Fairy Bower is a suburb in the

Rockhampton Region The Rockhampton Region is a local government area (LGA) in Central Queensland, Australia, located on the Tropic of Capricorn about north of Brisbane. Rockhampton is the region's major city; the region also includes the Fitzroy River, Mount ...

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 , establishe ...

, Australia. In the Fairy Bower had a population of 97 people.

Geography

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 Nat ...

is the eastern boundary of the locality with the North Coast railway line immediately parallel to the east of the highway; however, there is no railway station in the suburb but Yeppen railway station is just north of the suburb in Allenstown/

Port Curtis Port Curtis is a suburb of Rockhampton in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Port Curtis had a population of 281 people. Geography The Fitzroy River bounds the suburb to the north-east. Gavial Creek, a tributary of th ...

. The

Capricorn Highway The Capricorn Highway is located in Central Queensland, Australia, and links the city of Rockhampton with western Queensland. The highway is long, and joins the Landsborough Highway at Barcaldine. Formerly National Route 66, Queensland began ...

enters the suburb from the south and joins the Bruce Highway at a large roundabout on the north-east corner of the suburb and then proceed north into Allenstown. The proposed

Rockhampton Ring Road Rockhampton Ring Road is a proposed highway from on the Capricorn Highway south-west of to on the Bruce Highway to the north-east of Rockhampton, in Queensland, Australia. The road will be two lanes from the Capricorn Highway to a connecti ...

will have its south-western entry on the Capricorn Highway in Fairy Bower. Neerkol Creek is the south-western boundary of the suburb. Fairy Bower is low-lying land, less than 10 metres above sea level, and contains a number of lagoons, including the Yeppen Yeppen Lagoon, the Crescent Lagoon, Nelson Lagoon and Deadmans Lagoon.

History

In the Fairy Bower had a population of 97 people. A duplication project at Fairy Bower between 2019 and 2021 saw the Capricorn Highway between Gracemere and Rockhampton widened to a four lane separated highway to enable better traffic flow into the city, particularly during peak times. The project included the installation of new traffic signals on the highway at Fairy Bower, at the intersection of Fairy Bower Road, Old Gracemere Road and the Capricorn Highway. Construction commenced in October 2019 and was completed by July 2021. Fairy Bower is destined to become the southern access to the new Rockhampton Ring Road which will take the Bruce Highway around the western outskirts of Rockhampton instead of through the city. A new roundabout and high-level slip lane is expected to be constructed at Fairy Bower as part of the Rockhampton Ring Road.

Big Bulls

The roundabout (often called the Yeppen roundabout presumably taking its name from the nearby Yeppen Yeppen Lagoon) where the highways meet is well known for the large statue of a

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...

bull that stands in the middle of the roundabout, being one of seven Big Bulls that decorate Rockhampton, which regards itself as the Beef Capital of Australia. The group of bull statues is listed as one of

Australia's big things The big things of Australia are large structures, some of which are novelty architecture and some are sculptures. There are estimated to be over 230 such objects around the country. There are big things in every state and territory in Australi ...

. This particular bull attracts some criticism for facing towards the city so approaching motorists are welcomed to the city by a view of its rear end which includes its large

testicle A testicle or testis (plural testes) is the male reproductive gland or gonad in all bilaterians, including humans. It is homologous to the female ovary. The functions of the testes are to produce both sperm and androgens, primarily testoste ...

s. The theft of the testicles from the bulls is a common prank and they frequently have to be replaced. Some residents also feel that the bull statues over-emphasise one aspect of the city and should be relocated to less prominent locations. However, there is strong public support for the retention of the bulls.

References

{{Rockhampton Region