Mackay is the central suburb and the central business district of the city of

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airpor ...

in the

Mackay Region The Mackay Region is a local government area located in North Queensland, Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it was preceded by three previous local government areas with modern histories extending back as far as 1869. It has an estima ...

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 , the suburb of Mackay had a population of 3,659 people.

Geography

Kemmis is a neighbourhood at the southern edge of the suburb (). It was the location of the former Kemmis railway station () on the North Coast railway line until the line was diverted to avoid the city centre .

History

The suburb takes its name from the town, which in turn was named after explorer John Mackay, who led an 1860 expedition into the

Pioneer Valley The Pioneer Valley is the colloquial and promotional name for the portion of the Connecticut River Valley that is in Massachusetts in the United States. It is generally taken to comprise the three counties of Hampden, Hampshire, and Frankli ...

. The name ''Kemmis'' refers to Arthur Kemmis, a member of

William Landsborough William Landsborough (21 February 1825 – 16 March 1886) was an explorer of Australia and notably he was the first explorer to complete a North-to-South crossing of Australia. He was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council. Early ...

's 1861 expedition from the Gulf of Carpentaria to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in search of the

Burke and Wills expedition The Burke and Wills expedition was organised by the Royal Society of Victoria in Australia in 1860–61. It consisted of 19 men led by Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, with the objective of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the ...

. Kemmis was a partner in the lease of Fort Cooper pastoral run. Mackay Primary School opened on 12 December 1871. Between 1872 and 1877, it was known as Port Mackay Primary School before becoming Mackay Primary School again. On 28 September 1885, the school was separated into Mackay Boys State School and Mackay Girls and Infants State School. The two schools were amalgamated again on 11 July 1932 to form Mackay Central State School. St Patrick's College opened on 22 September 1929. Mackay Opportunity School opened in 1960. On 29 August 1981, it was renamed Mackay Special School. It closed on 7 May 1997. In the , the suburb of Mackay had a population of 3,659 people. Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School opened in 2018.

Education

Mackay Central State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Alfred Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 177 students with 11 teachers and 9 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent). St Patrick's College is a Catholic secondary (11-12) school for boys and girls at Gregory Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 442 students with 37 teachers (36 full-time equivalent) and 24 non-teaching staff (19 full-time equivalent). Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School is a private secondary school for students who are vulnerable and disengaged from the conventional school system. It is open to all such students, but has particular emphasis on support for

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

students. There is no government secondary school in the central suburb of Mackay. The nearest is

Mackay State High School Mackay State High School is located at 123 Milton Street, South Mackay, Mackay, Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. Mackay State High School is a public educational institution located in the city of Mackay, Queensland, Australia. The school of ...

in neighbouring South Mackay to the south.

References

External links

* * {{Mackay Region Suburbs of Mackay, Queensland Central business districts in Australia