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Suburb Insights/27 May 2026

Living in Scarborough: Red Cliffs and Boating

Named for the red cliffs that line its foreshore, Scarborough is the boating capital of the Redcliffe Peninsula — with the Scarborough Marina, boat ramp, and protected anchorage. The Scarborough Beach park is a family favourite.

Beverley Gibbons
Beverley Gibbons
Brisbane North Real Estate
Scarborough shares its name with the famous Yorkshire seaside town, and the resemblance isn't accidental. When the Redcliffe Peninsula was subdivided in the 1870s, developers sold 'small farm lots' that combined rural ambience with sandy beaches — a combination that didn't exist along the Brisbane River. The Scarborough Hotel opened in 1879 (and failed — the population wasn't there yet). But the red cliffs, the Moreton Bay beaches, and the jetty that later became a boat harbour with a ferry to Moreton Island all set Scarborough apart. Today it's the boating capital of the Redcliffe Peninsula.
Scarborough Beach — red cliffs and Moreton Bay
Present Day

Scarborough Beach, backed by the red cliffs that gave the Redcliffe Peninsula its name. The beach, the boat harbour, and the marina make Scarborough the peninsula's boating and watersports centre.

The red cliffs that line Scarborough's foreshore are the geological feature that gave the entire Redcliffe Peninsula its name — 'Kau-in-Kau-in' to the Ningy Ningy people, 'Redcliffe' to the Europeans who followed. They're a striking natural landmark, formed from ancient sand deposits, visible from across Deception Bay.

Development was slow. The Scarborough Hotel (1879) failed because the speculative land buyers hadn't yet arrived as residents. The Brisbane to Redcliffe passenger steamer service started in 1883, but real growth only came after the Hornibrook Highway opened in 1935, transforming the peninsula from a holiday destination into a commuter suburb. A primary school opened in 1925, a post office in 1935. The 1949 Post Office directory listed the Scarborough Hotel, a grocer, a frock salon, a motor hire service — a proper village.

The Moreton Bay Boat Club was established in 1963. The jetty was converted into a boat harbour, and a vehicular ferry ran to Moreton Island from here until 2008. The canal estate and marina developed in the 1980s were later carved off to form the new suburb of Newport in 2008.

Today, Scarborough has three beaches on Moreton Bay, including the popular Queens Beach and Scarborough Beach, both backed by foreshore reserves. The Scarborough Marina and boat harbour make it the boating capital of the peninsula. Southern Cross Catholic College serves local families. For buyers who want a boat-friendly coastal lifestyle — red cliffs, marina berths, and a genuine beachside community — Scarborough is the real deal at a median around $880K.

Who Should Buy Here?

Scarborough is for buyers who want active coastal living — boat owners, kayakers, fishermen, beach walkers. It's less polished than some of the southern peninsula suburbs, but that's part of its charm. The red cliffs, the working boat harbour, the beachside cafes — Scarborough has character that can't be manufactured.

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