History
The Logan region was originally inhabited by Aborigines from two major language groups; the Yugambeh and the Jaggera. Their first contact with the Europeans occurred when the Commandant of the Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, Captain Patrick Logan. Patrick Logan was a compulsive explorer and in 1826 on his first expedition he discovered the Logan River. Patrick Logan noted the river was well suited to large-vessel traffic and was a first-class avenue to access the high-quality arable land along its banks. He named the country Darling, in honour of the Governor. The Governor renamed the river after Logan in recognition of Logan's enthusiasm and efficiency.
The penal settlement based in Brisbane was closed in 1841 and the land was quickly taken up by squatters. The first leases of land in the Logan area were issued from 1849 and immigration was encouraged following the separation from NSW in 1859. The declaration of the Logan and Eight Mile Plains Agricultural Reserves in 1862 led to extensive settlement of the area.
Cotton was the first commercial crop grown in the region. While this crop was marginally successful, between 1866 and 1847, sugar was soon to become the staple industry.
Numerous sugar mills were built along the river, the earliest of which was Fryar and Strachan's on the Logan River at Loganholme, built in July 1869. The catastrophic flood of 1887 was the end for many Logan River sugar farmers, crops were destroyed and covered with metres of silt. Even through the flood a small but viable sugar industry remains today on the south side of the river, centred on the Rocky Point Mill.
The post-war need for housing sparked the next wave of development of the region. Brisbane City introduced a new town plan in 1965, which required the provision of town water, sewerage, kerbs and channelling to all new subdivisions. This led developers to purchase land in the northern sectors of Albert and Beaudesert Shires, where regulations were more relaxed. Urban development boomed in the Rochedale and Springwood areas from the late 1960s and in Browns Plains from the early 1970s.
The Wild Water Water Slide Park began operations in October 1982. The site was to become the Logan Hyperdome with the first work on the regional shopping centre beginning in October 1988. It was officially opened in July 1989. Construction work on the Logan Hospital started in February 1989.
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