Gladstone, Queensland
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| Gladstone Queensland |
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 Location of Gladstone in Queensland (red) |
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| Population: | 29,288 (2006 est.) | ||||||
| Area: | 147 km² (56.8 sq mi) | ||||||
| Time zone: | AEST (No Daylight Saving) (UTC+10) | ||||||
| Location: | 532 km (331 mi) from Brisbane | ||||||
| LGA: | Gladstone Regional Council | ||||||
| State District: | Gladstone | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Flynn | ||||||
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Gladstone is an industrial port city located on the coast of Queensland, Australia. The city's population stands at 29,288 (2006 estimate), of whom 3.5 percent are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin, with the remainder being of primarily European descent. In addition, there is/was a significant American population that resided in Gladstone who were associated with designing and coordination of several industrial plants in the area.[citation needed] Being a port city, its local commerce is primarily industrial-based and include large-scale industrial plants include alumina refineries, aluminium smelting, heavy chemicals and shale oil. The Port of Gladstone is the largest multi purpose port in Queensland.
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[edit] History
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Prior to European settlement, the Gladstone region was home of the Baiali (or Byellee) and Goreng goreng Aboriginal tribes.
In May 1770, the HM Bark Endeavour, under the command of James Cook, sailed by the entrance to Gladstone Harbour under the cover of darkness. Matthew Flinders, during his 1801-1803 circumnavigation of Australia, became the first recorded European to sight the harbour in August 1802. He named the harbour Port Curtis, after Admiral Roger Curtis, a man who was of assistance to Flinders years earlier at the Cape of Good Hope. John Oxley conducted further exploration of the harbour and surrounding countryside in November 1823. Oxley was dismissive of the region, noting the harbour was difficult to enter, the countryside was too dry, and the timber useless for construction purposes.
Nevertheless, a colony was eventually established at Port Curtis. Colonel George Barney's expedition was eventful. On January 25, 1847, the Lord Auckland, carrying 87 soldiers and convicts, arrived off the southern entrance of Port Curtis and promptly ran aground on shoals off the southern tip of Facing Island. The settlers spent seven weeks on the island before being rescued by the supply ship Thomas Lowry and delivered the intended site of settlement, the region now known as Barney Point.
On January 30 at a proclamation ceremony, Barney was officially sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of the colony of North Australia. [1]. The convict settlement lasted barely two months. A change of government in Britain ordered the withdrawal of Barney and the settlers. However, interest in the region remained. By 1853, Francis MacCabe was surveying the site of a new town on the shores of Port Curtis. Maurice O'Connell was appointed government resident the following year, resulting in an influx of free settlers as land became available throughout the region. In 1863, the town became a Municipality with Richard Hetherington elected Gladstone's first mayor.
The fledgling town was named after the British Statesman William Gladstone.
Development of Gladstone was slow until 1893, when a meatworks was established at Parsons Point. In 1963, Queensland Alumina Limited established its alumina refinery on the site of the old meatworks. Gladstone's port facilities were expanded and the city launched into an era of industrial development and economic prosperity.
[edit] Sister city
In the sister city program, Gladstone is twinned with the Japanese port of Saiki.
[edit] Facilities and attractions
Gladstone has several primary schools (Clinton State School, Kin Kora State School, South State School, West State School, Central State School, St John's College, Star of the Sea, Trinity College and St Stephens Lutheran College(Prep-12)), three high schools (Gladstone State High, Toolooa State High [Christiano-Mexicano goes there] and Chanel College [thats where aidan and hes witty personal messages go!]), and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to award winning CQIT (TAFE) Gladstone Campus. It was once branded "Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef" as it has access to Heron Island, Lady Elliot Island and other islands from the marina and local airstrips.
