55-562: Shoalwater Bay is a large bay on the Capricorn Coast of Central Queensland , Australia 100 km north of the coastal town of Yeppoon and 628 km north-north-west of the state capital, Brisbane . Since 1966, the land surrounding Shoalwater Bay has been under the ownership of the Australian Defence Force , for the purpose of military training exercises. Shoalwater Bay is also a noted dugong habitat and
110-484: A humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa/Cwa ). Due to its location in the southern tropics , the Capricorn Coast experiences hot summers without the extreme humidity of Far North Queensland , and mild winters without the freezing temperatures of the south. The year round temperate climate lends itself well to a relaxed lifestyle, which has proven popular with new families moving to
165-585: A heritage listed building. With primary production the lifeblood of the town, better transportation was needed, not only to Rockhampton but along the coast as well. Steam wagons followed and the north of Yeppoon opened up to new commerce and communities. Pastoral Lands and settlements now filled the landscape from Woodbury and Byfield in the north, inland through Bungundarra, Lake Mary, Tanby, Mount Chalmers, and Cawarral. South of Yeppoon, all arable lands through Taranganba, Lammermoor, and Mulambin were also claimed as far as to present day Causeway Lake. South of
220-498: A month to look after the minor requirements of the town. The discovery of gold brought a huge influx of people to the region, and the various Boards broke up into smaller administrative bodies to better service the growing population. In 1903, the Gogango Divisional Board was renamed Shire of Livingstone . The boundaries of the new shire remained largely unchanged until 1984, when outlying districts including
275-480: A pioneering spirit from local residents saw the township prevail. In 1893, the Sand Hills State School opened. To the present day, Joskeleigh remains a testament to times that many white Australians might prefer to forget, as it is home to one of Australia's most prominent South Sea Island communities; descendants of peoples blackbirded from their native homes to work as indentured labourers in
330-538: A sizeable chunk of the Shoalwater Bay hinterland north of the village of Byfield . Suggestions that the Shoalwater Bay region be acquired for the purpose of a training ground first appeared in 1960. The army formally took control of the land on 1 July 1965; by the following year, the last landholder had vacated his property. The training area was used by troops who were deployed to the Vietnam War . In 2005
385-466: A skirmish with the local Aboriginal people which resulted in the death or severe wounding of two of his workers and seven Aboriginal men being shot. The Native Police were called in and they tracked down "the blacks" to Torilla Hill where some more were shot. Elliott later sold Tilpal to James Black and a minor gold rush occurred on the property in the late 1860s. Raspberry Creek was initially taken up by James Ross and James Hutton. Hutton commenced building
440-617: A statement Monday. Three US Marines have been missing since what the Marine Corps calls a "mishap" with an MV-22 aircraft. Twenty-three of the 26 personnel on board the aircraft were rescued, the Corps said." The helicopter was from the ship, USS Green Bay. The bay contains one of the most important seagrass habitats in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park . A plan of management for the bay's dugong population
495-474: A travelling photographer. Torilla was formed by British colonist Frank Newbold in 1858. Newbold did not allow the local Cooinmurburra people to be present upon what was now viewed as his property and conflict ensued. In 1868, around forty Cooinmurburra attacked the Newbold's homestead, fatally wounding his son William Newbold. Around twenty Aboriginal people were shot dead. The Newbold family and their relatives,
550-420: Is Causeway Lake with hire boats and stores. Across the bridge, is Kinka Beach, and then Emu Park and Zilzie. Towns, suburbs, and localities in the southern section of the Capricorn Coast are Coowonga, Girt Island, Joskeleigh, Keppel Sands , Long Beach (or Joskeleigh Beach), Quartz Rock, Thompson's Point. Often referred to as the "forgotten" end of the Capricorn Coast, the rural and seaside communities south of
605-469: Is approximately 75 km (47 mi) from end to end yet comparatively small in population, with dozens of towns and islands scattered along its length. The region has a rich history going back to the 1850s. The Capricorn Coast offers a wide variety of luxury and budget holiday accommodation as well as bush and rainforest retreats. Plentiful beaches and tourist venues provide snorkelling, island adventures, bushwalking and marina berths. A wildlife sanctuary
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#1732783094312660-497: Is believed to have come from the Darumbal people, the indigenous tribe local to the region. Indeed, on the western fringe of Rockhampton, an expansive wetlands system was named Yeppen-Yeppen Lagoon. On that basis, the etymology of the two districts is believed to be the same. Initial settlement was slow however. Though intended to become a township, the region's rich soils attracted farmers rather than townspeople. This changed
