Slade Point

Slade Point is a coastal town and peninsular suburb of Mackay in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.

Fast Facts about Slade Point
    Originally, the town was called Amhurst but it was renamed on 1 January 1967 to be Slade Point, named after the prominent headland of the same name which named in June 1770 by Lieutenant James Cook of HMS Endeavour, after Thomas Slade, Surveyor of the Royal Navy and designer of Horatio Nelson's ship HMS Victory. Amhurst State School opened on 11 April 1939. It was renamed Slade Point State School in 1967.
    The Mackay Regional Council operates a mobile library service on a fortnightly schedule at Pheasant Street.
    Slade Point State School is a government primary (P-6) school for boys and girls at 362 Slade Point Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 110 students with 13 teacher (11 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (8 full-time equivalent).

    South Mackay

    South Mackay is a coastal suburb of Mackay in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.

    Fast Facts about South Mackay
      As its name suggests, the suburb of South Mackay is immediately to the south of the central suburb of Mackay. Adjoining the Coral Sea, South Mackay has flat land just above sea level apart from a small hill (approx 10 metres above sea level) in the south-east of the locality. The flat nature of the land made it suitable for use as an airport. The Mackay Airport occupies the south-eastern half of the suburb with suburban development in the north and west of the suburb. There are a number of sports fields between the airport and the residential areas, including the Souths Rugby League Club, the Souths Hockey Club, the City Brothers Football Club and Harrup Park Country Club (hosting a number of sports include the Mackay Cricket Association and AFL Mackay).
      Mackay State High School opened on 5 February 1912 as part of the Mackay Technical College in Alfred Street, Mackay. 76 students presented for entry examinations on the first day. In 1959, the high school was relocated to a new campus in Milton Street, South Mackay. In July 1927, the Mackay Chamber of Commerce became aware that the Australian Government was thinking of establishing airmail services within Australia "wherever they could be justified". In January 1928, the Mackay Chamber of Commerce first considered creating an aerodrome to prepare for the growth in air traffic, suggesting in March 1928 that the Town Common might be a suitable location. In April 1928 the Mackay City Council voted to provide the land if an aerodrome was required. In September 1928, Captain John Henry Arthur Treacy, chief pilot of the Queensland Air Navigation Co. Ltd., flew over Mackay looking for suitable locations and confirmed that the Town Common appeared very suitable and could be converted to an aerodrome at very little cost. In July 1929, Captain Treacy tells Mackay to create an aerodrome as the coastal air service will soon commence at other towns' aerodromes while Mackay will miss out; he again confirmed the suitability of the town commons as a site. In October 1929, the Chamber of Commerce was advised that, if Mackay had an aerodrome, it would be included in the plans for an airmail service to be commenced by the Australian Postmaster General's department that would visit Mackay three or four times a week. In February 1930, the Mackay City Council was advised by the Controller of Civil Aviation that the town commons site would be suitable after the trees and shrubs removed and the surface made firm and even. Based on an estimated cost of these works to be £250, the council voted to proceed with setting aside the land on the town commons for an aerodrome. On Monday 21 April 1930, approximately 2,000 people cheered as the monoplane Star of Townsville under the command of Captain Treacy landed on the new Mackay Aerodrome (the former Town Common). The mayor of Mackay, Alderman Wood, then officially opened the aerodrome. In January 1931, the aerodrome was approved and licensed by the Civil Aviation branch of the Defence Department as being suitable for all types of land aeroplanes, enabling the council to begin charging landing fees.
      Mackay State High School is a secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls operated by the Queensland Government at 123 Milton Street. In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 1,062 students with 483 girls and 579 boys with 89 teachers (85 full-time equivalent) and 53 non-teaching staff (37 full-time equivalent).

      Walkerston

      Walkerston is a town and locality in Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2011 census, Walkerston had a population of 3,089 people.

      Fast Facts about Walkerston
        The town is situated on the Peak Downs Highway 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south-west of Mackay. Walkerston straddles Bakers Creek for about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi). Palms is a neighbourhood within Walkerston, located to the east of the town (21°10′00″S 149°04′59″E).
        This town was commonly known as Scrubby Creek from as early as 1866, and sometimes as Baker’s Creek; later these two names were interchangeable with Walkerston and, to a lesser degree, Alsatia. Scrubby Creek was definitely not a nickname for Walkerston; there were no inverted commas included when the words were printed in newspapers or almanacs. The name was well deserved, for the wild bush scrub grew luxuriantly on the banks of Baker’s Creek. In May 1860, Scots-born John Mackay was only 21 years old when he left Armidale, New South Wales in January 1860 with men, horses and provisions in search of land for cattle runs in north Queensland. They travelled up the east coast, taking a mainly inland route until they came to the junction of Cattle Creek and the Pioneer River, in an area about 15 miles west of present-day Walkerston. They then followed the river, firstly named by Mackay’s companions as the Mackay River but now known as the Pioneer. The Pioneer Valley railway reached Walkerston from Paget on 10 August 1885. Whilst there was a station building, there was no passenger platform, passengers accessing the trains from the ground. The Walkerston public library opened in 1977. At the 2006 census, Walkerston had a population of 2,563.
        The town has two primary schools, a post office, three bars (including a sports club), and a supermarket. Walkerston State School caters for students from Prep to Year 6. It opened on 24 April 1880. St John's Catholic Primary School is on Creek Street, Walkerston. It accepts enrolments for students from Prep to Year 6. The Catholic primary opened 29 January 1924. The Mackay Regional Council operates a library in Dutton Street.

        West Mackay

        West Mackay is a suburb of Mackay in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2011 census, West Mackay had a population of 6,507 people.

        According to the 2016 census, West Mackay includes the largest Maltese Australian community of any suburb in Queensland, numbering 243 individuals and making up 3.9% of the suburb’s population.

        Fast Facts about West Mackay
          West Mackay is (as the name suggests) west of the Mackay central business district. Having a diamond-like shape, it is bounded by the Pioneer River to the north-west, the Bruce Highway to the north-east, Paradise Street to the south-easat and the North Coast railway line to the south-west. The land is low lying and flat. The North Coast railway line and the Glenella Connection Road pass through the locality from south to north-west crossing the river on separate bridges (the road bridge being called the Edmund Casey Bridge) to Foulden. Another major transport routes through the suburb is the Nebo Road. The Mackay Base Hospital is located on Hospital Road beside the Pioneer River. The Mackay Botanic Gardens are located off Lagoon Street and features a natural lagoon.
          There was previously a bridge, known as the (Old) Hospital Bridge, which connected Talty Road in Foulden to Bridge Street in West Mackay (adjacent to the Mackay Base Hospital). It was the first bridge over the Pioneer River (and was originally known as the Pioneer Bridge). Construction commenced in 1875. The low bridge was prone to flooding. In April 2009 its replacement was open to the west of the Hospital Bridge carrying the newly-constructed Glenella Connection Road over the Pioneer River. On 5 December 2009, the new bridge was named the Edmund Casey Bridge in honour of long-serving local Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, Ed Casey, as part of the Q150 celebrations. Local residents campaigned to retain the Old Hospital Bridge for recreational use such as walking, cycling and fishing, but the council insisted the costs of making it safe were too great and that only a short segment connected on the West Mackay side would be preserved as a fishing pier. However, in March 2017, Cyclone Debbie damaged the fishing pier., necessitating a new fishing pier to be built. The new pier will be L-shaped and more resistant to flood damage.
          Mackay West State School opened on 11 February 1924.