Maryborough, Queensland
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| Maryborough Queensland |
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 Maryborough City Hall, built in 1908, on Kent Street. |
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| Population: | 21,123 (2001 census) | ||||||
| Elevation: | 11.0 m (36 ft) | ||||||
| Time zone: | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||
| Location: | |||||||
| LGA: | Fraser Coast Regional Council | ||||||
| State District: | Maryborough | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Wide Bay | ||||||
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Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately 300 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 26,000 (2004). It shares a unique bond with its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is approximately 30 km north-east. Together they form part of the area known as the Fraser Coast, one of the country's fastest-growing regions.
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[edit] History
Maryborough was founded in 1847, was proclaimed a municipality in 1861, and became a city in 1905. During the 1800s, the city was a major port of entry to immigrants arriving in Queensland from all parts of the world. Over time the town has been a service town for many industries including gold mining, wool, timber, and sugar.
The Mary River has such a wide mouth that at one stage Maryborough was nominated as possible capital city status before Brisbane.[citation needed]
Mary
The town and river were named in 1847 after Lady Mary Lennox (1790 - 1847) the beloved wife of Sir Charles Augustus Fitzroy, then Governor of the colony of New South Wales. Lady Mary was killed in a coach accident very soon after, devastating Sir Charles.
Pneumonic Plague
Australia's only outbreak of Pneumonic Plague occurred in Maryborough in 1905. At the time Maryborough was Queensland's largest port - a reception centre for wool, meat, timber, and other rural products. A freighter from Hong Kong, where plague was rampant, was in the port of Maryborough about the time that a wharf worker named Richard O'Connell took home some sacking from the wharf, for his children to sleep on. Subsequently, five of the seven O'Connell children, two nurses, and a neighbour died from the disease. Fortunately, there were no more cases but the ensuing fear, panic, and hysteria totally consumed the town, and a huge crowd gathered to witness the family’s house being burnt to the ground by Health officials. A memorial fountain was built in the grounds of the City Hall and dedicated to the nurses.[1]
[edit] Economy & Industry
Tourism plays a significant part in the economy of the city today. Maryborough is the self-styled Heritage City of Queensland and holds heritage markets each Thursday. The city has many preserved 19th and 20th century buildings including the General Post Office and Customs House.
The main industrial company in the city today is EDI Rail, formerly Walkers Limited, a heavy engineering business which has built much of the rolling stock and locomotives for Queensland Rail and in past years was involved in shipbuilding. EDI, together with Bombardier, built and tested Transperth's relatively modern B-Series trains in Maryborough, which were launched in Perth in late 2004.
Maryborough's income also comes from numerous farming and station prospects in and around the city and has a healthy fishing industry. The city also has had traditional ties to the timber industry and is home to Hyne & Son one of the largest producers of natural timber products in Australia which has diverse operations along the eastern coastline[citation needed].
[edit] Ecology
Maryborough's environment supports rare and endangered terrestrial and aquatic fauna including the Red Crested Black Cockatoo.
[edit] Famous Faces
Maryborough is the birthplace of P.L.Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books. Her father managed a bank in the building where she was born. This is in the centre of town and still in use, no longer as a bank but as a government office. A life-size bronze statue of Mary Poppins, as P.L. Travers described her, complete with umbrella was erected outside the old bank premises in 2005. It is now one of Maryborough's most famous and photographed icons[citation needed].
Maryborough is also the birthplace of the late Mary Hansen of Stereolab.
[edit] Sister City
Maryborough has one sister city, according to the Australian Sister Cities Association.
[edit] See also
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