Central Queensland is an imprecisely-defined

geographical Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

division of

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

( a state in Australia) that centres on the eastern coast, around the

Tropic of Capricorn The Tropic of Capricorn (or the Southern Tropic) is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point at the December (or southern) solstice. It is thus the southernmost latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. It also reach ...

. Its major regional centre is

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the population of Rockhampton was 79,293. A common nickname for Rockhampton is "Rocky", and the demonym of Rockhampton is Rockhamptonite. The Scottish- ...

. The region extends from the

Capricorn Coast The Capricorn Coast is a stretch of coastline in Central Queensland, Australia and is part of the Shire of Livingstone (formerly part of Rockhampton Region). Geography The Capricorn Coasts takes its name from Cape Capricorn () on Curtis Island ...

west to the Central Highlands at

Emerald Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr., and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991). ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York ...

, north to the Mackay Regional Council southern boundary, and south to

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

. The region is also known as Capricornia. It is one of Australia's main coal exporting regions. At the 2011 Australian Census the region recorded a total population from the six local government areas of 233,931.

Industry

StateLibQld 2 232853 Processing plant of Mount Morgan Mines next to the Dee River

Economically, Central Queensland is an important centre of

primary sector The primary sector of the economy includes any industry involved in the extraction and production of raw materials, such as farming, logging, fishing, forestry and mining. The primary sector tends to make up a larger portion of the economy in d ...

industries, particularly for food and fibre production. Central Queensland includes the

Bowen Basin The Bowen Basin contains the largest coal reserves in Australia. This major coal-producing region contains one of the world's largest deposits of bituminous coal. The Basin contains much of the known Permian coal resources in Queensland includ ...

which is rich in high quality coking coal, the

Port of Gladstone The Port of Gladstone is Queensland's largest multi-commodity port and the fifth largest multi-commodity port in Australia. It is the world's fourth largest coal exporting terminal. It is within the locality of Callemondah in Gladstone in Ce ...

produces 40% of the state's export earnings, the Fitzroy River is the second-largest river system in Australia and commands significant water resources such as

Fairbairn Dam The Fairbairn Dam is an earth-filled embankment dam across the Nogoa River, located southwest of in Central Queensland, Australia. Constructed in 1972 for the primary purpose of irrigation, the impoundment created by the dam serves as one of ...

. Gladstone has a significant aluminium smelter.

Beef

Rockhampton is claimed to be the beef capital of Australia, a title which is disputed by

Casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

in New South Wales. Beef production in the region is centred on Brigalow and speargrass land types. Every three years, Rockhampton holds the national

Beef Australia Beef Australia is an international exposition held triennially in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. The week-long expo has been held in the city during the month of May triennially since the inaugural event in 1988. The event is promoted and us ...

exposition to celebrate the cattle industry as well as to facilitate trade opportunities for Australian beef producers.

Mining

Central Queensland is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of

black coal Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''Psy ...

Ludwig Leichhardt Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (; 23 October 1813 – ), known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a German explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.Ken Eastwood,'Cold case: Leichhardt's disappearanc ...

was the first European to discover coal deposits in the region in 1845. In the 2011-2012 financial year the region produced 40% of the state's total coal production. Coal is extracted from the

and transported to port facilities at

via the Blackwater railway system or to both Hay Point and

Abbot Point The Port of Abbot Point is home to the North Queensland Export Terminal (NQXT), the most northerly deepwater coal port of Australia, situated approximately north-west of the town of Bowen, Queensland. Established in 1984, it consists of a ra ...

via the

Goonyella railway line The Goonyella railway system is located in Central Queensland, Australia. It services the coal mining area of the Bowen Basin, carrying coal to the Hay Point and Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminals 20 km southeast of Mackay, as well as product ...

. Coal mining is expanding west into the

Galilee Basin The Galilee Basin is a large inland geological basin in the western Queensland region of Australia. The Galilee Basin is part of a larger Carboniferous to Mid-Triassic basin system that contains the Cooper Basin, situated towards the south-west ...

and requires an extension of the Goonyella line to transport coal to port. Many mines in the region, particularly those within the Fitzroy River basin, were severely impacted by flooding during the

2010–11 Queensland floods 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

. Gold, silver, limestone, coal seam gas, magnesite and gemstones are also mined. Sapphires were discovered here in 1875. Gold was discovered in the Mount Morgan region around 1865.

