North Queensland

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North Queensland
Queensland
Qld-regions-map.gif
Queensland's regions
Population231,628 (2011) [1]
 • Density2.893849/km2 (7.495034/sq mi)
Area80,041.5 km2 (30,904.2 sq mi)
LGA(s)
State electorate(s)
Federal division(s)

North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the Australian state of Queensland that lies just south of Far North Queensland. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and its tropical northern part has been historically remote and undeveloped, resulting in a distinctive regional character and identity.

Contents

Townsville is the largest urban centre in North Queensland, leading it to be regarded as an unofficial capital. [2] The region has a population of 231,628 and covers 80,041.5 km2 (30,904.2 sq mi). [1]

Geography

Suburbs of Townsville around Castle Hill Castle Hill Townsville.jpg
Suburbs of Townsville around Castle Hill
There a number of sugar mills in the region, including one at Proserpine Proserpine-Sugar-Mill-1196.jpg
There a number of sugar mills in the region, including one at Proserpine

There is no official boundary that separates North Queensland from the rest of the state. Unofficially it is usually considered to have a southern border beginning south of the Mackay Region southern boundary, but historically it has been as far south as Rockhampton. To the north is the Far North Queensland region, centred on Cairns and out west is the Gulf Country.

A coastal region centred on its largest settlement is the city of Townsville. The city is the location of a major seaport handling exports from mines in Mount Isa and cattle exports from coastal and inland areas. The region also contains a bulk sugar exporting terminal at Lucinda in the region's north. [3] Mackay and the Burdekin region are Australia's sugar capital and produces the most sugar in Australia and is shipped at Mackay Harbour. Mackay is also one of Australia's biggest coal exporters as it is close to Queensland's major mines. Abbot Point, north of Bowen, is a large, coal exporting port. [4] Dalrymple Bay, south of Mackay is another port where coal is exported. [5] It also contains the inland city of Charters Towers and the coastal towns of Ayr and Ingham. The Burdekin is centred on the two towns of Ayr and Home Hill and while producing the largest amount of sugar, also produces seasonal fruit such as Lychees and Mangos in summer, which is the wet season.

Other communities in North Queensland include Home Hill, Sarina, Bowen, Ayr, and Proserpine. Great Palm Island is home to the largest discreet Indigenous community in Australia. [6] Wallaman Falls located near Wallaman, is Australia's highest, permanent single-drop waterfall. [7]

Proserpine, a town in North Queensland and gateway to the Whitsunday Region. A potential site for government buildings for a future NQ state. Proserpine, Queensland.jpg
Proserpine, a town in North Queensland and gateway to the Whitsunday Region. A potential site for government buildings for a future NQ state.

History

Gugu Badhun (also known as Koko-Badun and Kokopatun) is an Australian Aboriginal language of North Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of Charters Towers Region, particularly the localities of Greenvale and the Valley of Lagoons, and in the Upper Burdekin River area and in Abergowrie. [8]

Warrgamay (also known as Waragamai, Wargamay, Wargamaygan, Biyay, and Warakamai) is an Australian Aboriginal language in North Queensland. The language region includes the Herbert River area, Ingham, Hawkins Creek, Long Pocket, Herbert Vale, Niagara Vale, Yamanic Creek, Herbert Gorge, Cardwell, Hinchinbrook Island and the adjacent mainland. [9]

Yuru (also known as Juru, Euronbba, Juru, Mal Mal, Malmal) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuru country. The Yuru language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Burdekin, including the town of Home Hill. [10]

Captain James Cook passed by the region in 1770, naming several places including Magnetic Island and Cape Cleveland. [11] Allan Cunningham was the first European to explore parts of the region. John Mackay explored the Pioneer Valley near Mackay in 1860. [12]

The first settlement in the region was established at Port Denison in 1861, at what is now known as Bowen. [11] In 1865, the first surveys of what was to become Townsville were conducted. [13] In 1871, gold was discovered at Charters Towers. This led to much development for the town and for Townsville which served as a major port and service centre as both the pastoral and sugar industry spread along the coast. [11] Work on the Great Northern Railway from Townsville to Mount Isa began in 1879 with a small section opening the following year. [13]

An Immigration Port was established at Bowen in 1866. [14] This was because Queensland sugar plantations relied heavily on Pacific Island labour. At first blackbirding was standard practice, until the trade became voluntary. Over 40 years about 60,000 kanakas were brought to Queensland to work. [15]

In July 1942, Japanese naval flying boats conducted air raids on Townsville. [16]

The Perc Tucker Regional Gallery was established at Townsville in 1981 and the TYTO Regional Art Gallery at Ingham opened in 2011.

The North Queensland Cowboys entered the Australian Rugby League in 1995.

Tourism

The region has a number of significant tourist attractions including the Great Barrier Reef and reef islands, rainforests in the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Eungella, Magnetic Island, and the Whitsunday Islands. The region has 36 national parks.

Transport

Flooding disrupts the Great Northern Railway in the 1930s StateLibQld 1 78999 Carry bridge going over a flooded river on the Great Northern Railway line, 1930s.jpg
Flooding disrupts the Great Northern Railway in the 1930s

The region is serviced by Townsville Airport which is ranked as the 11th busiest airport in Australia. The airport was granted international status in 1980 and plans to return to international services in 2025. [17] Along the coast, the Bruce Highway passes from the south through to the north of the region. The Flinders Highway links Townsville with Charters Towers and the Peak Downs Highway extends west from Mackay. The Tilt Train and Spirit of Queensland travel the North Coast railway line along the coast.

