Redland City

Redland City (2008) faces Stradbroke Island across Moreton Bay, east and south-east of Brisbane. It was named after Redland Bay, which has fertile reddish soil which comprises much of the area and some small offshore islands. Local Government began with Tingalpa Division (1879) an area of 149 sq miles, from which Cleveland Divisions (28 sq miles) was excised in 1885.

Redland Shire was created in 1948 by uniting Cleveland Shire and part of Tingalpa Shire on its west. The shire's northern and southern extremities were Wellington Point and the Logan River. Its offshore areas included North Stradbroke Island, Coochiemudlo, Russell, Macleay and Karragarra Islands, which can be reached by boat from Redland Bay.

Early European settlement and development were in the northern part of the shire, which has a railway to Cleveland (1889). The southern part was a source of much of Brisbane's fruit and vegetables for most of the twentieth century. With a population of 7365 in 1954, the shire grew to over 114,000 by 2001. Despite the shire's urbanisation, it has retained a substantial day-tourism industry with its foreshore reserves and boat services to offshore islands. There are several bushland reserves and wetlands, and the areas with the fertile red soil have high scenic landscape qualities. The Shire has a museum in Cleveland. The area is colloquially known as 'Redlands', a term which is widely used in local histories and promotional material.

Redland (formerly Cleveland) Shire's census populations were:

In 2008 Redland Shire was made a City.