Central Queensland
Encyclopedia
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical
division of Queensland
(a state in Australia
) 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 Council
southern boundary, and south to Gladstone
. The region is also known as Capricornia. As this is an unofficial area, the boundary lines remain unclear causing some dispute over Mackay Regional Council
as part of Capricornia and Central Queensland, or part of the Tropical North of Queensland. Residents of Mackay Regional Council
can sometimes receive official mail from both Townsville and Rockhampton due to this regional dispute.
Economically, Central Queensland is an important centre of primary industries. Even so, Central Queensland includes the Bowen Basin
which is rich in high quality coking coal, the Port of Gladstone
produces 40% of the state's export earnings, the Fitzroy River
is the second-largest river system in Australia and commands significant water resources such as Fairbairn Dam
. Gladstone has a significant aluminium smelter, Rockhampton is the undisputed beef capital of Australia, and the region produces approximately 50% of the state's electricity.
on Evergreen farm was the site of the first detection of citrus canker
in Central Queensland. A significant part of the citrus growing industry was devastated when a total of 6000 acres (24.3 km²) of crop had to be destroyed so the disease would not spread across the country. In 2005 several fresh outbreak
s were reported so the eradication expanded to include private backyard trees. The outbreak's cause has not been fully explained despite a federal inquiry. In 2009 authorities from the Government of Queensland
declared the eradication program complete.
between Gladstone and Springsure; the Gregory Highway
between Springsure and Clermont, and the Peak Downs Highway
between Clermont and enters North Queensland via Mackay - extended right to the eastern coastline.
Major cities in the region are Emerald
, Gladstone
and Rockhampton
. Some communities on the Capricorn Coast include Byfield
, Yeppoon
, Great Keppel Island
, Emu Park
and Cawarral.
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
division of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
(a state in 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...
) that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, marks the most southerly latitude on the Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This event occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun to its maximum extent.Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five...
. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald
Emerald, Queensland
Emerald is a town located in the Central Highlands district of Central Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Emerald had a population of 10,999. The town is the business centre for the Central Highlands Regional Council....
, north to the Mackay Regional Council
Mackay Regional Council
The Mackay Region is a Local Government Area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with histories extending back as far as 1869....
southern boundary, and south to 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 :...
. The region is also known as Capricornia. As this is an unofficial area, the boundary lines remain unclear causing some dispute over Mackay Regional Council
Mackay Regional Council
The Mackay Region is a Local Government Area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with histories extending back as far as 1869....
as part of Capricornia and Central Queensland, or part of the Tropical North of Queensland. Residents of Mackay Regional Council
Mackay Regional Council
The Mackay Region is a Local Government Area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with histories extending back as far as 1869....
can sometimes receive official mail from both Townsville and Rockhampton due to this regional dispute.
Economically, Central Queensland is an important centre of primary industries. Even so, Central Queensland includes the Bowen Basin
Bowen Basin
The Bowen Basin contains the largest coal reserves in Australia. This major coal producing region contains one of the world's largest deposits of bituminous coal. The Basin contains much of the known Permian coal resources in Queensland including virtually all of the known mineable prime coking coal...
which is rich in high quality coking coal, the Port of Gladstone
Port of Gladstone
The Port of Gladstone is Queensland's largest multi-commodity port and the fifth largest multi-commodity port in Australia. It is the world's fourth largest coal exporting terminal. It forms and integral part of the City of Gladstone in Central Queensland and is located about 525 km north of...
produces 40% of the state's export earnings, the Fitzroy River
Fitzroy River (Queensland)
The Fitzroy River lies in Queensland, Australia. Its catchment covers an area of 142,665 square kilometres, making it the largest river catchment flowing to the eastern coast of Australia. The river is formed by the joining of the Mackenzie and Dawson rivers at Duaringa. The catchment stretches...
is the second-largest river system in Australia and commands significant water resources such as Fairbairn Dam
Fairbairn Dam
Fairbairn Dam is located 25 kilometres southwest of Emerald, in Central Queensland, almost on top of the Tropic of Capricorn line. Fairbairn Dam was constructed in 1972 across the Nogoa River "Gap" creating Lake Maraboon and is Queensland's second largest lake. Maraboon is the Aboriginal for "where...
