|
| View over Gladstone Boat
Harbour from James Cook Park |
Gladstone (including Quoin Island)
Queensland's leading seaport.
In 1909, when it was nothing more than a small port,
Gladstone was described as:
When hov'ring clouds from east to west,
At dawn, or ere the sun takes flight,
From Gatcombe Head to Larcombe's crest
Wrap hill and vale and mountain's height
In crimson hues or golden light...
It was a romantic and poetic description of a quiet port
on a tropical coast far from the bustle of the big cities
which lay to the south. Today all that has changed. Located
540 km north of Brisbane and 107 km south of Rockhampton,
Gladstone is one of the most substantial and commercially
successful ports in Australia. In the last three decades
this quiet, diminutive port has become a centre with some of
the most sophisticated loading facilities in the country.
The Gladstone area was first explored by Captain Cook in
1770 sighted and named Bustard Head to the south of the
city. Cook was followed in 1802 by Matthew Flinders who
named Port Curtis and in 1823 John Oxley explored the
coastline. In 1848 Owen Stanley surveyed the entrance to the
port.
The first settlement of Gladstone occurred in 1847. It
was named after William Ewart Gladstone, who, at the time,
was the British Colonial Secretary. He later became Prime
Minister of Great Britain. Basically a penal colony (200
convicts formed the majority of the population) it was
closed down less than a year later and it wasn't until 1854
that it was opened to free settlers. By 1856 the town had a
population of 200.
The township developed on the site of the original penal
colony and for some time it was promoted as a future capital
for a newly established colony of Queensland.
Gladstone's first wharf was built at Auckland Point in
1885, it was connected to Brisbane by rail in 1897 but by
1960 it still only had a population of 7200 and its economy
was dependent on its importance as a port.
Although it had the huge advantage of a superb natural
harbour (Port Curtis) Gladstone remained a relatively small
port serving the local cattle industry until 1961 when the
export of coal from the Moura fields to the west resulted in
a huge increase in both population and port activity. A
decade later the town's population had doubled and the port
was handling 10 million tonnes per annum - this had
increased from 202 000 tonnes in 1960.
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| Public moorings at
Gladstone Boat Harbour |
Between 1970 and 1990 Gladstone saw the establishment of
a major power station (1971), the opening of the Clinton
coal facility (1980) and the building of the Boyne Aluminium
Smelter (1982).
Today Gladstone, with a population which continues to
increase dramatically every year, is Queensland's largest
port. In 1983 it became the first Queensland port to handle
over 20 million tonnes of cargo - most of it coal and
alumina - and since then it has continued to grow at an
unprecedented level. It now handles over 29 million tonnes
per annum, is the second largest port on the Australian east
coast, and is capable of providing a safe port for ships of
200 000 deadweight tonnes.
The reasons for its success can best be summed up by its
major industries. Gladstone is the home of the world's
largest alumina plant. Each year Queensland Alumina Ltd
converts bauxite mined at Weipa on Cape York to alumina
which can then be processed to produce nearly 3 million
tonnes of aluminium. In turn the Comalco owned Boyne
Smelters on Boyne Island produce over 200 000 tonnes of
aluminium from alumina each year. The production of
aluminium requires huge amounts of electricity and thus the
power station (fuelled by coal from the mines at Blackwater,
Moura and Callide) produces more than half of the state's
electricity. There is also a large cement and lime works.
|
| An aerial view of
Gladstone's industries |
As well as this the port exports vast quantities of coal
and grain. The new grain loading terminal moves over 1
million tonnes of grain each year and the coal loading
facilities are some of the most advanced in the world.
Things to see:
Tondoon Botanic Gardens
Having achieved most of its development since World War II,
Gladstone's premier attractions tend to be either modern or
scenic. There are the beautiful Tondoon Botanic Gardens,
which are located south of the city centre along Glenlyon
Road. Completed as recently as 1982 they cover 55 ha and
include lakes, cascades, an herbarium and arboretum and an
interpretive nature trail.
Gladstone Art Gallery and Museum
Even more recent is the Gladstone Art Gallery and Museum
which was opened in 1985. Located in the Old Town Hall (a
typical solid civic building) in Bramston Street it hosts
travelling art exhibitions as well as purchasing local art
works and artefacts for an expanding collection.
Port Curtis Historic Village
Located 26 km west of Gladstone on the Bruce Highway is the
Port Curtis Historic Village which includes an old railway
station, a church, homes, the original Clyde Hotel (10 Mile
Pub) and a Colonial Railway Carriage. It also includes a
Tourist Information Centre. Open daily from 8.00am - 4.00pm.
Tel: (07) 4978 1486.
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| Awoonga Dam
|
Lake Awoonga
Lake Awoonga is located 30km from Gladstone and boasts
excellent recreation facilities as well as spectacular lake
and mountain views. There are numerous shelter sheds and
barbecues, walking paths, playgrounds and a picturesque
waterfall.
Enthusiastic anglers come to Lake Awoonga to catch the
famed barramundi, of which over two million have been
released into the lake. The largest caught weighed in at
29.8 kilograms. Approximately 300,000 fish are released each
year, including 200,000 barramundi, 100,000 mullet and some
mangrove jack. Lake Awoonga is the highest stocked lake in
Australia for Mangrove Jack.
Alternatively you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the
beautiful scenery and wildlife. Plants in the water and
river banks support the fish, eels, turtles, platypus and
birds. Further from the water's edge snakes, geckos and
lizards, frogs and mammals can be found.
