Calliope, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Calliope is a town located in Central Queensland
, Australia
. It is located near the junction of the Bruce Highway
and the Dawson Highway
, 20 kilometres SSW of the port city of Gladstone
. At the 2006 census
, Calliope had a population of 1,550.
The town is reputedly named after the ship Calliope, which brought the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy
to Port Curtis in 1854. Industries of the town and surrounds since that time have included gold mining, beef, timber, and more recently, tourism.
, as well as the Boyne River.
Lake Awoonga resulted from the construction of a dam on the Boyne River
. Lake Awoonga
supplies water to the city of Gladstone, and Calliope and other townships in the region, as well as supplying the major industries for which the Gladstone region is known.
Total capacity of Lake Awoonga is 777,000 megalitres. The catchment area contributing to the Lake is 2,240 square kilometres and is surrounded by the Boyne, Dawes and Many Peaks Ranges.
Lake Awoonga
is home to a thriving array of native animals, several of which are of conservation significance. Two fauna species are listed as vulnerable: the Yellow-bellied Glider
and the Grey-headed Flying Fox
. For the bird-watching enthusiast, Lake Awoonga is a paradise with more than 225 species or over 27% of Australia's bird species found in the region. The Southern Squatter Pigeon is listed as vulnerable and of conservation significance, and twenty-seven species are listed on International Migratory Conservation Agreement lists. Lake Awoonga is arguably one of the most important near-coast bird refuges on the East Coast of Australia.
The Gladstone Area Water Board operates a fish hatchery which breeds barramundi
and mangrove jack for release into Lake Awoonga. Barramundi over 20 kg are regularly caught, and the heaviest caught by August 2008 weighed in at a hefty 36.5 kg. In addition, the mangrove jack breeding program has resulted in Lake Awoonga
holding the largest stocks in Australia with over 13,000 released. Since 1996 over two and a half million barramundi fingerlings and 340,000 mullet fingerlings have been released into Lake Awoonga.
Central Queensland
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located near the junction of the Bruce Highway
Bruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...
and the Dawson Highway
Dawson Highway
The Dawson Highway is a state highway in Queensland, Australia. It runs for approximately 400 km between Gladstone and Springsure where it terminates...
, 20 kilometres SSW of the port city of Gladstone
Gladstone, Queensland
- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Calliope had a population of 1,550.
The town is reputedly named after the ship Calliope, which brought the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy
Charles Augustus FitzRoy
Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy, KCH, KCB was a British military officer, politician and member of the aristocracy, who held governorships in several British colonies during the 19th century.-Family and peerage:...
to Port Curtis in 1854. Industries of the town and surrounds since that time have included gold mining, beef, timber, and more recently, tourism.
Local attractions:
The Port Curtis Historical Village is situated on the banks of the Calliope RiverCalliope River
The Calliope River is located in Central Queensland, Australia. The river rises in the Calliope Range inland from the industrial port city of Gladstone, flows past the town of Calliope, before emptying into the Pacific Ocean just north of Gladstone...
, as well as the Boyne River.
Lake Awoonga resulted from the construction of a dam on the Boyne River
Boyne River (Queensland)
Boyne River is a river in Queensland, Australia. It flows between the twin towns of Boyne Island and Tannum Sands. The river was named by John Oxley as it reminded him of the River Boyne in Ireland. A bridge was built to cross the river joining the two towns in 1980...
. Lake Awoonga
Lake Awoonga
Lake Awoonga was formed on the Boyne River by the dam located from Gladstone, in Central Queensland, Australia. It is approximately 30 minutes drive from Gladstone, via Benaraby.Lake Awoonga is the main water supply for the Gladstone region...
supplies water to the city of Gladstone, and Calliope and other townships in the region, as well as supplying the major industries for which the Gladstone region is known.
Total capacity of Lake Awoonga is 777,000 megalitres. The catchment area contributing to the Lake is 2,240 square kilometres and is surrounded by the Boyne, Dawes and Many Peaks Ranges.
