Lake Proserpine, Queensland

Lake Proserpine
Suburb
Peter Faust Dam, 2011
Lake Proserpine
Coordinates: 20°24′56″S148°17′52″E / 20.4155°S 148.2977°E / -20.4155; 148.2977 (Lake Proserpine (centre of locality)
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
LGA(s)	Whitsunday Region
Location	24.4 km (15.2 mi) W of Proserpine 150 km (93 mi) NNW of Mackay 287 km (178 mi) SE of Townsville 1,111 km (690 mi) NNW of Brisbane
Government
•  State electorate(s)	Whitsunday
•  Federal division(s)	Dawson
Area
• Total	268.8 km2 (103.8 sq mi)
Population
• Total(s)	6 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	0.0223/km2 (0.058/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+10:00 (AEST)
Postcode	4800
Suburbs around Lake Proserpine Bowen Bowen Mount Pluto Bogie Lake Proserpine Crystal Brook Dittmer Bogie Andromache Pauls Pocket

Lake Proserpine is a rural locality in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Lake Proserpine had a population of 6 people. ^[1]

Geography

The locality completely surrounds the body of water impounded by the Peter Faust Dam ( 20°21′58″S148°22′59″E / 20.3661°S 148.3831°E / -20.3661; 148.3831 (Peter Faust Dam) ) on the Proserpine River, ^[3] which is known as Lake Proserpine ( 20°22′00″S148°20′00″E / 20.3667°S 148.3333°E / -20.3667; 148.3333 (Lake Proserpine (reservoir)) ). ^{[4] [5] [6]} The Proserpine River enters the locality from the south (Andromache) and flows north until it reaches Lake Proserpine, after which it passes through the dam and then exits the locality to the east (Crystalbrook). ^[5]

The Proserpine State Forest is in the north-east and south-east of the locality. ^[7] Mount Pluto is with the north-eastern part of state forest ( 20°20′36″S148°22′00″E / 20.3433°S 148.3666°E / -20.3433; 148.3666 (Mount Pluto) ) and rises to 559 metres (1,834 ft) above sea level. ^{[8] [9]} In Roman mythology, Pluto is the god of the underworld who abducts Proserpina, after whom the Proserpine River is named. ^{[9] [5]}

Apart from the state forest, the land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation with some crop growing. Some parts of the locality remain undeveloped. ^[7]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Lake Proserpine had a population of 9 people. ^[10]

In the 2021 census, Lake Proserpine had a population of 6 people. ^[1]

Education

There are no schools in the locality. The nearest government primary and secondary schools are is Proserpine State School and Proserpine State High School, both in Proserpine to the east. There is also a Catholic primary-and-secondary school in Proserpine. ^[11]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Lake Proserpine (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Lake Proserpine – locality in Whitsunday Region (entry 46881)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 26 October 2019.
3. "Proserpine River – watercourse in the Whitsunday Region (entry 27552)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
4. "Lake Proserpine, Queensland" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 14 August 2021.
5. "Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses; Dams, weirs and barrages". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
6. "Lake Proserpine – reservoir in the Whitsunday Region (entry 27553)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
7. "Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 7 September 2025.
8. "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
9. "Mount Pluto – mountain in Whitsunday Regional (entry 27158)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
10. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Lake Proserpine (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
11. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 7 September 2025.