Gladstone Central is a 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 ...

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

in the

Gladstone Region Gladstone Region is a local government area in Queensland, Australia. The council covers an area of , had an estimated resident population at 30 June 2018 of 62,979, and has an estimated operating budget of A$84 million. History Gladstone Re ...

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. It is the historic centre and

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...

of the city of Gladstone and the seat of the

Gladstone Regional Council Gladstone Region is a local government area in Queensland, Australia. The council covers an area of , had an estimated resident population at 30 June 2018 of 62,979, and has an estimated operating budget of A$84 million. History Gladstone Reg ...

. In the , Gladstone Central had a population of 1,550 people.

Geography

Gladstone Central is bounded by Auckland Inlet on the north, Auckland Creek and Side Street on the west, the railway line on the east and a combination of Scenery Street and Tank Street on the south. Auckland Point is the northernmost part of the suburb (). The main business and shopping street is Goondoon Street which runs over a hill, its apex being at the intersection with Roseberry Street.

History

The Gladstone Post Office opened on 1 July 1854. Gladstone State School opened on 1 April 1861 and is one of the oldest state primary schools in Queensland. On 14 November 1968, its name was changed to be Gladstone Central State School. Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School opened on 19 January 1902. Gladstone City Library opened in 2003. In the , Gladstone Central had a population of 1,529 people. In the , Gladstone Central had a population of 1,547 people. In the , Gladstone Central had a population of 1,550 people.

Amenities

Gladstone City Library entrance, 39 Goondoon Street, 2014

The Gladstone City Library is at 39 Goondoon Street; it is operated by the

. The Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre is at 58 Goondoon Street; it is operated by the

. It features an auditorium seating 674 people, a flat floor space which can accommodate 1,500 people standing, an outdoor marquee on a hard stand, and a number of meeting rooms. There is a Gladstone Regional Council administration centre at 101 Goondoon Street. The Gladstone branch of the

Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...

meets at the QCWA Hall at 88 Oaka Lane.

Churches

St Andrew's Presbyterian Church

St Andrew's Presbyterian Church is located at 149 Goondoon Street on the corner of Bramston Street. This is the second church built on this site. A Presbyterian minister, Alexander Proudfoot, arrived in Gladstone in September 1865; he was the first religious leader in Gladstone. However, for two years, there were not sufficient funds to build a church until a generous donation of £200 was received from a local settler. The church was designed by Mr Ramsay, the town surveyor in Maryborough. The foundation stone of the first church was laid on 30 October 1867 by Mrs Proudfoot, wife of Rev. Proudfoot. The brick Gothic church to accommodate 250 worshippers were built by local contractors, Smith, Hay and Day, at a cost of £457; it could accommodate 250 worshippers. In April 1870, W. S. Robertson donated a marble font which he designed and executed using marble from his own quarry on the

Calliope River The Calliope River is a river located in Central Queensland, Australia. The river rises in the Calliope Range inland from the industrial port city of Gladstone, flows past the town of Calliope, before emptying into the Pacific Ocean just north o ...

. This was the first church to be built in Gladstone. Still the only religious leader in Gladstone, Alexander Proudfoot died on 11 April 1873 aged 42 years in Rockhampton (where he had been taken for medical treatment as Gladstone had no doctor). His widow established a ladies' school in Rockhampton 4 months later. The Rev. A. A. Laing took charge of the parish from 8 February 1874. Rev. Laing was replaced by Rev. J. Blaine in June 1875. The church was destroyed by a cyclone on 2 March 1949. On 11 September 1955, the

Governor of Queensland The governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the monarch of Australia. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governor Governors of the Australian states, performs c ...

, Sir

John Lavarack Lieutenant General Sir John Dudley Lavarack, (19 December 1885 – 4 December 1957) was an Australian Army officer who was Governor of Queensland from 1 October 1946 to 4 December 1957, the first Australian-born governor of that state. Early l ...

laid the foundation stone for the new St Andrew's church. The original foundation stone, font and pulpit were recovered from the demolished church and were incorporated into the new church.

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic church is located at 181-185 Goondoon street (south-west corner with Herbert Street). It has an adjoining school. It is the third Catholic church to be built in Gladstone. The first Catholic church in Gladstone was St Mary's Church in Auckland Street. It was opened on 1 March 1874 by the Rev. Dean Murlay, but did not have a resident priest until 1885. However, in 1902, the land was resumed to build a new railway line between Gladstone and Rockhampton. A site of bounded by Goondoon Street, Herbert Street and Glenlyon Road was purchased with a plan to build a precinct to eventually comprise a church, a school, a convent and a monastery. The monastery would serve as both a presbytery and a sanitorium for missionaries working in the Pacific islands. The architects for the new church and school were Eaton and Bates; the builders were Robinson & Freeman. The new church was opened on 19 January 1902 by the Bishop of Rockhampton, Joseph Higgins. A larger church was required to meet the growing parish, leaving to the current church being built in 1924 at a cost of £2700. The foundation stone was laid on 13 April 1924 by the Bishop of Rockhampton, Rev. Joseph Sheil. It was officially opened on 16 November 1924. The second church continued to be used as part of the school. In the cyclone of 2 March 1949, the convent and school were destroyed but the church survived.

Education

Gladstone Central State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 74 Auckland Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 342 students with 24 teachers (22 full-time equivalent) and 16 non-teaching staff (12 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 356 students with 25 teachers (23 full-time equivalent) and 16 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent). It includes a

special education Special education (known as special-needs education, aided education, exceptional education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, or SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates th ...

program. Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 181 Goondoon Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 261 students with 24 teachers (17 full-time equivalent) and 17 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent).