Brown Lake

Brown Lake (Bummiera) is a perched freshwater dune lake on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) in Redland City, Queensland. Located near Dunwich within Naree Budjong Djara National Park, it is notable for its tea-tree stained brown water caused by tannins from surrounding melaleuca and tea-tree vegetation. The lake is a popular natural swimming and picnic destination surrounded by eucalypt woodland and heath.

Visitors can expect a shallow, perched freshwater lake with distinctive brown, tea-coloured water surrounded by open eucalypt forest, banksia and tea-tree heath. The lake has a sandy shoreline and a grassy foreshore reserve with picnic area on the western side. Visitors can swim in the calm lake water, picnic, bushwalk on short tracks around the lake, birdwatch and photograph the natural bushland setting. Facilities are basic and the setting is natural and undeveloped.

Brown Lake is a perched lake formed over thousands of years where decomposed vegetation created an impermeable layer allowing rainwater to perch above the regional water table on the sand island. The dune systems of North Stradbroke Island are of significant geomorphological interest as examples of coastal sand island formation.

Brown Lake is known as Bummiera to the Quandamooka People, the Traditional Owners of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). The lake and surrounding Country hold cultural significance and are part of the Quandamooka native title area. Visitors are asked to respect the cultural values of the site.