50-629: Hervey Bay ( / ˈ h ɑːr v i / ) is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland , Australia. The city is situated approximately 290 kilometres (180 mi) or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane . It is located on the bay of the same name open to the Coral Sea between the Queensland mainland and nearby K'gari (also known as Fraser Island). The local economy relies on tourism which
100-503: A $ 115 million redevelopment that would double the floor area to over 35,000 square metres. The development would include an additional 70 specialty stores and a 500-seat food court, taking the total number of stores to 110. Hervey Bay has an active sporting community with the geography and climate encouraging a diverse range of activities. The natural foreshore area of Hervey Bay has a 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) long bike and pedestrian path that visibly integrates recreational fitness into
150-529: A group of volunteers established the Women's Information Service which expanded over time to meet a wider range of community needs. It established a community centre in a house at 47 Taylor Street in 1987 and became an incorporated association in 1989. As the number of community programs expanded, larger premises were needed. On 5 December 2011 a new purpose-built Hervey Bay Community Centre was opened at 22 Charles Street. The Hervey Bay Library opened in 1997 and had
200-509: A major refurbishment in 2014. In the 2016 census , the suburb of Pialba had a population of 3,678 people. In the 2021 census , the suburb of Pialba had a population of 4,151 people. Pialba has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Pialba State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Alice Street ( 25°16′45″S 152°50′00″E / 25.2793°S 152.8333°E / -25.2793; 152.8333 ( Pialba State School ) ). In 2017,
250-662: A mayor, elected for a four-year term. Each of the councillors represent one of the ten divisions. The next election is due in 2028. The Fraser Coast Region includes the following settlements: Urban Hervey Bay : Rural Hervey Bay : Maryborough area: Woocoo area: North Tiaro - Division 1 area: North Tiaro - Division 2 area: - split with Gympie Region The Fraser Coast Regional Council operates public libraries at Burrum Heads , Pialba (Hervey Bay), Howard , Maryborough (John Anderson), Maryborough (Toys and Special Needs), and Tiaro (Tom Gee Memorial). The populations given relate to
300-471: Is also served by the high-speed Tilt Train , which has connections from Maryborough West or nearby Howard . The city is served by the Hervey Bay Airport , with direct flights from Brisbane ( QantasLink ) Sydney and Melbourne ( Jetstar Airways ). The City of Hervey Bay (now the Fraser Coast Region ) has released an airport master plan which includes future provision of a taxiway parallel to
350-422: Is at 18 Neils Street ( 25°17′10″S 152°50′44″E / 25.2861°S 152.8455°E / -25.2861; 152.8455 ( Bayside Christian Church ) ). Hervey Bay Church of Christ is at 27 Neils Street ( 25°17′14″S 152°50′41″E / 25.2872°S 152.8448°E / -25.2872; 152.8448 ( Hervey Bay Church of Christ ) ). St Joseph's Catholic Church
400-414: Is at 5 Peters Lane ( 25°16′51″S 152°50′26″E / 25.2808°S 152.8406°E / -25.2808; 152.8406 ( All Saints Anglican Chapel ) ). Hervey Bay Gospel Church is at 44 Hunter Street ( 25°17′11″S 152°50′28″E / 25.2864°S 152.8410°E / -25.2864; 152.8410 ( Hervey Bay Gospel Church ) ). Bayside Christian Church
450-638: Is based primarily around whale watching in Platypus Bay to the north, ferry access to K'gari , accessible recreational fishing and boating and the natural north facing, calm beaches with wide undeveloped foreshore zones. In October 2019, Hervey Bay was named the First Whale Heritage Site in the world by the World Cetacean Alliance, for its commitment to and practices of sustainable whale and dolphin watching. In
500-498: Is dominated by Mature females with new calves. The humpback whales are known to be very relaxed in the company of the whale watching vessels. Southern right whales have also been recorded with increasing sighting rates. According to the Australian Sister Cities Association, Hervey Bay has two sister cities : Fraser Coast Region The Fraser Coast Region is a local government area in