715-746: Is located at Cooberie and a crocodile farm at Coowonga . In 1879, the Gogango Divisional Board was established as one of 74 divisions in Queensland under the Divisional Boards Act 1879 . The Gogango Divisional Board's scope of authority comprised a large area north and east of Rockhampton. While the Division was administered in Rockhampton, a locally appointed body, the Yeppoon Progress Association met once
770-602: Is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park . The bay is bounded by the Torilla Peninsula to the west and the Warginburra Peninsula and Leicester and Townshend islands to the east. The traditional inhabitants of Shoalwater Bay are the Darumbal people.The Darumbal (Tarumbul, Tharoombool) language region includes the city of Rockhampton extending south towards Raglan Creek and north towards
825-632: Is part of the Shire of Livingstone (formerly part of Rockhampton Region ). The Capricorn Coasts takes its name from Cape Capricorn ( 23°29′08″S 151°14′08″E / 23.4856°S 151.2356°E / -23.4856; 151.2356 ( Cape Capricorn (namesake) ) ) on Curtis Island , which in turn takes its name from the Tropic of Capricorn (approx 23°26′11″S 150°49′49″E / 23.4364°S 150.83036°E / -23.4364; 150.83036 ( Tropic of Capricorn (at
880-563: The East Asian – Australasian Flyway populations of bar-tailed godwits , Eurasian whimbrels and Terek sandpipers . It also contains populations of beach stone-curlews and mangrove honeyeaters . 22°25′00″S 150°25′00″E / 22.41667°S 150.41667°E / -22.41667; 150.41667 Capricorn Coast The Capricorn Coast is a stretch of coastline in Central Queensland , Australia and
935-737: The Raspberry Creek Homestead and brought his family to the station in 1861. The resident Risteburra people speared Hutton's cattle and the Native Police were called in to "disperse" the tribe. Many were shot or fell from cliffs after being pursued by the troopers into the Polygon Range. Raspberry Creek remained under the ownership of the Hutton family until 1917. The Peninsula Station was taken up by Edward Hampton Baker (also known as "Cranky" Baker), which encompassed
990-523: The 1960s, the Emu Park rail line was progressively decommissioned, however the original building at Nankin still stands. At Tungamull directly before the Keppel Sands Road turnoff, pylons that supported the rail bridge are also clearly visible beside the floodway crossing. The Emu Park Museum also houses many historical relics of the rail line that helped make the remote southern communities of
1045-410: The Capricorn Coast in great detail in 1804. Flinders spent the best part of a month in the shallow bays, making landings at Curtis Island, Port Clinton, Shoalwater Bay and Percy Island. Matthew Flinders Drive, a scenic cliffside road that winds through Cooee Bay and up over the top of Wreck Point, is named in his honour. Phillip Parker King followed in 1820 but encountered difficulties when his ship,
1100-745: The Capricorn Coast on the back of the mining boom. The Capricorn Coast and indeed the area that comprises most of the Rockhampton Region is the traditional land of the Darumbal Aboriginal peoples. Offshore, the Keppel Bay Islands National Park is home to the Kanomi-Woppaburra people (The Keppel Islanders). On the coast, alliances existed between tribes, and clans within tribes. The Kuinmurrburra nation had six allied tribes within it;
1155-578: The Central Capricorn Coast from Farnborough in the north to Zilzie in the south. Dotted along the way are a dozen seaside communities, and the major towns of Yeppoon and Emu Park. Clearly visible from every beach along the way is Great Keppel Island, thirty minutes away by boat. Yeppoon and Emu Park are connected by the Scenic Highway. Adjoining Yeppoon to the south are the seaside communities of Cooee Bay and Taranganba, and then
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#17327830943121210-776: The Keppel Islanders were forcibly removed by the Queensland Government in 1912. The Darumbal Dreamtime Centre in Rockhampton, adjacent to the Yeppoon turnoff, is the largest Aboriginal cultural centre in Australia. The Capricorn Coast was first explored by James Cook in 1770. He did not make landing in the area however he named several islands and land forms; Cape Capricorn, Keppel Isles, Keppel Bay, Cape Many Fold (later Cape Manifold), and Shoal Water Bay (later Shoalwater Bay). Matthew Flinders explored
1265-602: The Kutuburra, Ristebura, Wanuburra, Wuruburra, Pukanburra, and Muinburra, which existed in relative harmony to allow for nature's swinging moods. The island natives did not interact with the mainland Darumbals, for they feared each other and spoke a much different dialect. With the settlement of Yeppoon in the late 1860s, the principal landholder on the Capricorn Coast, Robert Ross, removed the Kanomi population from North Keppel because they were disturbing his cattle. The last of