Mount Morgan Mine Mount Morgan Mine was a copper, gold and silver mine in Queensland, Australia. Mining began at Mount Morgan, Queensland, Mount Morgan in 1882 and continued until 1981. Over its lifespan, the mine yielded approximately of gold, of silver and ...

has since gone on to become one of Australia's richest mines. Purpose-built mining towns in Central Queensland include Dysart,

Middlemount Middlemount is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Middlemount had a population of 1,899 people. It is nicknamed the "Giant Peanut" by some locals du ...

Moranbah Moranbah is a coal mining town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Moranbah had a population of 9,425. In addition to the permanent population, Moranbah also has ...

, Mount Morgan and Moura. Three mining disaster have occurred at Moura since 1975, resulting in the loss of 36 lives.

Citrus canker outbreak

In 2004, an

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...

on Evergreen farm was the site of the first detection of

citrus canker Citrus canker is a disease affecting ''Citrus'' species caused by the bacterium '' Xanthomonas citri''. Infection causes lesions on the leaves, stems, and fruit of citrus trees, including lime, oranges, and grapefruit. While not harmful to huma ...

in Central Queensland. A significant part of the citrus growing industry was devastated when a total of of crop had to be destroyed so the disease would not spread across the country. In 2005 several fresh

outbreak In epidemiology, an outbreak is a sudden increase in occurrences of a disease when cases are in excess of normal expectancy for the location or season. It may affect a small and localized group or impact upon thousands of people across an entire ...

s were reported so the eradication expanded to include private backyard trees. The outbreak's cause has not been fully explained despite a federal inquiry. In 2009 authorities from the

Government of Queensland The Queensland Government is the state government of Queensland, Australia, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Government is formed by the party or coalition that has gained a majority in the state Legislative Assembly, with the governo ...

declared the eradication program complete.

Protected areas

The region contain 33 national parks.

Great Keppel Island Great Keppel Island (Woppaburra language, Woppaburra: ''Wop-Pa'') lies off the coast from Yeppoon, in the Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality of The Keppels in the Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Capri ...

has been an island tourist attraction since the 1960s. It and several other islands in the area are surrounded by coral reefs. In the west of the region is Queensland's central highlands and the

Carnarvon Gorge Carnarvon Gorge is located in the Southern Brigalow Belt bioregion in Central Queensland (Australia), 593 km northwest of Brisbane. Primarily created by water erosion, Carnarvon Gorge is around 30 kilometres long, located in Carnarvon Natio ...

, which is protected within the

Carnarvon National Park Carnarvon National Park is located in the Southern Brigalow Belt bioregion in the Maranoa Region in Central Queensland, Australia. The park is 593 km northwest of Brisbane. It began life as a reserve gazetted in 1932 to protect Carnarvon ...

. Carnarvon Gorge features white sandstone cliffs, steep-sided gorges a diverse range of significant plant and animal species and many walking tracks.

Kroombit Tops National Park Kroombit Tops is a national park in Central Queensland, Australia. It is between Monto, Queensland, Monto and Calliope, Queensland, Calliope. It is two parts. The largest part is within the Suburbs and localities (Australia), localities of Table ...

provides habitat for the endemic Kroombit tinker frog.

Deepwater National Park Deepwater is a coastal national park in Queensland, Australia, 375 km north of Brisbane. It protects an area of sand dunes and coastal heaths in the Deepwater Creek catchment. The area is one of the few remaining pristine freshwater catchme ...

is good place for turtle watching. From November to March three species of turtle lay their eggs on beaches protected within the park.