550-725: Is part of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia . Local commercial FM radio stations are Breeze 102.5 , Triple M 103.5 , Hit 101.9 and Rebel 106.7 . Along with a number of other regional Australian newspapers owned by NewsCorp , the Hervey Bay Independent newspaper ceased publication in June 2020. In April 2022, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation opened a bureau at Hervey Bay to improve its coverage of
SECTION 10
#1732779590485600-723: Is popular in Hervey Bay. The city has two senior clubs competing in the AFL Wide Bay competition: Hervey Bay Bombers based in Wondunna and the Bay Power based in Urangan . Both field senior men's, women's and junior teams. The local rugby league team, Hervey Bay Seagulls, are the cornerstone of rugby league in the Hervey Bay area. Hervey Bay is the whale watching capital of Australia, with humpback whales migrating along
650-410: Is predominantly affected by south east trade winds ; keeping the temperatures down in summer and up in winter. Annual rainfall averages around 1,022.0 millimetres (40.24 in), with a maximum in summer and autumn. Extreme temperatures, moderated by the ocean, have ranged from −1.2 °C (29.8 °F) on 16 July 2007 to 36.8 °C (98.2 °F) on 5 December 2012. Tropical cyclones can affect
700-726: Is represented in the Parliament of Queensland by Labor member Adrian Tantari , and in the Commonwealth Parliament by the Nationals member for Hinkler , Keith Pitt . Hervey Bay has a warm humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa) with hot, wet summers and very mild, relatively dry winters. Mean maximum temperatures range from 21.8 °C (71.2 °F) in July to 30.3 °C (86.5 °F) in January. The coast
750-620: The 2021 census , Hervey Bay had a population of 57,722 people. Hervey Bay has a number of heritage-listed sites. K'gari is listed on the World Heritage List . The Woody Island Lighthouses are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register . Hervey Bay is situated approximately 3½ hours' drive north of Brisbane , via the Bruce Highway and 30 minutes' drive north-east of Maryborough . The city
800-685: The 2021 census , Hervey Bay had a population of 57,722 people. A 2010 study by Deakin University showed that people on the Fraser Coast area including Hervey Bay, were the happiest in Australia. The area that became Hervey Bay is on the traditional lands of the Butchulla people. The city takes its name from Hervey Bay , named by James Cook in 1770 in honour of Augustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol . Several small townships developed along
850-406: The 2021 census , the suburb of Pialba had a population of 4,151 people. Pialba is a located 294 kilometres (183 mi) north of Brisbane on the southern shore of Hervey Bay . It is the central business district of the town of Hervey Bay. The area was originally known as Point Vernon, until a town was surveyed and named Polson. On 19 March 1931 the town name was changed to Pialba, reflecting
900-557: The City of Maryborough and the Shire of Woocoo , as well as parts of the Shire of Tiaro , it was amalgamated into the Fraser Coast Region on 15 March 2008. The Hervey Bay Library opened in 1997 and had a major refurbishment in 2014. A new library is under construction with an expected completion date of mid 2026. In the 2016 census , Hervey Bay had a population of 52,073 people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.0% of
950-540: The City of Maryborough , while 1,269.0 km (490.0 sq mi) with an estimated population of 2,629 was annexed by the Shire of Woocoo. In September 1977, the Shire of Hervey Bay received Town status, and on 18 February 1984 it became a City. The Local Government (Maryborough and Woocoo) Regulation 1993 , which took effect on 31 March 1994, effected the City's annexation of about 700 km (270 sq mi) of
1000-520: The Kabi Kabi are the traditional residents of Hervey Bay. Batjala means Bat-No and Jala-tongu. The first recorded European sighting of Hervey Bay was made by James Cook while carrying out his running survey of the east coast of Australia , on 22 May 1770. By noon Cook's ship was in a position a little over half-way across the opening of Hervey Bay heading for Bundaberg . When Cook first discovered Hervey Bay, he did not realise that Fraser Island
1050-635: The Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the QCWA Rooms at 7 Torquay Road, Pialba ( 25°16′54″S 152°50′25″E / 25.2818°S 152.8402°E / -25.2818; 152.8402 ( Point Vernon / Pialba CWA ) ). The Hervey Bay Community Centre is at 22 Charles Street ( 25°16′54″S 152°50′14″E / 25.2818°S 152.8372°E / -25.2818; 152.8372 ( Hervey Bay Community Centre ) ). All Saints Anglican Chapel