1320-737: The Mermaid, ran aground. In 1843, an extensive survey was carried out by Captain Francis Price Blackwood on HMS Fly and Captain Charles Yule who commanded HMS Bramble. In 1844 and 1846, Ludwig Leichhardt and Thomas Mitchell explored what would later become Rockhampton, noting the quality of grazing lands in the district. In 1853, brothers William and Charles Archer followed in the footsteps of Leichhardt and Mitchell. They settled in Gracemere, twelve kilometres west of
1375-502: The Rockhampton Region. The following is a list of coastal towns and localities of the Capricorn Coast (from north to south): The Capricorn Coast features long sweeping beaches with shallow seas, dotted with rocky outcrops, the remnants of long-extinct volcanoes. The soil inland is red which is well suited to the many fruit crops growing in the area, while pockets of darker soils and clays are more suitable for grazing. In
1430-814: The Rogers family, retained the Torilla run for many decades afterwards. The town of Stanage on the Torilla property was established by the Rogers family in the early 1870s and was named after their hometown in the United Kingdom. The Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area encompasses 4,545 km, which includes the Warginburra Peninsula, the Torilla Peninsula east of the Stanage Bay Road, Townshend and Leicester Islands, and
1485-872: The Styx River and inland along the Broad Sound Ranges. Specific tribes that lived and in some cases continue to live in the area include the Cookeeburra (green-headed ant people of the Warginburra Peninsula), the Risteburra (the sandfly people of Raspberry Creek), the Cooinmurburra (the plains people of Torilla) and the Woppaburra (the people of the islands in the region). The first recorded European to sight Shoalwater Bay
1540-488: The Western Yeppoon-Emu Park Road (also called Tanby Road South), which is a newer inland route developed to keep up with the Capricorn Coast's rapid growth. Further south, separated by the broad mouth of Coorooman Creek, lies Keppel Sands . While the township is small having a population of 318 in 2006, its relative isolation makes Keppel Sands a significant community centre for people living in
1595-477: The adjacent islands. A local colonist later described the operation: "the blacks were robbing huts and doing other damage on The Peninsula, when the owner asked for police protection. The authorities gathered several detachments, and by marching in open order from one end to the other of the Peninsula, actually drove them, like a RABBIT OR KANGAROO DRIVE into the sea, shooting any that broke back. The rest took to
1650-723: The coast) ) ) which passes through roughly through the cape. The Tropic also passes through Capricorn Coast. The Capricorn Coast is officially defined as "the coastal area between the mouth of Water Park Creek and the mouth of the Fitzroy River", which establishes its boundaries as 22°56′41″S 150°47′11″E / 22.94472°S 150.78639°E / -22.94472; 150.78639 ( Water Park Creek ) and 23°32′07″S 150°52′35″E / 23.53528°S 150.87639°E / -23.53528; 150.87639 ( Fitzroy River ) , i.e. from Farnborough to Thompson Point . The Capricorn Coast
1705-425: The early 1860s, it had been divided into four pastoral stations : Tilpal, Raspberry Creek, The Peninsula and Torilla. The process of colonisation was violent with the killings of settlers and the massacres of local Aboriginal people being recorded frequently until the mid 1870s. Tilpal was formed as a sheep station in the late 1850s by "Hobby" Elliott. Not long after establishing Tilpal, Elliott and his shearers had
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1760-450: The entirety of the area today known as the Warginburra Peninsula. Baker was consistently at war with the local Cookeeburra people who took his rations and speared his cattle. Baker booby-trapped his house with self-firing rifles and poisoned the Cookeeburra with arsenic-laced flour. Native Police operations occurred frequently in the 1860s on The Peninsula with Baker being pleased with the efforts of Inspectors Aubin and Compigne "to inspire
1815-453: The expansive Causeway Lake and the shifting dunes of Kinka, that sense of separateness between the two seaside towns continued for another fifty years until a permanent tide-proof causeway was finally constructed to join the two ends of the coast. That separate history however, allowed Emu Park and Yeppoon to develop distinct personalities that are still apparent today. The rail line also made access easier to Keppel Sands, at least for half of
1870-742: The federal government entered into a long-term agreement with the US over the use of Shoalwater Bay for military training purposes. Similar agreements over a shorter time span have been agreed to with the Singapore Ministry of Defence . Military exercises with the United States have aroused considerable controversy in the Rockhampton-Yeppoon area, due to the threat of environmental damage to the Shoalwater Bay region. In recent years, concern has been raised, although unfounded about
