| Yeppoon Queensland |
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Looking across Keppel Bay from Wreck Point |
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Yeppoon
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| Population: | 13,285[1] | ||||||
| Postcode: | 4703 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 6 m (20 ft) | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Rockhampton Regional Council | ||||||
| State District: | Keppel | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Capricornia | ||||||
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Yeppoon is a coastal town in Central Queensland, Australia with a colourful history dating back to 1865. 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 from north to south. The pristine beaches and shallow coves provide a quiet yet vibrant destination both for tourists and miners settling down in Central Queensland. Offshore, there are 27 islands to explore including Great Keppel Island which is only 30 minutes by boat.
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Yeppoon is part of the Rockhampton Region Local Government Authority. It is located on Keppel Bay, around 700 km north of the state capital, Brisbane, and 40 km from Rockhampton City.
(See Capricorn Coast for comprehensive geography of Yeppoon and surrounding districts.)
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 shortlived 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)[2] 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.
Yeppoon developed as a seaside resort in the late 19th century, being particularly popular with working-class people from Rockhampton, as well as miners from Cawarral and Mount Chalmers. Commuter and goods transport improved immensely with the connection of a branch line from Sleiper Junction (siding on the Emu Park line) in 1910.
Yeppoon and Emu Park were joined by road in 1939 with the completion of the Scenic Highway. Work on the road was started in the early 1930s as a work creation project during the Great Depression and was finally completed just prior to the Second World War with the construction of The Causeway and bridge between Mulambin and Kinka Beaches.
(See Capricorn Coast for comprehensive history of Yeppoon and surrounding districts.)
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 Progess Association met once a month to look after the minor requirements of the town. [3]
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.[4]
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, Rockhampton City. 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 LGA Rockhampton Region.[5] This forced amalgamation has caused political tension ever since,[6][7] 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.[8].
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 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 the Capricorn Coast on the back of the mining boom.[9]
| Climate data for Yeppoon The Esplanade | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.3 (84.7) |
29.3 (84.7) |
28.4 (83.1) |
26.6 (79.9) |
24.2 (75.6) |
21.9 (71.4) |
21.4 (70.5) |
22.1 (71.8) |
24.3 (75.7) |
26.1 (79.0) |
27.4 (81.3) |
28.8 (83.8) |
25.8 (78.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 23.7 (74.7) |
23.7 (74.7) |
22.4 (72.3) |
19.7 (67.5) |
15.6 (60.1) |
13.3 (55.9) |
11.7 (53.1) |
12.7 (54.9) |
15.6 (60.1) |
19.1 (66.4) |
21.3 (70.3) |
22.8 (73.0) |
18.5 (65.3) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 123.5 (4.862) |
170.4 (6.709) |
90.1 (3.547) |
70.4 (2.772) |
74.4 (2.929) |
59.1 (2.327) |
25.6 (1.008) |
40.3 (1.587) |
36.8 (1.449) |
48.8 (1.921) |
74.5 (2.933) |
131.0 (5.157) |
928.8 (36.567) |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology[10] | |||||||||||||
Yeppoon has a thriving retail and services sector.
Cedar Park Plaza, Taranganba
Spar, Network Video, QML, Total Health Medical Centre
Yeppoon Central, Yeppoon
Amcal Chemists, Big W, Dick Smith, Donut King, EB Games, Flight Centre, Jay Jays, Leading Edge Telecom, Lenards, McDonalds, Michells Patisserie, Pay Less Shoes, Rockmans, Sanity, Strandbags, Suncorp, Strandbags, Supercuts, Travel World, Woolworths[11]
Keppel Bay Plaza, Yeppoon
Amcal Chemists, Australia Post, Coles Supermarkets, Crazy Clarks, Office Smart, Wendy's
Yeppoon CBD
ANZ, Bank of Queensland, Betta Electrical, Chem Mart, Coffee Club, Commonwealth Bank, Dominoes, Foodworks, Harcourts, LJ Hooker, National Australia Bank, Pizza Hut, QML, Ray White, Red Rooster, Rip Curl, Rock Building Society, Subways, Westpac, Wide Bay Capricorn, Yeppoon Real Estate
Tanby Road District, Yeppoon
BP Yeppoon Tourist Centre (24 hour), Capricorn Coast Tyre & Mechanical, Cooee Bay Marine, Home Hardware, Keppel Bay Outdoor Products, KFC, Ready 24 Gym (24 Hour), Repco, Retravision, Super Cheap Auto, Tanby Seafoods, Ultratune
Yeppoon is home to prominent Rugby league breeding ground St. Brendan's College. Professional players Paul Bowman, Matthew Scott, Tom Hewitt, Julian O'Neill, Shane Marteene, PJ Marsh and Dave Taylor are all St. Brendan's alumni.
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