The Lytton Quarantine Station was established in 1913-1914, to accommodate newly arrived immigrants and persons considered to be at risk of causing infection to the general population.
Situated in an isolated location at the mouth of the Brisbane River, Lytton Quarantine Station illustrates early 20th century attitudes to quarantine practices and the provision of quarantine facilities. It is important as part of a continuum of sites in and adjacent to Moreton Bay, used for quarantine purposes from 1844.
Construction of the Lytton Quarantine Station was undertaken by the Queensland Department of Works, financed by a Commonwealth loan, and approved by the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs. It is possible that some of the buildings associated with the isolation hospital established at Colmslie in the early 1900s were relocated to the Lytton Quarantine Reserve.
The Lytton facility functioned as a human quarantine station until the early 1980s, by which time the decision had been made to phase out human quarantine services.
The Reception Building, Bath House, Boiler Room and Disinfection Block (which houses one of the two massive autoclaves that operated from 1915) will be open to the public.
What's Open
Reception building, bath house, disinfection block, boiler room, laundry and dining hall.
Tour Tips
Comfortable shoes - no heels // Limited wheelchair access
Additional Activities
Cannon firing at 11am, 1pm and 2pm - arrive early to get a good vantage point // Refreshments available