Proposed State of North Queensland

Throughout the years, there have been many calls for the formation of a new state. Many proposals have been drawn up, regarding the borders, name and the debate over which town will become the capital. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Burdekin</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Burdekin is a local government area located in North Queensland, Australia in the Dry Tropics region. The district is located between Townsville and Bowen in the delta of the Burdekin River. The shire covers an area of 5,044 square kilometres (1,947 sq mi). It has existed as a local government entity since 1888. In the 2021 census, the Shire of Burdekin had a population of 16,692 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowen, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Bowen is a coastal town and locality in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Bowen had a population of 11,205 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burdekin River</span> River in Queensland, Australia

The Burdekin River is a river in North and Far North Queensland, Australia. The river rises on the northern slopes of Boulder Mountain at Valley of Lagoons, part of the western slope of the Seaview Range, and flows into the Coral Sea at Upstart Bay over 200 kilometres (124 mi) to the southeast of the source, with a catchment area of approximately 130,000 square kilometres (50,000 sq mi). The Burdekin River is Australia's largest river by (peak) discharge volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Thuringowa</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The City of Thuringowa was a city and local government area in North Queensland, Australia covering the northern and western parts of what is now Townsville. The suburb of Thuringowa Central is the main business centre in this area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayr, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Ayr is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia. It is the centre of a sugarcane-growing region and the administrative centre for the Burdekin Shire Council. In the 2021 census, the locality of Ayr had a population of 8,603 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ingham, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Ingham is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Hinchinbrook, Queensland, Australia. It is named after William Bairstow Ingham and is the administrative centre for the Shire of Hinchinbrook.

The Foley Shield is a rugby league competition in North Queensland administered by the Queensland Rugby League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Coast railway line, Queensland</span> Railway line in Queensland, Australia

The North Coast railway line (NCL) is a 1,681-kilometre (1,045 mi) 1067 mm gauge railway line in Queensland, Australia. It commences at Roma Street station, Brisbane, and largely parallels the Queensland coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The line is electrified between Brisbane and Rockhampton. Along the way, the 1680 km railway passes through the numerous towns and cities of eastern Queensland including Nambour, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville. The line though the centre of Rockhampton runs down the middle of Denison Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regions of Queensland</span>

The Regions of Queensland refer 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, climate, geography, flora and fauna. Cultural and official perceptions and definitions of the various regions differ somewhat depending on the government agency or popular group by which they are being applied.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home Hill, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Home Hill is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Home Hill had a population of 2,876 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert River</span> River in Far North Queensland

The Herbert River is a river in Far North Queensland, Australia. The southernmost of Queensland's wet tropics river systems, it was named in 1864 by George Elphinstone Dalrymple explorer, after Robert George Wyndham Herbert, the first Premier of Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral district of Burdekin</span> State electoral district of Queensland, Australia

Burdekin is an electoral district in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland in the state of Queensland, Australia. Centred on the Ayr–Home Hill region, the electorate also includes some of Townsville's southern semi-rural localities as well as the coal-mining towns of Collinsville, Moranbah and Clermont. The Burdekin River flows through part of the electorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Townsville</span> Latin Catholic diocese in Australia

The Diocese of Townsville is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in Australia. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Brisbane. Erected in 1930, the Diocese of Townsville covers North Queensland. It was assembled from territory separated from the Diocese of Rockhampton.

North Coast Line (NCL) opening dates chronologically

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burdekin Shire Council Chambers</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Burdekin Shire Council Chambers is a heritage-listed town hall at 145 Young Street, Ayr, Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Frederick Smith and built in 1937 by local builder AS Wight. It is also known as Ayr Shire Council Chambers. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 13 October 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gugu-Badhun</span> Aboriginal Australian people of the Upper Burdekin region of northern Queensland

The Gugu Badhun are an Aboriginal nation whose country is located in the Upper Burdekin region of northern Queensland. Gugu Badhun country is approximately 220 km northwest of Townsville and includes the small township of Greenvale as well as a number of pastoral stations. The most comprehensive and up-to-date description of the nation is found in the book Gugu Badhun: People of the Valley of Lagoons, published in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarvisfield, Queensland</span> Suburb of Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia

Jarvisfield is a coastal rural locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Jarvisfield had a population of 343 people.

The Juru people, also known as Yuru, are a group of Aboriginal people of the state of Queensland, Australia.

Bruce Highway state-controlled roads presents information about how the Bruce Highway is described for administrative and funding purposes by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, and about the state-controlled roads that intersect with it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayr Masonic Temple</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Ayr Masonic Temple is a heritage-listed masonic temple at 118-120 Macmillan Street, Ayr, Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1935 by Harry Lewer Percival. It is also known as Lower Burdekin Masonic Temple / Ayr Masonic Centre. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 25 February 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Regional Profile: Northern". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. "The second capital of Queensland: Townsville futures plan" . Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  3. "Port of Townsville". Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  4. "Port of Abbot Point". North Queensland Bulk Port Corporation. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  5. "Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal". Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  6. "About Palm". Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  7. "Wallaman Falls, Girringun National Park". Department of Environment and Science. Government of Queensland. 19 May 2021. Archived from the original on 25 March 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  8. CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Gugu Badhun". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  9. CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Warrgamay". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  10. CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yuru". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 "Chronological history of Townsville, 1770 to 1900". Townsville City Council. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  12. "Mackay (entry 20426)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  13. 1 2 "A Short History of Thuringowa" (PDF). Thuringowa City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  14. "Bowen". The State of Queensland. 8 April 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  15. Jordan, Frank (2 August 2018). "Justice for the kanakas: Australia's 'invisible' Melanesians". Green Left . Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  16. "The Japanese bombing of Darwin, Broome and northern Australia". australia.gov.au. Australian Government. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
  17. "Townsville Airport's Master Plan Approved by Federal Government" . Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  18. "North Queensland State Flag proposals". Archived from the original on 23 January 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2008.

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