Lake Awoonga
Lake Awoonga
Lake Awoonga was formed on the Boyne River by the dam located from Gladstone, in Central Queensland, Australia. It is approximately 30 minutes drive from Gladstone, via Benaraby.Lake Awoonga is the main water supply for the Gladstone region...
is home to a thriving array of native animals, several of which are of conservation significance. Two fauna species are listed as vulnerable: the Yellow-bellied Glider
Yellow-bellied Glider
The Yellow-bellied Glider is an arboreal and nocturnal gliding possum that lives in a narrow range of native eucalypt forests down eastern Australia, reaching from northern Queensland to Victoria.-Habitat:...
and the Grey-headed Flying Fox
Grey-headed Flying Fox
The Grey-headed Flying-Fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is a megabat native to Australia.Members of the genus Pteropus include the largest bats in the world. The Pteropus genus has currently about 57 recognised species....
. For the bird-watching enthusiast, Lake Awoonga is a paradise with more than 225 species or over 27% of Australia's bird species found in the region. The Southern Squatter Pigeon is listed as vulnerable and of conservation significance, and twenty-seven species are listed on International Migratory Conservation Agreement lists. Lake Awoonga is arguably one of the most important near-coast bird refuges on the East Coast of Australia.
The Gladstone Area Water Board operates a fish hatchery which breeds barramundi
Barramundi
The Barramundi , also known as Asian Seabass, is a species of catadromous fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. The native species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region from the Persian Gulf, through Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Known in Thai...
and mangrove jack for release into Lake Awoonga. Barramundi over 20 kg are regularly caught, and the heaviest caught by August 2008 weighed in at a hefty 36.5 kg. In addition, the mangrove jack breeding program has resulted in Lake Awoonga
Lake Awoonga
Lake Awoonga was formed on the Boyne River by the dam located from Gladstone, in Central Queensland, Australia. It is approximately 30 minutes drive from Gladstone, via Benaraby.Lake Awoonga is the main water supply for the Gladstone region...
holding the largest stocks in Australia with over 13,000 released. Since 1996 over two and a half million barramundi fingerlings and 340,000 mullet fingerlings have been released into Lake Awoonga.
Other Information
Until very recently Calliope was the council headquarters of the Calliope Shire which included Boyne Island, Tannum Sands, Ambrose, Mount Larcom to name a few towns. Calliope has now become one of the towns under the umbrella of the Gladstone Regional Council after the merger of the Calliope Shire Council and the former Gladstone City Council.See also
- The Boyne ValleyBoyne Valley, AustraliaThe Boyne Valley is an area located in the valley of the Boyne River, in Central Queensland, Australia, approximately 500 km north of Brisbane and 70 km south west of Gladstone. The rural community consists of four small towns, including Nagoorin, Ubobo, Builyan, and Many Peaks. "The...
- Gladstone, QueenslandGladstone, Queensland- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
- Gladstone Regional Council, QueenslandGladstone Regional CouncilGladstone Regional Council is a Local Government Area in Queensland, Australia. The Local Government Area came into being on 15 March 2008 as a result of the report of the Local Government Reform Commission released in July 2007...
- Boyne River, QueenslandBoyne River (Queensland)Boyne River is a river in Queensland, Australia. It flows between the twin towns of Boyne Island and Tannum Sands. The river was named by John Oxley as it reminded him of the River Boyne in Ireland. A bridge was built to cross the river joining the two towns in 1980...
- Calliope River, QueenslandCalliope RiverThe Calliope River is located in Central Queensland, Australia. The river rises in the Calliope Range inland from the industrial port city of Gladstone, flows past the town of Calliope, before emptying into the Pacific Ocean just north of Gladstone...
- Lake Awoonga, QueenslandLake AwoongaLake Awoonga was formed on the Boyne River by the dam located from Gladstone, in Central Queensland, Australia. It is approximately 30 minutes drive from Gladstone, via Benaraby.Lake Awoonga is the main water supply for the Gladstone region...