SECTION 20
#17327795904851100-567: The Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland , Australia, about 250 kilometres (160 mi) north of Brisbane , the state capital. It is centred on the twin cities of Hervey Bay and Maryborough and also contains K'gari . It was created in 2008 from a merger of the Cities of Maryborough and Hervey Bay and the Shires of Woocoo and most of Tiaro . The resident population at the 2021 census
1150-648: The separation of Queensland in 1859, was proclaimed, becoming the sixth municipal government in Queensland. Henry Palmer was appointed as its first Mayor. On 11 November 1879, when the Divisional Boards Act 1879 came into effect, the Antigua and Burrum Divisions were created around what is now Hervey Bay, and on 15 September 1883, the Granville Division was established to serve the district surrounding Maryborough. A later division, Howard,
1200-411: The 1950s and 1960s, population and development increased, and the coastal towns slowly merged into a single urban area. On 20 December 1975, but effective from 27 March 1976 local government elections, the Shire of Burrum was renamed the Shire of Hervey Bay. With the new focus on the coastal region, 1,086.4 km (419.5 sq mi) of its area, with an estimated population of 1,119, was annexed by
1250-566: The 1980s on and was proclaimed a city in 1984. Butchulla (also known as Batjala, Badtjala, Badjela, and Badjala) is the language of the Fraser Coast region, including K’gari . Butchulla language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Fraser Coast Regional Council , particularly the towns of Maryborough and Hervey Bay extending south towards Double Island Point and north to Burrum Heads . The indigenous Batjala people including
1300-566: The Fraser Coast. Staffed by two locally-based journalists, the new bureau on Boat Harbour Drive was opened as part of the ABC's regional expansion. Hervey Bay and the Fraser Coast region's largest shopping centre is Stockland Hervey Bay. It is a regional shopping centre located in the suburb of Urraween. Stockland Acquired the centre in April 2011, at the time it had a floor area of 15,600 square metres, and 48 stores. In 2013 Stockland begun construction of
1350-586: The Local Government principles outlined in the Local Government Act." As at 2024, the councillors are 25°17′28.5″S 152°49′51.3″E / 25.291250°S 152.830917°E / -25.291250; 152.830917 Pialba Download coordinates as: Pialba is a coastal town and suburb of Hervey Bay in the Fraser Coast Region , Queensland , Australia. It is the central business district of Hervey Bay. In
1400-631: The Presbyterian minister in Maryborough, Joseph Irvine Knipe. It was erected by German settlers. Radio broadcasting commenced in the Wide Bay area on Wednesday 14 January 1948 from a transmitter in Piabla under the call sign 4QB which is now ABC Wide Bay . Hervey Bay State High School opened on 28 January 1964. Hervey Bay Church of Christ was established in the mid-1970s. However some of
1450-607: The Shire of Woocoo. At this time, Maryborough was resubdivided into eight divisions each with one councillor, plus an elected mayor. On 15 March 2008, under the Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 passed by the Parliament of Queensland on 10 August 2007, the City of Hervey Bay merged with the City of Maryborough , Shire of Woocoo and the northern part of Tiaro to form the Fraser Coast Region. The council consists of ten councillors and
1500-579: The bayside, the earliest being Pialba in 1863. From 1863 to 1906, the Wide Bay region became a central part of the Pacific Slave trade , with more than 12 thousand South Sea Islanders brought to the cotton and sugarcane plantations in Maryborough and Hervey Bay. During World War II , the region operated a training school for the Z Special Unit special forces . Hervey Bay boomed from
