Yeppoon

Yeppoon
Queensland

Looking across Keppel Bay from Wreck Point
Yeppoon
Coordinates 23°08′0″S 150°44′0″E / 23.13333°S 150.73333°E / -23.13333; 150.73333Coordinates: 23°08′0″S 150°44′0″E / 23.13333°S 150.73333°E / -23.13333; 150.73333
Population 18,543 (2015)[1]
Postcode(s) 4703
Elevation 6 m (20 ft)
Location
LGA(s) Shire of Livingstone
State electorate(s) Keppel
Federal Division(s) Capricornia
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
25.9 °C
79 °F		 18.5 °C
65 °F		 824.9 mm
32.5 in
Localities around Yeppoon:
Pacific Heights
Inverness		 Barlows Hill
Meikleville Hill		 Farnborough
Barmaryee Yeppoon Coral Sea
Hidden Valley Taroom Ball
Taranganba		 Cooee Bay

Yeppoon is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Livingstone, Central Queensland, Australia.[2][3] Yeppoon is renowned for its beaches, tropical climate, and the islands out on the bay. Twenty-five minutes from the city of Rockhampton, Yeppoon is the principal town on the Capricorn Coast, a string of seaside communities stretching more than 150 kilometres (93 mi) from north to south. The beaches and shallow coves provide a destination both for tourists and miners settling down in Central Queensland. Offshore, there are 27 islands including Great Keppel Island which is 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Yeppoon.

Geography

Yeppoon is located on Keppel Bay, around 700 kilometres (430 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane, and 40 kilometres (25 mi) from Rockhampton City. It is within the local government area of Shire of Livingstone (between 2008 and 2013, it was within the Rockhampton Region).

For more details on this topic, see Capricorn Coast.

History

The Capricorn Coast was part of the traditional lands of the Darumbal Aboriginal people. Yeppoon was first settled by the Ross family in 1865 who took up large landholding along the length of the Capricorn Coast. Fruit crops, cattle, and wool were the major industries of the early town. A short-lived period of sugar cane growing followed from 1883 to 1903, which failed due to unseasonal rains and lack of financial backing. Along with other sugar growing areas of Australia, South Sea Islanders were used as labourers on the sugar plantations, often without their consent (see blackbirding).[4] Pineapples, Mangoes, and other tropical fruit became the mainstay of local agriculture in the new century, with cattle grazing and fishing also contributing to the local economy.

On 20 February 2015, severe tropical cyclone Marcia crossed the Capricorn Coast near Shoalwater Bay as a category 5 Cyclone. The storm destroyed more than 150 houses in Yeppoon and left more than 13,500 residents without power.

Heritage listings

Yeppoon has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Governance

In 1879, the Gogango Division 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 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.[8]

The boundaries of the new shire remained largely unchanged until 1984, when outlying districts including 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, local conflicts came to a head 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 Rockhampton City to form the new local government area, Rockhampton Region.[9] This forced amalgamation has caused political tension,[10][11] but a heated and public campaign for the reinstatement of Livingstone Shire as a separate LGA has had little impact or interest from the general public. Particularly in localities in outlying areas, there is an equal and perhaps more vocal argument that the old LGA was too "Yeppoon-centric". In November 2011, the matter descended into the realm of gutter politics and became a source of national embarrassment for people associated with both sides of the conflict.[12] On 1 January 2014 the Shire of Livingstone was re-established with its 2008 boundaries with its seat at Yeppoon.[13]

Climate

The Capricorn Coast experiences 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

