O'Connell is an outer southern

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

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 ...

in the

Gladstone Region Gladstone Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Queensland, Australia. The council covers an area of , and has an estimated operating budget of Australian dollar, A$84 million. In the , the Gladstone Region had a ...

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 ...

, Australia. In the , O'Connell had a population of 399 people.

Geography

The northern arm of the estuary of the '' Boyne River'' forms part of the eastern boundary. Gladstone–Benaraby Road (State Route 58) closely parallels much of the eastern boundary before passing through the south-eastern corner. Toolooa railway station is an abandoned railway station on the North Coast railway line ().

History

The suburb is named after Sir

Maurice Charles O'Connell Sir Maurice Charles Philip O'Connell KCH (1768 – 25 May 1848) was a commander of forces and lieutenant-governor of colonial New South Wales. Early life Maurice Charles O'Connell was born in Ireland in 1768. He had had a distinguished caree ...

who was the

Government Resident A resident minister, or resident for short, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of ind ...

at Port Curtis from 1854 to 1859. In 1860 (after the

Separation of Queensland The Separation of Queensland was an event in 1859 in which the land that forms the present-day state of Queensland in Australia was excised from the Colony of New South Wales and proclaimed as a separate crown colony. History European settlemen ...

), O'Connell was appointed a member of the

Queensland Legislative Council Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, ...

and was its President from 1860 to 1879.

Demographics

In the , O'Connell had a population of 317 people. In the , O'Connell had a population of 399 people.

Education

There are no schools in O'Conell. The nearest government primary schools are Kin Kora State School in Kin Kora to the north and Gladstone South State School in South Gladstone to the north. The nearest government secondary school is Toolooa State High School in South Gladstone to the north.

Amenities

There is a boat ramp and floating walkway on the Gladstone - Benaraby Road providing access to the South Trees Inlet (). It is managed by the Gladstone Regional Council.

References

{{Gladstone Region Suburbs of Gladstone