1925-406: The following year with the commencement of regular stagecoach services from Rockhampton, and the continued mining of copper and gold in the coastal hinterlands around Cawarral and Mount Chalmers . By 1889, the town was growing steadily, and boasted several hotels and boarding houses, a sugar mill, a telegraph service, a Methodist-Presbyterian church, and Yeppoon's first state school which is today
1980-460: The journey, with a siding located at Tungamull. From there, the fifteen kilometre trek to Sand Hills as the township was then named, was fraught with peril, not least of which was the permanent wetlands that effectively made the town an island. Monsoonal rains could isolate Keppel Sands for several weeks. It was because of this inaccessibility that Keppel Sands failed to grow at the same pace as its sister towns across Coorooman Creek, but nonetheless
2035-505: The lake, progress was also running full steam. The new town of Emu Park was taking form with the completion of the first coastal railway from Rockhampton in 1889. Even at this early stage of Capricorn Coast history, Emu Park and Yeppoon shared an odd rivalry, with Emu Park attracting the more elite section of Rockhampton and Mount Morgan society, while the "common man", especially gold miners from Cawarral and Mount Chalmers gravitated towards Yeppoon. With Emu Park separated from Yeppoon by
2090-1006: The major population centres have two principal commons; they are centred on the life-giving waterways in the area, such as Coorooman Creek and the Fitzroy River. Fishing and boating are popular pursuits, with community festivals well frequented, and local support groups such as the Rural Fire Brigade well attended. Islands, atolls, and localities in the bays of the Capricorn Coast are: Arch Rock, Conical Rocks, Corroberee Island, Entrance Rocks, Flat Rock, Great Keppel Island , Half Tide Rocks, Keppel Bay Islands National Park including Pelican Island, Divided Island, Conical Island, Halfway Island, Humpy Island, Miall Island, North Keppel Island, Middle Island, Peak Island, Man and Wife Rocks, Mother Macgregor Island, Outer Rocks, Pelican Rock, Pumpkin Island , Round Rock, Sloping Island, Split Rock, Square Rocks, Wedge Island. The Capricorn Coast experiences
2145-443: The natives with a wholesome respect for their Majesty's colors." Baker offered money to Rockhampton residents to shoot Aboriginal people on his property, and threatened to place an advertisement in the local newspaper offering "a premium for scalps" if the government did not provide him with even more assistance against "the blacks." In 1873 Inspector Alexander Douglas of Native Police led a large patrol through The Peninsula and around
2200-488: The new LGA Rockhampton Region . This forced amalgamation caused political tension. In 2012, a proposal was made to de-amalgamate the Shire of Livingstone from the Rockhampton Region. On 9 March 2013, the citizens of the former Livingstone shire voted in a referendum to de-amalgamate. The Shire of Livingstone was re-established on 1 January 2014. Nerimbera was returned to the Shire of Livingstone but Parkhurst remains within
2255-588: The north, the hills rise to form the Byfield Range which is home to stands of virgin rainforest. Most of the population of the Capricorn Coast is centred in and around Yeppoon and Emu Park. The two towns are joined by the Scenic Highway which hugs a coastline dotted with coves and beaches and headlands. These headlands are the remnants of volcanic trachyte plugs and have allowed the formation of shallow beaches . The two towns are also linked by
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2310-408: The northern section of the Capricorn Coast are: Barmaryee, Byfield , Byfield National Park , Cooberie, Corio Bay, Farnborough, Five Rocks, Inverness, Red Rock Forest, Shoalwater Bay , Stanage Bay, Stockyard, Upper Stoney Creek, Waterpark Creek. Just north of Yeppoon, the geography subtly begins to change. Beyond the beaches and bays, flat pastures give way to rolling hillocks, mountains, ranges and
2365-500: The possibility of depleted uranium weaponry been used during training exercises at Shoalwater Bay. Peace activists protesting Exercise Talisman Saber were arrested in 2009. Support for a permanent US presence has been expressed by the former Rockhampton mayor, Brad Carter in 2011, and by current mayor, Margaret Strelow. 7 August 2017: "The Australian Navy has located a missing US military aircraft that crashed off Australia's east coast on Saturday, Defense Minister Marise Payne said in
2420-402: The present day City of Rockhampton. By 1858, the town of Rockhampton was officially proclaimed, and settlement began in earnest. In 1867, the town reserve was surveyed then proclaimed as suitable for settlement. The Government Surveyor reported the site as " Yapoon , a spot northward of Emu Park about nine miles, was most suitable as a watering place." The name, especially given its definition,