Gladstone has much to offer both tourists and locals alike such as Gladstone Marina. Gladstone attained the title of "Tidy Town of 2003".[citation needed]
[edit] Parks
Spinnaker Park provides a small netted swimming area, shelters, and barbecues, and some great walking paths. At certain times of the day you may spot the pods of dolphins which frequent the harbour. From Auckland Point lookout one can view the harbour and get a look at the workings of a major wharf.
Barney Point provides barbecues, shelters and walking areas and a local park. Lake Callemondah is a very quiet, has several walking paths around the lake and a few nice spots to stop, relax, and watch the birdlife.
Established in 1988, the Tondoon Botanic Gardens specialises in Australian native plants, particularly those of Central Queensland.
[edit] Boyne Island
Boyne Island and Tannum Sands have grown in popularity because of their beautiful beaches and relaxed lifestyle. The Millennium Esplanade is a big attraction where there are lots of shelters, barbecues and walking paths, and long stretches of beach.
[edit] Lake Awoonga
A little further afield (25km south of Gladstone) is Lake Awoonga. The recreation area has free barbecues, swimming, landscaped walking trails, as well as a cafe and caravan park. The lake has been stocked with several fish species since 1996, and over 2 million barramundi have been released. In addition to the fishing, Lake Awoonga has many natural attractions, especially the wildlife, with 200 species of birds (or 25% of Australia's bird species) found in the region. Lake Awoonga is also the primary source of Gladstone's water supply.
[edit] Shopping
Gladstone has a number of shopping precincts: Stockland Gladstone (formerly the Kin Kora Mall, featuring a number of major national retailers); Centro Gladstone and Centro Gladstone Home (the first Home centre constructed by Centro); and Gladstone Central. There are also many smaller retailers located along Goondoon Street, the main street of town situated in the CBD.
[edit] Transport
Peak hour traffic along the Dawson highway (the main thoroughfare into the city centre for residents living in the outer suburbs of Clinton and New Auckland) can be a headache for commuters with waits of up to 20 mins at times. Gladstone City Council has finished construction of a four-lane section of road, which was previously only two lanes (between the Chapman Drive roundabout and the Penda Avenue roundabout). A ring road system is being constructed, with Kirkwood road project and the callemondah overpass, being completed.
It is also a major stop on the North Coast railway line, with many long-distance passenger trains operated by QR Traveltrain stopping in the area. Freight trains also pass through the region.
[edit] Airport
Gladstone is serviced by the Gladstone Airport with daily flights to the state's capital city Brisbane and other locations around the state. A train station is serviced by the famous QR Tilt Train and other state trains.
[edit] Suburbs
The following is a list of Gladstone suburbs recognised by the Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia.
- Gladstone City
- Barney Point (site of first settlement)
- Byellee
- Callemondah (primarily industrial)
- Clinton
- Glen Eden
- Kin Kora (site of main shopping centre)
- Kirkwood
- New Auckland
- South Gladstone
- Sun Valley
- Telina
- Toolooa
- Watson (primarily light industrial)
- West Gladstone
[edit] Persons of note from Gladstone
- Paul Bishop, (1966 - ), actor, best known for his role in Blue Heelers
- Kimberley Busteed, Miss Universe Australia 2007[2].
- Shannon Long (1969 - ), model
- Chris Luder, (born May 17, 1979), a final 13 contestant from the 2005 Australian Idol Series.
- PJ Marsh, (Born February 19, 1980), rugby league player
- Tony Martin, (Born October 7, 1978), rugby league player,
- Frederick Woolnough Paterson, (1897-1977), Australian politician
[edit] See also
- Kroombit Tops National Park
- Beautiful Betsy
- The Boyne Valley
- Monto
- Calliope, Queensland
- Ubobo, Queensland
- Nagoorin, Queensland
- Builyan, Queensland
- Many Peaks, Queensland
[edit] References
- ^ Early History of Port Curtis
- ^ Carne, Lucy. "Sad beauty conquers universe", The Courier-Mail, April 22, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-22.
[edit] External links
- Gladstone, Queensland is at coordinates Coordinates:
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