. Gladstone has a significant aluminium smelter, Rockhampton is the undisputed beef capital of Australia, and the region produces approximately 50% of the state's electricity.
Citrus canker outbreak
In 2004, an orchardOrchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
on Evergreen farm was the site of the first detection of citrus canker
Citrus canker
Citrus canker is a disease affecting citrus species that is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas axonopodis. Infection causes lesions on the leaves, stems, and fruit of citrus trees, including lime, oranges, and grapefruit...
in Central Queensland. A significant part of the citrus growing industry was devastated when a total of 6000 acres (24.3 km²) of crop had to be destroyed so the disease would not spread across the country. In 2005 several fresh outbreak
Outbreak
Outbreak is a term used in epidemiology to describe an occurrence of disease greater than would otherwise be expected at a particular time and place. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire continent. Two linked cases of a rare infectious...
s were reported so the eradication expanded to include private backyard trees. The outbreak's cause has not been fully explained despite a federal inquiry. In 2009 authorities from the Government of Queensland
Government of Queensland
The Government of Queensland is commonly known as the "Queensland Government".The form of the Government of Queensland is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1859, although it has been amended many times since then...
declared the eradication program complete.
Communities
For this purpose the area of Central Queensland was restricted to the areas encircled by the Dawson HighwayDawson Highway
The Dawson Highway is a state highway in Queensland, Australia. It runs for approximately 400 km between Gladstone and Springsure where it terminates...
between Gladstone and Springsure; the Gregory Highway
Gregory Highway
The Gregory Highway is a state highway in Queensland that serves the major coal-mining centres of Central Queensland. The highway was named after Augustus Gregory, an early explorer....
between Springsure and Clermont, and the Peak Downs Highway
Peak Downs Highway
The Peak Downs Highway links the towns of Mackay and Clermont in the Australian state of Queensland. It represents the main link between Queensland's Whitsunday Coast and the Central West region of the state. The highway runs for a total length of 273 km, before becoming the Gregory Highway ...
between Clermont and enters North Queensland via Mackay - extended right to the eastern coastline.
Major cities in the region are Emerald
Emerald, Queensland
Emerald is a town located in the Central Highlands district of Central Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Emerald had a population of 10,999. The town is the business centre for the Central Highlands Regional Council....
, 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 :...
and Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
. Some communities on the Capricorn Coast include Byfield
Byfield, Queensland
Byfield is a locality in Central Queensland, Australia. Byfield is located in the Rockhampton Region local government area and in the midst of the Byfield National Park, north west of the state capital Brisbane and north of the regional centre of Rockhampton. At the 2006 census, Byfield had a...
, Yeppoon
Yeppoon, Queensland
Yeppoon is a coastal resort town situated in Central Queensland, Australia. Located on Keppel Bay, at the 2006 census, Yeppoon had a population of 13,284.-Geography:...
, Great Keppel Island
Great Keppel Island
Great Keppel Island lies 15 kilometres from the coast off Yeppoon, Central Queensland, Australia. The island is the largest of the eighteen islands in the Keppel Group, and covers an area of more than 14.5 square kilometres...
, Emu Park
Emu Park, Queensland
Emu Park is a small town located slightly south of Yeppoon in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Emu Park had a population of 2,967.Home of the famous Singing Ship Monument, the Emu Park land area was first discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770. It overlooks the islands of Keppel Bay,...
and Cawarral.
See also
- Regions of QueenslandRegions of QueenslandThe Regions of Queensland refers to the geographic areas of the Australian state of Queensland. Due to its large size and decentralised population, the state is often divided into regions for statistical and administrative purposes. Each region varies somewhat in terms of its economy, population,...
- Central Queensland Territorial Separation LeagueCentral Queensland Territorial Separation LeagueThe Central Queensland Territorial Separation League was formed in Rockhampton in 1889 with the aim of agitating for separation of the Central Queensland region from the colony of Queensland...