2475-818: The risks, Stockyard, Corbett's Landing, and Sandfly Creek are popular fishing locations. Further north, and despite its remoteness, Five Rocks is a popular camping and 4WD destinations. Beyond are the pristine wilderness areas of Shoalwater Bay, Townshend Island, and Stanage. Towns, suburbs, and localities in the central section of the Capricorn Coast are: Adelaide Park, Bangalee , Barlows Hill, Bluff Rock, Capricorn Coast National Park , Causeway Lake, Cooee Bay , Creek Rock, Emu Park , Kemp Beach, Keppel Bay Estate, Kinka Beach , Lammermoor, Meikleville Hill, Mulambin, Mulambin Waters, Ocean View, Pacific Heights, Rosslyn, Statue Bay, Taranganba , Yeppoon , Wreck Point, Zilzie . Forty kilometres of long beaches and shallow coves grace
2530-494: The sea to swim to an island, but a boat was handy, and the police got in and shot all they could when swimming. When the Inspector wired to his chief to inform him he had "dispersed" seventy blacks, a reply was received in writing as follows: — A native police officer is supposed to do his duty without making it public." In 1876, Baker sold The Peninsula to James Hutton owner of the neighbouring Raspberry Creek property, and became
2585-456: The streams of the Byfield township and Byfield National Park . Red Rock, Waterpark Creek, and Upper Stoney Creek are popular camping grounds. Byfield also features Fern's Hideaway, a holiday retreat and restaurant set on the forested banks of Waterpark Creek. On the coast, sweeping beaches interspersed with coral cays back onto the world-heritage Iwasaki and Shoalwater Wetlands. Regardless of
2640-627: The suburbs of Nerimbera and Parkhurst were ceded to Livingstone's larger neighbour, City of Rockhampton . Continued growth in both Local Government Authorities became a contentious subject from then on, which caused much political tension, until finally in 2007, the conflict gained new pace with the tabling before the Parliament of Queensland of the proposed Local Government (Reform Implementation) Act 2007 . The Act passed, and on 15 March 2008, Livingstone Shire merged with Fitzroy Shire , Mount Morgan Shire , and City of Rockhampton to form
2695-547: The sugar and tobacco plantations of the day. From the time of its inception, Emu Park was the hedonistic playground of the Rockhampton social set and well-heeled gold miners from Mount Morgan, who used their considerable influence to lobby the Queensland Government for a rail link to the fledgling seaside town. In late 1888, they achieved their ambitions and the Rockhampton-Emu Park railway line
2750-465: The surrounding rural areas of Joskeleigh , Coowonga , Tungamull , and Cawarral . Directly offshore and visible from most seaside towns on the Capricorn Coast is the popular tourist destination, Great Keppel Island . Dozens of smaller islands and atolls also dot the coastline. Due to the size of the Capricorn Coast, its geography and demographics are diverse, however the region has four distinct sections within it. Towns, suburbs, and localities in
2805-520: The tourist beach, Lammermoor, popular for its clean sands and beach rock formations. Continuing on southward is the fishing beach, Statue Bay, and then the Keppel Bay Marina, a 400 berth marina at Rosslyn Bay. Around the corner, the long stretch of shallow coves continue; Kemp Beach with Bluff Rock just a ten-minute kayak offshore, and then the picturesque Mulambin Beach. A few minutes further
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#17327830943122860-433: The western side of Shoalwater Bay) and exploring the head of the bay. Flinders described the land as such: The hills are stony, but some of them are clothed with grass and wood, and the pine grows in the gullies between them. The low land is sandy or stony, but covered with wood & herbage. Fresh water stands in ponds at the foot of the hills. European colonisation of the land in Shoalwater Bay region commenced in 1858. By
2915-498: Was British navigator James Cook on 28 May 1770. Cook referred to the entire region, from Cape Palmerston (south of Mackay ) to Cape Townshend, including Shoalwater Bay, as the "Bay of Inlets", a name which is no longer in use. Cook bestowed the name "Shoalwater Bay" on the southeasternmost of these bays, a reference to the number of sandbars in the bay. Following Cook, Matthew Flinders conducted further exploration of Shoalwater Bay in 1802, landing on Akens Island (a small island on
2970-399: Was opened, making the journey far less arduous. New communities sprouted up along the path of the railway, and new stations and sidings were established at Nerimbera, Nankin, Sleipner, Tungamull, Coowonga, Coorooman, and Tanby. In 1908, a branch line was opened at Sleipner Junction to service the gold towns of Mount Chalmers and Cawarral, and in 1909 the branch line reached Yeppoon. During
3025-457: Was released in 1997 to protect the dugong population and reduce impacts on the seagrass meadows . A 483 km area of the bay and its surrounds, covering all the habitat types suitable for migratory waders , or shorebirds, has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supports over 1% of the world populations of pied oystercatchers , Far Eastern curlews and grey-tailed tattlers , and over 1% of
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