Happy TravellerWelcome to Gladstone, a coastal city located in the Gladstone Region of Queensland, Australia. With an urban population of over 34,000 and a total estimated population of 50,317, Gladstone is a bustling hub of industry, history, and natural beauty. Situated between the Calliope and Boyne Rivers, Gladstone is home to Queensland’s largest multi-commodity shipping port, the Port of Gladstone. But there’s more to this city than just industry. Let’s explore what Gladstone has to offer.
History:
Before European settlement, the Gladstone region was home to several Aboriginal tribes. In May 1770, HMS Endeavour sailed by the entrance to Gladstone Harbour under the cover of darkness. Matthew Flinders became the first recorded European to sight the harbour in August 1802. He named the harbour Port Curtis, after Admiral Roger Curtis. John Oxley conducted further exploration of the harbour and surrounding countryside in November 1823. In 1847, the British attempted to establish the new colony of North Australia at Port Curtis. Colonel George Barney was chosen to lead this experiment in colonisation and his expedition was eventful. The convict settlement lasted barely two months and cost the Imperial government £15,000. By 1853, Francis MacCabe was surveying the site of a new town on the shores of Port Curtis under the protection of several detachments of Native Police. Gladstone State School opened on 1 April 1861 and is one of the oldest state primary schools in Queensland. In 1863, the town became a Municipality with Richard Hetherington elected Gladstone’s first mayor. The fledgling town was named after the British Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone and has a 19th-century marble statue on display in its town museum. Development of Gladstone was slow until 1893 when a meatworks was established at Parsons Point. In 1963, Queensland Alumina Limited established its alumina refinery on the site of the old meatworks. Gladstone’s port facilities were expanded and the city launched into an era of industrial development and economic prosperity.
Heritage Listings:
Gladstone has a number of heritage-listed sites, including Gladstone Central State School, Glengarry Homestead, Our Lady Star of the Sea Church & School, Port Curtis Sailing Club Clubhouse, Gladstone Post Office, Kullaroo House, Commonwealth Bank Building, Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum (Old Town Hall), Fig Tree, Port Curtis Co-operative Dairy Association Ltd Factory, and Gladstone Court House.
Population:
According to the 2016 census of population, there were 33,418 people in the Gladstone urban centre. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.6% of the population. 76.0% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were New Zealand, Philippines, England, India, and South Africa. 84.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Tagalog, Filipino, Afrikaans, Mandarin, and Hindi. The most common responses for religion were No Religion, Catholic, and Anglican.
Geography:
Gladstone and Rockhampton are the two major cities in the Central Queensland region. The city has several suburbs, including the historic center of the city and major business district.
Climate:
Gladstone experiences a Tropical Savanna Climate (Köppen climate classification aw) and is one of the southernmost places in Australia to have this classification. Extreme temperatures in Gladstone have ranged from 4.4 to 42.0 °C (39.9 to 107.6 °F). These temperatures were recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology.
Industry:
Gladstone’s primary industries are mining-related. The Port of Gladstone is the fifth-largest multi-commodity port in Australia and the world’s fourth-largest coal-exporting terminal. Major exports include coal, alumina, aluminium, cement products, sodium cyanide, and ammonium nitrate. Gladstone harbor is within the World Heritage Area of the Great Barrier Reef and has historically supported a thriving
