History of the Cotton Tree Caravan Park - Part 2:  

By the 1910s, the encampment, advertised as 'Nature's Pick Me Up', had extended to two weeks duration. Tents were available for hire, erected for a small fee. Meals were offered in the dining tent and a large marquee was used for gatherings, while a kiosk operated by the Salvation Army sold bread, soft drinks, lollies and fruit. Two other private kiosks were in operation on the site by 1913. Wells were sunk in the sand to source fresh water and Maroochy Shire Council erected a new jetty and bathing sheds in 1912. In 1908, the Queensland government included much of the 1873 reserve within its survey of the Township of Maroochydore (which included Cotton Tree).

The potential loss of public land attracted strong resistance from campers and the Maroochy Shire Council, and land sales did not proceed immediately. A second attempt in 1914 to sell Maroochydore town lots also met with strong public resistance. On Boxing Day 1914, over 500 people voiced their opposition at a public meeting held on the reserve in the Salvation Army marquee.

In early 1915 the new TJ Ryan Labor government announced their intention to proceed with the sales. While objections were lodged with the Lands Department and protestors criticised the 'bartering of people's heritage for money', the government proceeded with auctioning the allotments under perpetual lease from December 1915. Seventeen remaining acres of the original reserve was re-gazetted for Camping and Recreation in September 1916. This north-easterly portion of the reserve was not submitted for sale because it was considered tidal.

Following the land sales, the number of seasonal campers on the reserve appears to have declined, until 1926, when more 'canvas houses' than in previous years were noted. The Salvation Army's involvement with the site decreased, replaced by a Methodist mission over summer 1919/20. The last reported Salvation Army encampment took place in 1929, with 100 tents on the reserve. The Maroochy Shire Council's involvement in managing the Cotton Tree reserve gradually increased during the interwar period. A new jetty was constructed in 1923 and new bathing sheds were constructed in 1929.

Sanitation was an important concern for the increasing number of visitors to the site, with Health Inspector's ensuring the wells and cabinets at Cotton Tree were cleaned before holidays. Under its Seaside Improvement Scheme, the council improved access to the reserve during 1940, with camping fees introduced by this time. New camping areas were also established on the beachfront extending south to Mooloolaba. In 1941, the reserve was re-gazetted, with Maroochy Shire Council as trustee. During the interwar period, coastal resorts to the south and north of Brisbane (today's Gold and Sunshine Coasts) became more reliant on the provision of adequate roads and bridges to attract and deliver the growing amount of motor-driven tourists.

The earliest versions of caravans were more like motorhomes; cars with bodies modified by their owners to include a rear compartment for sleeping and storage. Australian manufacturers of towed caravans had appeared by the late 1920s, some moving into the industry from building car bodies. Self-built caravans were also popular, with manuals published on their construction and fittings.

By 1937, Australian enthusiasts had their own journal and motoring supplements in newspapers were devoting column space to caravans. Caravans were reported alongside tents at Maroochy seaside camping grounds by the end of 1937, with the region's earliest private caravan accommodation, Tooway Park near Caloundra, under construction in the same period. By 1939, 169 caravans were registered in Queensland. For the affluent motor tourist who holidayed at seaside camping grounds, caravans offered freedom and flexibility, without sacrificing comfort.

As a 'home away from home', fitted with modern conveniences, caravans were markedly different from the simplicity of camping under a canvas tent. They were an alternative to local hotels and guesthouses, which were in high demand during peak seasons and offered varying levels of quality. Camping numbers at Cotton Tree steadily increased during the late 1930s, and continued to do so following the end of World War II.