The nearby bushland holds a diverse range of native
fauna. Bandicoots, melomys, kangaroos, greater gliders and
yellow bellied gliders, and brushtail possums. Wallabies
such as the agile, whiptail and swamp wallaby can be spotted
by keen observers.
Most noticeable at Lake Awoonga are the numerous species
of birds (almost 200). This means that around 25% of
Australia¹s bird species can be found in the region. The
Southern Squatter Pigeon is listed as vulnerable and of
conservation significance and a further fifteen bird species
are listed on International Migratory Conservation Agreement
Lists. Lake Awoonga is arguably one of the most important
near-coast bird refuges on the East Coast of Australia.
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| Some of the recreation
facilities on the banks of Awoonga Dam
|
Quoin Island
Only 4 km from Gladstone is Quoin Island which lies at the
entrance to Port Curtis. In recent years it has become the
recreational centre for the city with attractive and clean
beaches, bushwalking, and facilities for windsurfing,
swimming, fishing and boating. The island also boasts tennis
courts, a swimming pool, accommodation and a theatre
restaurant.
Curtis Island
Further north is the huge Curtis Island which is 40 km from
north to south and 20 km from east to west. It was first
sighted by Captain Cook during his voyage up the coast in
1770. In 1802 Matthew Flinders named it after Admiral Sir
Roger Curtis, the Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good
Hope.
Gladstone Area Promotion and Development
If you are planning to stay in Gladstone it is wise to visit
the Gladstone Area Promotion and Development (which includes
Reef Adventureland Information) is located at 56 Goondoon
Street and is well worth visiting. They have excellent maps
of the area and detailed information on the cruises to the
Great Barrier Reef. Tel: (07) 4972 4000.
Castle Tower National Park
Located to the south of Gladstone, visitors can make a climb
to the top of this granite outcrop for excellent views of
the district. However, this is a fairly strenuous endeavour
and only for committed experienced bushwalkers. The environs
consist of eucalypt woodland and dry rainforest along the
creeks and gullies.
Australian Businesses for sale
Caravan Parks for sale
Motels for sale
Hotels for sale
Broadwalk Business Brokers
Businesses for Sale in Gladstone
: Buy or Sell Hotels, Motels, Caravan Parks, Bed & Breakfast,
Pubs, Wine Bars, Restaurants, Cafe, English Tea Rooms, Coffee Shops,
Deli, Catering Business, Pubs, Bars, Sandwich Bars, Pizza Delivery,
Bakeries, Hot Food Take-away, Fish & Chips, Petrol & Service Stations,
Australian Businesses for sale, Car Sales, Motor & Transport, Car/Van
Hires, Newsagents, Dry Cleaners, Salons, General Stores, Retail Stores,
Post Office, Printers, Convenience Stores, Clothes shop, Hair Dressers,
Beauty Salon, Fruit Markets, Butchers, Florist, Card & Gift shop, Sports
shop, Book Shops, Care Agency, Pharmacy, Tool-Hardware & DIY shops, Pet
Shops, Auto Mechanical, Auto Parts & Accessories,
Bakery Businesses for sale , Motel sales, caravan park sales, Hotel
sales, Business sales, Bar for sale, Juice Bar for sale,
Beauty Salon for sale, Bike and Motorcycle Businesses for sale ,
Australian Businesses for sale, Blinds and Shutters Businesses for sale , Boat Business for sale ,
Book Shop , Bread Run, Building and Construction , Butcher Shop,
Café Business for sale, Car Dealerships for sale, Car Rental
Business for sale , Car Yard, Cleaning Business for sale, Computer
Business for sale, Childcare Centre for sale, Confectionary
Business for sale, Convenience Store for sale, Deli Businesses for
sale , Distribution Businesses for sale , Earth Moving Businesses
for sale , Businesses for sale , Engineering Businesses for sale ,
Export/Import Businesses for sale , Fitness Centres for sale,
Florist for sale, Franchise Businesses for sale , Fruit and Veg
Shop for sale, Function Centre for sale, Funeral Parlour for sale,
Furniture Businesses for sale , Garden Equipment Businesses for
sale , General Store s for sale, Gift Shop for sale, Hairdressing
salons for sale , Hardware Businesses for sale , Hire Businesses for
sale , Businesses for sale, Motels for sale, Caravan Parks for sale,
hotels for sale, Ice Cream Businesses for sale , Juice Bar for sale, Laundrette ' s for sale, Lawn Mowing Businesses for sale , Magazine
Businesses for sale , Manufacturing Businesses for sale , Marine
Businesses for sale , Menswear Businesses for sale , Milk Run 's
for sale, Mixed Businesses for sale , Mobile Businesses for sale ,
News agency Businesses for sale , Pawnbroker Businesses for sale ,
Preschool for sale, Pest Control Businesses for sale ,Business for
sale Pet Shop, Plumbing Businesses for sale , Post Office for sale ,
Removalist Businesses for sale, Restaurants for sale, Roadhouses for
sale, Rubbish Removal Businesses for sale , Rural Supplies
Businesses for sale , Sales and Distribution Businesses for sale ,
Security Businesses for sale , Service Station for sale, Shoe Shop
for sale, Supermarkets for sale, Takeaway Businesses for sale ,
Taxi Businesses for sale , Transport Businesses for sale , Vending
Machine Businesses for sale , Wholesale Businesses for sale,
Wrecking Yard for sale in
Gladstone.
Qld Towns
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