Rockhampton
Rockhampton is located on the Tropic of Capricorn in Central
Queensland and has a population of approximately 65,000. Founded
in 1853, Rockhampton boasts fine examples of colonial architecture
and has a wide range of tourist attractions to offer. The city
is renowned for its beautiful Botanical Gardens which date back
to 1869 and is the only garden in the southern hemisphere which
boasts a zoo.
The Capricorn Coast is a 20 minute drive from Rockhampton and
the Roslyn Bay Marina has craft departing daily for Great Keppel
Island. To the west of Rockhampton are a number of coal mining
and farming towns. Rubyvale which is 40 minutes west of Emerald
is a great place to visit if you enjoy fossicking for gems.
Climate
The climate in Rockhampton is very pleasant with 9 months of
fine sunny weather. The temperature range varies only 1 degree
from Brisbane throughout the year with temperatures ranging from
11 to 32 degrees Celsius.
Situation
Rockhampton is located 638 kms north of Brisbane, the capital
of Queensland which is 7 hours by road or 1 hour by air. Queensland
Rail operate a Tilt train service between Rockhampton and Brisbane
which is a very pleasant alternative to road travel. Plans are
underway to extend this service to Cairns.
Industry
Rockhampton is known as the Beef Capital of Australia and exports
beef to world markets. The coalfields west of Rockhampton transport
coal by rail to Gladstone for shipping overseas. Magnesite, limestone
and salt are also mined and processed in large quantities near
Rockhampton. The coastline east of Rockhampton affords many fishing
spots and the Fitzroy River enjoys a great barramundi season from
February to November each year. The area is noted for its seafood
- coral trout, red emperor, salmon, prawns, scallops and mud crabs.
The Capricorn Coast produces pineapples, pawpaws, bananas, fruit
and vegetables for local and southern markets each season. Grain,
cotton, fodder crops, citrus and grapes are grown near Rockhampton
and in the Central Highlands at Emerald and Dawson and Callide
Valleys to the south west of Rockhampton.
Schools
There are a number of excellent private and public schools in
Rockhampton with two Grammar Schools offering tuition from year
1 to 12 and a number of Catholic Schools on both the north and
south sides of the city. Some of the private schools provide boarding
facilities for students. To view further information on these
and other services provided in Rockhampton see the web sites below.
Higher Education
The Central Queensland University (CQU) is located in Rockhampton
and in 2003 the Rural School of Medicine will commence which will
bring students to Rockhampton for a rotation and provide lecturing
opportunities for Medical Practitioners. CQU offers undergraduate
and postgraduate courses on campus or via distance education in
business, law, arts, health and sciences, education, creative
arts, engineering and physical systems, informatics and technology.
Property Values
For further information concerning property values in Rockhampton
and the surrounding areas, we have listed some contacts for local
real estate agents.
Web Site Addresses
Real Estate
Pat O'Driscoll Real Estate www.patodriscollrealestate.com.au
Ray White Real Estate www.raywhite.com
Schools
The Rockhampton Grammar School (1-12) www.rgs.qld.edu.au
Rockhampton Girls Grammar School (4-12) registrar@rggs.qld.edu.au
The Cathedral College (8-12) www.tcc.qld.edu.au
Emmaus College (8-12) www.emmaus.qld.edu.au
St Anthony's Primary School
St Peter's Primary School
Universities
Central Queensland University www.cqu.edu.au
