Slade Point is a coastal town and peninsular suburb 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 Slade Point had a population of 3,450 people.

Geography

The waters and inlets of the '' Coral Sea'' form the northern boundary and most of the eastern. Slade Point has the following coastal features: * Slade Bay () * Slade Point () * Lamberts Beach ()

History

The first British people to visit the area were the crew and passengers aboard the

ketch A ketch is a two- masted sailboat whose mainmast is taller than the mizzen mast (or aft-mast), and whose mizzen mast is stepped forward of the rudder post. The mizzen mast stepped forward of the rudder post is what distinguishes the ketch fr ...

''Presto'' which pulled into the bay at Slade Point in June 1862 after having difficulty entering the

Pioneer River The Pioneer River is a river located in North Queensland, Australia. The long river flows through the city of . History Captain John Mackay and his party were the first Europeans to discover the river in 1860. Mackay named it Mackay River af ...

. A crew member was killed by Aboriginal people, while Mr Roberts, a passenger, was either killed or taken away by Aboriginal people. Armed crew-members formed a search party but were unable to locate Roberts. Another larger search party, assisted by troopers of the

Native Police Australian native police units, consisting of Aboriginal troopers under the command (usually) of at least one white officer, existed in various forms in all Australian mainland colonies during the nineteenth and, in some cases, into the twentie ...

, was later organised but no trace of Roberts was found. Originally, the town was called Amhurst but it was renamed on 1 January 1967 to be Slade Point, named after the prominent headland of the same name which was named in June 1770 by Lieutenant James Cook of , after

Thomas Slade Sir Thomas Slade (1703/4–1771) was an English naval architect, most famous for designing HMS ''Victory'', Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Early life He was the son of Arthur Slade (1682–1746) and his wife Hannah ...

, Surveyor of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

and designer of Horatio Nelson's ship . Amhurst State School opened on 11 April 1939. It was renamed Slade Point State School in 1967. Around 1975, a Catholic church opened at 8 Finch Street (). It has subsequently closed and has been converted into a residence, but the cross at the western end of the building remains intact. In the , the suburb of Slade Point had a population of 3,450 people.

Education

Slade Point State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 362 Slade Point Road (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 110 students with 13 teacher (11 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (8 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 204 students with 13 teachers (12 full-time equivalent) and 16 non-teaching staff (10 full-time equivalent). There is no secondary school in Slade Point. The nearest government secondary school is

Pioneer State High School Pioneer State High School is a government co-educational secondary school (7-12) in Andergrove, Mackay, Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia ...

in neighbouring Andergrove to the south-west.

Amenities

Slade Point Central shopping centre (formerly Seagull Shopping Centre) is at 1-7 Finch Street (). Slade Point Post Office is in this centre (). The

Mackay Regional Council 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 esti ...

operates a mobile library service on a fortnightly schedule at Pheasant Street. Slade Point Community Hall is at 4 Wren Street (). Mackay RSL Memorial Bowls Club (also known as Slade Point Bowls Club) is at 30 Wren Street (). Life Giving Church (formerly Slade Point Christian Life Centre) is at 34 Robin Street (). It is affiliated with

Australian Christian Churches The Australian Christian Churches (ACC), formerly Assemblies of God in Australia, is a network of Pentecostal churches in Australia affiliated with the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, which is the largest Pentecostal denomination in the w ...

Attractions

Lamberts Beach Lookout is off the Pacific Esplanade (). It offers coastal views and view of passing whales (during the migration season). The Slade Point water tower has been used to create a mural by Scott Nagy and Cara Sanders, which depicts the whale migration and the local red-tailed black cockatoos seen on the esplanade. It is at 1 Albatross Street ().

References

External links

* Towns in Queensland Suburbs of Mackay, Queensland {{authority control