafood. Styled Sam’s on Suttons, the building now featured an upstairs restaurant, café, fish and chippery and ice creamery. A first class Convention Centre catering for receptions and conferences was constructed adjacent to the pavilion in 2001. On 5 May 2005 it was announced that Sam’s Seafood, one of Australia’s largest seafood suppliers had been placed into receivership. In November 2006 Airport Retail Group leased the property from council after extensive refurbishment and Sails Restaurant and Function Centre opened for business early 2008. The venue catered for beach visitors during the day, providing fine dining in the evening. Four separate function spaces catered for a variety of events as well as weddings. Pilpel By the Sea opened in June 2015. At this time the restaurant served Middle Eastern cuisine with a strong Israeli flavour. In February 2017 the business changed hands again. The change of ownership meant another change of name. Now Suttons Beach Pavilion the building emphasises the Art Deco features and proximity to the sea. Fully licensed it features a Terrace bar, Cafe and Restaurant. In February 2021 council notified the tenant that the lease which expires 28 February 2022 would not be renewed.
After a rigorous review process, including a presentation from the three shortlisted teams, the winning design was unanimously selected by the jury of architectural design experts, which included Queensland Government architect Leah Lang.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery congratulated lahznimmo architects with Plummer & Smith on their design proposal.
“I was impressed when I saw the winning design and what the future holds for this iconic site,” Mayor Flannery said.
“I can see much thought and understanding of this unique place has influenced the design, from the history of the site through to the surrounding landscape and Council is proud to endorse the jury’s selection.
“This project will ensure City of Moreton Bay residents, and visitors alike, have access to a thoughtfully designed multi-purpose building, and refreshed park area, they can enjoy for generations to come.”
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Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.