1550-461: The coast between April and October every year. Researchers at The Oceania Project conducted a 25-year study which found the bay was an important social hub for humpback whales. Whale number have increased from about 2,000 in 1992, to around 33,000 in 2018. Hervey Bay is a stopover for mature female humpback whales. Mature females visit Hervey Bay during August in company with the cohort of immature males and females. During September and October Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-615: The component entities prior to 2008. The 2011 census was the first for the new Region. The current mayor of the Fraser Coast Regional Council is George Seymour elected in a by-election held in May 2018 and re-elected in 2020 and 2024. The by-election followed the dismissal of Chris Loft as Mayor on 16 February 2018 by the Minister for Local Government, Stirling Hinchliffe who alleged Mr Loft made "serial breaches of
1650-720: The congregation felt that the Church of Christ was adopting an overly liberal interpretation of the Bible and renamed themselves Hervey Bay Bible Church to better reflect their beliefs. Disagreements with the Church of Christ resulted in the congregation leaving the church premises and conducting their services in other premises, initially the QCWA Hall and then later at the Hervey Bay Community Centre. In June 1985
1700-508: The environment and community. Competition sports are generally regional and played against nearby cities, Bundaberg , Maryborough and Gympie . The calm waters and gently sloped beaches make recreational and competitive water sports popular and accessible. These include sailing, kite boarding, water skiing, wake boarding, kayaking, out-rigging, snorkelling, scuba diving, and ocean swimming. The Hervey Bay Triathlon started in 1988 and has been raced annually since. Australian rules football
1750-815: The following settlements: Hervey Bay has 14 schools. Hervey Bay also has two Higher Education institutes, a campus of the University of the Sunshine Coast and the Wide Bay Institute of TAFE . and a State Government Special School. The Fraser Coast Regional Council operate the Hervey Bay Library at 161 Old Maryborough Road, Pialba . LifeChurch Hervey Bay meets at the Community Centre at 22 Charles Street in Pialba . It
1800-592: The line, but the main stations were Pialba and Urangan. The railway then extended along the Urangan Pier . The line carried out pineapples and local goods from the city. The line was closed in 1993. The tracks from Nikenbah to Urangan were removed and the Pialba – Urangan line was converted into a rail trail . Traces of the railway line are still visible in Urangan. There are two semi-removed crossings (Everything but
1850-586: The local government boundaries of the Fraser Coast Regional Council, particularly the towns of Maryborough and Hervey Bay extending south towards Noosa and northwest to Howard . Prior to the 2008 amalgamation, the Fraser Coast Region existed as four distinct local government areas: On 10 March 1861, the Municipal Borough of Maryborough, governed under the Municipalities Act 1858 which had been inherited from New South Wales upon
1900-624: The long existing use of that name. The Hervey Bay railway line from Maryborough to Pialba opened on 18 December 1896. It was used to transport harvested sugarcane to the Maryborough Sugar Mill in addition to daily passenger trains. An extension to Urangan and the Urangan Pier opened on 19 December 1913. As the Pialba railway station was built so close to the beach ( 25°17′02″S 152°50′18″E / 25.2840°S 152.8384°E / -25.2840; 152.8384 ( Pialba railway station (former) ) ), it
1950-504: The main runway, additional car parking and a larger terminal. The city is also served by passenger ferry to Fraser Island, as well as both scheduled and unscheduled vehicular ferries. Despite Hervey Bay's growing popularity, no plans have been made for a new railway line to the city. The previous passenger and freight line branched off the North Coast main line at Colton , just north of Maryborough. Trains stopped at many stations along
2000-527: The population. The median age of people was 48 years, ten years older than the national median age. 74.6% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 5.9%, New Zealand 3.5%, Germany 0.8%, Scotland 0.6%, and Philippines 0.6%. 88.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included German 0.5%, French 0.2%, Mandarin 0.2%, Dutch 0.2%, and Italian 0.2%. The most common responses for religion were no religion 28.0%, Anglican 20.5%, and Catholic 18.9%. In
2050-477: The school had an enrolment of 1019 students with 88 teachers (83 full-time equivalent) and 43 non-teaching staff (34 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. The Fraser Coast Regional Council operate the Hervey Bay library at 161 Old Maryborough Road, Pialba ( 25°17′06″S 152°50′13″E / 25.2850°S 152.8370°E / -25.2850; 152.8370 ( Hervey Bay Library ) ). The Point Vernon/Pialba branch of
