COOCHIEMUDLO Island marked its 216th Matthew Flinders Day on Sunday.
The annual event attracts 700 Coochie residents who band together to commemorate the historic landing of Lieutenant Flinders who arrived in his sloop Norfolk in 1799.
Flinders was searching for a major river in the region to enable his party to head inland and explore the interior of the new continent.
Festivities began at 8am with the Coochie markets on the foreshore adjacent to the jetty. There were 35 market stalls, a variety of entertainers, parade floats and the the reenactment of Flinders' Landing.
The kids had fun with a Pirate Island Theme - a new addition, to the ceremonies which was held at the environmentally focussed “Mudlo” property.
At 9.45am a grand parade of quirky vehicles and even quirkier locals made its way from the recreation reserve down Elizabeth Street to the markets.
The emphasis was on fun as well as history and the crowd walked to the historic Norfolk Beach for a re-enactment of Flinders’ landing and the sextant sighting of the sun at 11.40am.
Naval cadets and Redlands Drum Corp, as well as locals in colonial costume, added colour and excitement to the day.
Matthew Flinders, aka Paul Moynagh, arrived in style in his new costume made by Judy Bissett, wife of Redland City Town Crier Max Bissett.
Cochie councillor Lance Hewlett was also at the ceremony along with hundreds of visitors who braved the chilly conditions to join in the festivities.
The event finished at 2pm with the naval cadets ceremonial lowering of the flag at Foreshore Park.
Coochiemudlo Island, one square mile of natural bush and beach, is an eight-minute ferry ride from Victoria Point.