Climate data for Yeppoon The Esplanade
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 38.6
(101.5)		 34.0
(93.2)		 39.1
(102.4)		 31.8
(89.2)		 29.1
(84.4)		 29.2
(84.6)		 29.4
(84.9)		 30.1
(86.2)		 34.4
(93.9)		 36.6
(97.9)		 38.4
(101.1)		 40.5
(104.9)		 40.5
(104.9)
Average high °C (°F) 29.3
(84.7)		 29.2
(84.6)		 28.3
(82.9)		 26.6
(79.9)		 24.1
(75.4)		 21.9
(71.4)		 21.4
(70.5)		 22.1
(71.8)		 24.4
(75.9)		 26.1
(79)		 27.5
(81.5)		 28.7
(83.7)		 25.8
(78.4)
Average low °C (°F) 23.7
(74.7)		 23.6
(74.5)		 22.4
(72.3)		 19.7
(67.5)		 15.7
(60.3)		 13.4
(56.1)		 11.8
(53.2)		 12.6
(54.7)		 15.7
(60.3)		 19.0
(66.2)		 21.3
(70.3)		 22.7
(72.9)		 18.5
(65.3)
Record low °C (°F) 12.5
(54.5)		 15.2
(59.4)		 10.4
(50.7)		 10.2
(50.4)		 4.9
(40.8)		 2.7
(36.9)		 −0.1
(31.8)		 2.7
(36.9)		 5.3
(41.5)		 8.8
(47.8)		 9.9
(49.8)		 12.7
(54.9)		 −0.1
(31.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 133.3
(5.248)		 173.6
(6.835)		 136.6
(5.378)		 73.8
(2.906)		 78.7
(3.098)		 55.5
(2.185)		 29.6
(1.165)		 36.4
(1.433)		 36.6
(1.441)		 45.9
(1.807)		 71.3
(2.807)		 122.6
(4.827)		 981.7
(38.65)
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology[14]

Shopping

Yeppoon has a number of shopping centres.

Healthcare

Education

Media

Although mainly served by media from nearby Rockhampton, there is a small selection of local media based on the Capricorn Coast.

Yeppoon has its own weekly newspaper called The Capricorn Coast Mirror,[15] which was started by locals John and Suzy Watson in 1983. The Capricorn Coast Mirror is an offshoot to the region's daily newspaper The Morning Bulletin, focusing on news and issues directly relevant to communities throughout Livingstone Shire and the Capricorn Coast.

An independent news magazine called The Spectator is also published locally on the Capricorn Coast and issued fortnightly. It was also established by Suzy and John Watson as an independent alternative for news in the Livingstone Shire.[16]

4NAG is Yeppoon's local community radio station which has locally based on-air presenters hosting a variety of special interest programming each day from a studio in Yeppoon. The station was founded in 1998 and broadcasts to the Livingstone Shire on 91.3 FM.[17]

Sport

Yeppoon is home to prominent Rugby league breeding ground St. Brendan's College. Professional players Paul Bowman, Casey Conway, Tom Hewitt, PJ Marsh, Shane Marteene, Julian O'Neill, Matthew Scott and Dave Taylor are all St. Brendan's alumni.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "3218.0 – Regional Population Growth, Australia, 2014-15: Population Estimates by Significant Urban Area, 2005 to 2015". Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2016. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "Yeppoon - town (entry 38658)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  3. ↑ "Yeppoon - locality (entry 48955)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "The History of Joskeleigh". ABC Capricornia. 17 September 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  5. ↑ "Yeppoon Station Building (entry 602563)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Yeppoon War Memorial (entry 602126)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Yeppoon State School (former) (entry 602404)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Gogango Shire Council". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  9. ↑ "North Rockhampton Borough Chambers (entry 601370)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  10. ↑ "Rocky Council Motion to Muzzle Ludwig". The Morning Bulletin. 24 May 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  11. ↑ Taylor, Adrian (24 August 2011). "Council Ousts Bill Ludwig". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  12. ↑ Taylor, Adrian (25 November 2011). "Schwarten Speech Attacks Ludwig". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "De-amalgamation". Queensland Government. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  14. ↑ "Climate statistics for Yeppoon AWS". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. March 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  15. ↑ Capricorn Coast Mirror, Community Newspapers, APN News & Media (Australian Regional Media). Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  16. ↑ Gold Listing: The Spectator, Emu Park Online. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  17. ↑ Station Profile: 4NAG, Community Broadcasting Association of Australia website. Retrieved 16 November 2016

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