Hervey Bay - Misplaced Pages Continue
2100-588: The school had an enrolment of 456 students with 42 teachers (38 full-time equivalent) and 37 non-teaching staff (26 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education and the Hervey Bay Positive Learning Centre. Hervey Bay State High School is a government secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls at Beach Road ( 25°16′55″S 152°49′56″E / 25.2819°S 152.8322°E / -25.2819; 152.8322 ( Hervey Bay State High School ) ). In 2017,
2150-463: The town during the austral summer, with Cyclone Hamish (2009) as a Category 5 , and Cyclone Oswald (2013) from tornadoes spawned by the cyclone. However, Fraser Island affects weather in Hervey Bay; protecting the marine environment from open ocean storm effects. Hervey Bay began as a dispersed community spread over numerous small, seaside villages. As the area grew, these communities amalgamated and became suburbs . The current urban area includes
2200-654: The tracks was removed) near the end of Pier Street and the track's ballast is still slightly visible from where the mobility corridor ends. Hervey Bay is the largest population centre within the Fraser Coast Region . The current mayor of the Fraser Coast Regional Council is George Seymour first elected in a by-election held in May 2018 and re-elected in the 2020 quadrennial local government elections in March 2020. A total of ten Councillors are elected every four years. The Electoral district of Hervey Bay has Queensland's second highest share of residents aged over 60. Hervey Bay
2250-410: Was 111,032 and the estimated population in 2023 was 117,940. The 2024-2025 budget of the Fraser Coast Regional Council is $ 477 million. In the 2021 census , the Fraser Coast Region had a population of 111,032 people. Butchulla (also known as Batjala, Badtjala, Badjela and Badjala) is the language of the Fraser Coast region, including K'gari. Butchulla language region includes the landscape within
2300-512: Was a major freight point for the Port of Maryborough and for the sugar cane industry until road transport assumed the role. On 18 February 1984, the Town of Hervey Bay was officially proclaimed as the "City of Hervey Bay", due to its increasing population and growth in its business sector and tourism industry. Despite this, many of the local residents still saw it as a small seaside village. Along with
2350-417: Was not possible to extend the line directly from the Pialba station. A junction was added before the Pialba station and the trains had to reverse out of the station in order to take the junction to Urangan. From 10 June 1929 a railmotor was used to operate the passenger services. Pialba State School opened on 30 July 1884. An undenominational church was opened in Pialba on New Year's Day (1 January) 1884 by
2400-496: Was renamed Pialba. On 17 February 1917, the Granville, Antigua and Pialba shires were dissolved, and split between a new Shire of Burrum and the Shire of Woocoo , which had been gazetted three years earlier. By the 1920s the Hervey Bay area was rapidly expanding due to continuing growth in the primary industries such as sugar cane, citrus, pineapples, beef cattle and fishing, as well as investment in transport infrastructure. In
2450-727: Was separated from mainland Australia; Cook did not travel far enough south due to the shallow depths of the waters in the Bay. Cook named the bay "Hervey's Bay" after Augustus John Hervey (1724–1779), later Third Earl of Bristol , a naval officer who became a Lord of the Admiralty the year Endeavour returned. Until around the mid-1980s the area was serviced by a rail link from the main North Coast line that diverted from Aldershot and went through Takura , Walligan , and Nikenbah , before continuing on to Pialba and Urangan . The line
2500-615: Was split away from the Division of Isis in 1900. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902 , all four divisions became Shires on 31 March 1903, and Maryborough became a Town. On 7 January 1905 Maryborough achieved City status, and a Town Hall was built on the corner of Kent and Adelaide Streets and became the administrative centre of the City. At around this time, the Shire of Degilbo, later renamed Biggenden , split away on 3 June 1905. On 23 December 1905, Burrum
#484515