Bluewater is a town and coastal

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

in the

City of Townsville The City of Townsville is a local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. In the the suburb of Bluewater had a population of 1,040 people. The coastal town of

Bluewater Beach Bluewater Beach is a beachside town within the locality of Bluewater, Queensland, Bluewater in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. History Originally part of Jalloonda, the town was named on 17 March 1984. References External ...

is also within the suburb.

Geography

Bluewater is approximately north-west of

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

. As its name suggests, the town of Bluewater Beach is on the coast of the Coral Sea, while the town of Bluewater is inland on the

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 on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Na ...

, which passes from south-east to the north-west through the locality. The suburb is popular with residents who prefer larger lot sizes and is home to a number of properties with hobby farms and horse

agistment Agistment originally referred specifically to the proceeds of pasturage in the king's forests. To agist is, in English law, to take cattle to graze, in exchange for payment (derived from the Old English ''giste'', ''gite'', a "lying place"). H ...

. It is also home to solar farms.

History

Bluewater is situated in the traditional

Nyawigi The Nyawigi people, also spelt Nyawaygi, Nywaigi, or Nawagi, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose original country was around Halifax Bay in Far North Queensland. They may also have inhabited Orpheus Island. Language An early record sugges ...

Aboriginal country. The origin of the suburb name Bluewater is from the adjacent Bluewater Creek that was shown on a district map from 1886. Bluewater was settled in the late nineteenth century, and was close to the Purono rail siding, constructed in 1919 on the extension of the North Coast railway line from

to Ingham. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Bluewater became campground to a number of service personnel whose responsibility it was to resist Japanese invasion. It was not until 1946 that land was first subdivided along Bluewater Beach, followed by subdivisions of Toolakea Beach and the Bluewater Township in the 1950s. Bluewater Provisional School opened on 3 June 1957.In 1958 it was renamed Bluewater Creek Provisional School. In 1959 it became Bluewater Creek State School. In 1960 it was renamed Bluewater State School. Bluewater Post Office opened by May 1960. In the the suburb of Bluewater had a population of 1,040 people. The community was badly flooded on 31 January 2019. The wet weather and consequent flooding was expected to continue for another week.

Education

Bluewater State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Buckby Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 438 students with 32 teachers (30 full-time equivalent) and 22 non-teaching staff (12 full-time equivalent). There is no secondary school in Bluewater. The nearest government secondary school is Northern Beaches State High School in Deeragun to the south-east.

Amenities

Bluewater is a thriving community containing a number of amenities. The

Townsville City Council The City of Townsville is a local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock an ...

operate a mobile library service which visits the Community Centre at Bluewater on Monday afternoons. Toolakea and Bluewater Beach are popular recreational areas, and there is a boat ramp facility and waste transfer station towards the end of Bluewater Drive. There is the Urban Forest and Fitness Trail. Other amenities in the area include a community centre, a

Girl Guides Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...

training and camping centre, a

Scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

hall and Bluewater Medical Practice.

Attractions

Bluewater Park is a popular tourist destination with designated free campsites.

References

External links

* * {{authority control Suburbs of Townsville Queensland in World War II