Communities

For this purpose the area of Central Queensland was restricted to the areas encircled by the

Dawson Highway The Dawson Highway is a state highway in Queensland, Australia. It runs for between Gladstone, Queensland, Gladstone and Springsure, Queensland, Springsure where it terminates. From Gladstone to Rolleston, Queensland, Rolleston it is signed as ...

between Gladstone and Springsure; the

Gregory Highway The Gregory Highway is a state highway in Queensland, Australia that serves the major coal-mining centres of Central Queensland. The highway was named after Augustus Gregory, an early explorer. Route description The highway runs southward fro ...

between Springsure and Clermont, and the

Peak Downs Highway The Peak Downs Highway links the towns of Mackay, Queensland, Mackay and Clermont, Queensland, Clermont in the Australian state of Queensland. It represents the main link between Queensland's Whitsunday Islands, Whitsunday Coast and the Central ...

between Clermont and enters North Queensland via Mackay – extended right to the eastern coastline. Major cities in the region are

and

. Some communities on the

include Byfield,

Yeppoon Yeppoon () is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia. Yeppoon is renowned for its beaches, tropical climate, and the islands out on the bay. Located from the city of Rockhampton, Yeppoon is the seat of ...

Emu Park Emu Park is a coastal town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality on the Capricorn Coast located south of Yeppoon, Queensland, Yeppoon in Queensland, Australia. It is within the local government in Australia, local government area of ...

and

Cawarral Cawarral is a rural town and locality in the Livingstone Shire, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Cawarral had a population of 831 people. History Cawarral State School opened on 13 July 1874. Demographics In the , the localit ...

History

'' Gungabula'' (also known as ''Kongabula'' and ''Khungabula'') is an

Australian Aboriginal language The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...

of the headwaters of the Dawson River in Central Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of

Maranoa Region Maranoa Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area in South West Queensland, Australia. The town of Roma, Queensland, Roma is the administrative headquarters of the region. In the , the Maranoa Region had a population of 1 ...

, particularly the towns of Charleville,

Augathella Augathella is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Augathella had a population of 328 people. Geography Augathella lies on the Matilda Highway, is north of the town of Charlevil ...

and Blackall and as well as the

Carnarvon Range The Carnarvon Range is a mountain range in Central Queensland, Australia. It is a plateau section of the Great Dividing Range. The Carnarvon Range is 160 km in length. Geography North eastern parts of the range have formed a plateau kno ...

. '' Wadja'' (also known as ''Wadjigu'', ''Wadya'', ''Wadjainngo'', ''Mandalgu'', and ''Wadjigun)'' is an Australian Aboriginal language in Central Queensland. The language region includes the local government areas of the

Aboriginal Shire of Woorabinda The Aboriginal Shire of Woorabinda is a local government area in Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the Aboriginal Shire of Woorabinda had a population of 1,019 people. Geography Most local government areas are a single contiguous area ...

and

Central Highlands Region Central Highlands Region is a local government area in Queensland, Australia. In the , the Central Highlands Region had a population of 27,836 people. History '' Wadja'' (also known as ''Wadjigu'', ''Wadya'', ''Wadjainngo'', ''Mandalgu'', a ...

, including the Blackdown Tablelands. the

Comet River The Comet River is a river in Central Queensland, Australia. Geography Formed by the confluence of the Brown River and Clematis Creek, the Comet River rises in the Expedition Range, north of Expedition National Park and south of Rolleston ...

, and the

Expedition Range Expedition Range is a mountain range within the Central Highlands sandstone region of Queensland, Australia. Robinson Creek cuts a 100 metres deep gorge through sandstone clifflines. Many spectacular side gorges add to the appeal of the area, ...

, and the towns of Woorabinda,

Springsure Springsure is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Springsure had a population of 950 people. Geography Springsure is situated by road ...

and Rolleston. ''

Yagalingu The Yagalingu are an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland. Their language may have been a dialect of Bidjara. Country According to Norman Tindale, the Yagalingu had a territorial range of some , south from the headwaters of th ...

'' (also known as ''Jagalingu'', ''Auanbura'', ''Kokleburra'', ''Owanburra'', ''Kowanburra'', ''Wagalbara'', and ''Djagalingu'') is an Australian Aboriginal language of Central Queensland. Its traditional language region was within the local government area of

Isaac Region The Isaac Region is a local government area located in Central Queensland, Queensland, Australia created in March 2008 as a result of the report of the Local Government Reform Commission released in July 2007. In the , the Isaac Region had a po ...

