Marine services in Bulimba

Sailing club

Quay Street in Bulimba ends at the river, and at that full stop stands a sailing club the local paper ranks among the oldest in Brisbane. Brisbane Sailing Squadron has occupied Bulimba Point in one form or another since 1921, and its roughly 300 members — spread across Life, Senior, Cadet and Social categories — include numerous families now sailing in their second and third generations. Run by volunteers and pitched squarely at households, the squadron races 16ft skiffs, a class it has fielded without interruption for a century, alongside Lasers, Sabots and RS Quests; it also doubles as the river base for the Brisbane 18 Footers' heritage skiffs and junior arm. Its trophy tradition is substantial: the club's own history credits it with many State and National champions and an Olympian at two Games. The physical heart of the place is the 1953 clubhouse, raised over time to slide boat storage beneath, and crowned since 2003 by a deck that serves both post-race crowds and paying functions. Australian Sailing has profiled the squadron in its Club in Focus series, and the calendar keeps memory close: February's Passed Members Memorial Race honours lost sailors, while March's Tugulawa C