TO honour the Birkdale 'goat lady' Isabella Alcock, a designer has included a giant pink goat in his strategy for the Birkdale Community Precinct.
Ms Alcock lived as a squatter on the Old Cleveland Road land for 61 years. She cared for cattle, sheep and dairy cows in large paddocks but was known for the goats that lived near the road.
The designers behind the pink goat idea are Andrew Tomlins and Stephen Pate from Cusp landscape architecture and urban design studio.
The 'goat lady', as she was affectionately known, managed hundreds of acres of the land so it only seems fitting she should be remembered when the community land is developed.
Cr Paul Bishop has researched the history of the property and paid tribute to her in October 2019 when she died at the age of 84.
"Isabella and her mother and their grandmother lived off-grid, as squatters on the left hand side of Old Cleveland Road," he said.
"She lived the life of a horseless jillaroo and she wielded variously sized herds of cattle, sheep, and dairy cows across its immense paddocks but she was known for the goats.
"The goats lived in open pens up by the road, where the women survived in the margins in tin sheds and then a caravan and a hut that they bought from the government."
The earliest history recorded show Traditional Owners lived, traded and camped on the the grounds around Tingalpa Creek. In 1865 the land was registered to the Willard family for farming. The Cotton family then bought the farm 76 years later.
The Cottons farmed their portion of the land for many decades, with the property being sold several times following Rosemary Cotton's death in 1979.
Ms Alcock cared for cattle, sheep and a small herd of goats on the property, which she vigorously defended from trespassers.
Mr Bishop said she could often be seen scaring off tree swing creek swimmers with a blast from her shotgun overhead.
"She was more concerned that her hand crafted crab pots might be harvested by these youth," he said.
Willards Farm was bought by Redland City Council in 2016.
Council is asking residents to help shape the vision for the Birkdale public land by submitting their ideas on what they would like on the 62 hectare property.
To see the designers' ideas and have your say, visit the Birkdale Community Precinct page at yoursay.redland.qld.gov.au. Consultation closes on May 4.
The property will be open for residents to view the area on April 16 and 17.