, from the headwaters of the

Belyando River The Belyando River, including the Belyando River (Western Branch), is a river system in Central Queensland, Australia. At in length and with a catchment area of , the Belyando River system is one of the longest rivers in Queensland. It is pro ...

south to Avoca, north to Laglan, west to the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills. It runs roughl ...

, and east and south to Drummond Range. ''

Yambina The Yambina were an Aboriginal Australian people of the state of Queensland, whose traditional lands lie inland (westwards) some distance from Mackay. Country Yambina lands included Logan Creek south of Avon Downs. They ran east to the De ...

'' (also known as ''Jambina'' and ''Jambeena'') is an

of Central Queensland. Its traditional language region is the local government area of

, including

Peak Downs Peak Downs is a geographic area, and formerly a station, in the vicinity of Clermont, Central Queensland. In the 1860s and 1870s the area was known as "the Peak Downs". The morphology of this region consisted of numerous distinct peaks of bas ...

, Logan Creek, south to Avon Downs, east to Denham Range and Logan Downs, west to Elgin Downs and at Solferino. '' Yetimarala'' (also known as ''Jetimarala'', ''Yetimaralla'', and ''Bayali'') is an

of Central Queensland. Its traditional language region is within the local government areas of

, on the Boomer Range and Broadsound Range and the Fitzroy River, Killarney Station,

Mackenzie River The Mackenzie River (French: ; Slavey language, Slavey: ' èh tʃʰò literally ''big river''; Inuvialuktun: ' uːkpɑk literally ''great river'') is a river in the Canadian Canadian boreal forest, boreal forest and tundra. It forms, ...

and

Isaac River The Isaac River is a river and anabranch in Central Queensland, Australia. Course The headwaters of the river rise south east of Glenden, Queensland and flow in a generally southern direction, crossing the Peak Downs Highway near Moranbah. I ...

. In 1889 Central Queenslanders in Rockhampton established the

Central Queensland Territorial Separation League The Central Queensland Territorial Separation League was formed in Rockhampton in 1889 with the aim of agitating for separation of the Central Queensland region from the (then) colony of Queensland. The Separatists’ main complaints were the pe ...

with the hopes of turning Central Queensland into its own state. The core argument of secessionist movement was that the seat of government, Brisbane was in the south-east corner of the State. It was so far removed from substantial portions of the state that these areas and their citizens were left disadvantaged and neglected as political and economic interests focused on the south. Supplementing the Central Queensland Territorial Separation League, the women of Rockhampton established their own separation league in October 1892. Their main focus was preparing a

petition A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to an officia ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

. The introductory text set out their grievances and described the immense size of Queensland: being twelve times the area of England and Wales, and larger than France, Germany, Spain and Portugal combined.

Education

Central Queensland University Central Queensland University (branded as CQUniversity) is an Australian public university based in central Queensland. CQUniversity is the only Australian university with a campus presence in every mainland state. Its main campus is at Norman ...

has a campus at Emerald, Gladstone and Rockhampton.

Library Service

The Central Highlands Regional Council operates the following library branches: *

Library * The Gemfields library * Blackwater Library *

Dingo The dingo (either included in the species ''Canis familiaris'', or considered one of the following independent taxa: ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage ...

Library *

Duaringa Duaringa is a rural town in the Central Highlands Region and a locality split between the Central Highlands Region and the Aboriginal Shire of Woorabinda in Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Duaringa had a population of 26 ...

Library *

Capella Capella is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Auriga. It has the Bayer designation α Aurigae, which is Latinisation of names, Latinised to Alpha Aurigae and abbreviated Alpha Aur or α Aur. Capella is the lis ...

Library * Tieri Library *

Library * Rolleston Library *

Bauhinia ''Bauhinia'' () is a large genus of flowering plants in the subfamily Cercidoideae and tribe Bauhinieae, in the large flowering plant family Fabaceae, with a pantropical distribution. The genus was named after the Bauhin brothers Gaspard and ...

Library

References

External links

{{Queensland