Agnes Water, Queensland
| Agnes Water Queensland | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Agnes Water is the most northerly surfing beach along Australia's east coast; the Great Barrier Reef limits the formation of suitable surf at beaches to the north. | |||||||
  Agnes Water | |||||||
| Coordinates | 24°12′45″S 151°54′12″E / 24.21250°S 151.90333°ECoordinates: 24°12′45″S 151°54′12″E / 24.21250°S 151.90333°E | ||||||
| Population | 1,814 (2011 census)[1] | ||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4677 | ||||||
| LGA(s) | Gladstone Regional Council | ||||||
| State electorate(s) | Burnett | ||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Flynn | ||||||
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Agnes Water is a tourist town located on Central Queensland, Australia within the local government area of Gladstone Region.[2] Agnes Water is located 70 kilometres (43 mi) north of Bundaberg and 60 kilometres (37 mi) off the Bruce Highway.
Geography
Agnes Water is situated approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) south-east of the Bruce Highway, Queensland's major coastal route. It is accessed via the main road in called Round Hill Road. It is 90 minutes south of Gladstone, and 90 minutes north of Bundaberg on the Discovery Coast. Agnes Water is the closest access point to the southern Great Barrier Reef.[3] It is a neighbouring town of the Town of 1770.
History
Prior to European settlement Agnes Waters was home to the Meerooni tribe [4] whom form the southern part of the Gurang nation.
The town of Agnes Water takes its name from pastoral holding first leased by Daniel Clowes in 1883, which he named after the coastal schooner Agnes, which was lost at sea in the area. The schooner left Bustard Head on 15 June 1873, on route from Mackay to Brisbane.
Daniel Clowes remained there until his death in 1891. The gravestones of Clowes and his wife are near the present township.
There was saw milling in the locality in the 1890s and the wide beach was a popular venue, particularly as buggies could be driven onto the beach. It became a holiday destination, and weekend residences were built, notably on Round Hill where the Town of 1770 was officially named in 1936. However, the town was regarded as somewhat remote, and it was not until the road into the town was completely sealed in the mid 1990s that development really took off.
Population
In the 2011 census, Agnes Water had a population of 1,814.[1] This figure is made up of 942 males and 872 females with a median age of 41. The town's most common ancestries are English (32.4%), Australian (29.6%), Scottish (8.6%), Irish (7.8%) and German (4.8%).
Religion
The area of Agnes Water has local churches - the Agnes Water Baptist Church and the Catholic Church are both located on Bicentennial Dve, a short drive from the centre of the area. Census data from 2011 shows that 32.3% of the population do not identify with a religion while 19.6% list Anglican as their religion, followed by Catholicism (16.1%).[1]
Education
Until 2015 the town of Agnes Water was serviced by a sole primary school located near the centre of the district on Donohue Road.[1] The primary school caters for children ranging from prep-year to grade 7. The main choice of high schools for the area used to be Rosedale P-12 Campus 64 kilometres (40 mi) away from the centre of Agnes Water, accessed mostly by local buses that travel the route daily.[5] Other choices for local high schools include Bundaberg Christian College.[5]
Discovery Christian College opened in 2015 on Round Hill Road. It is a private non-denominational school and the only school in Agnes Water to offer both primary and secondary education.[6]
Only 7.1% of the population during the 2011 census listed their education level as being over secondary school (i.e. tertiary or further education).[1]
Facilities
The town has a visitor information centre on Round Hill Road. The town also hosts a community centre, coastal camping reserve, life-saving club, state primary school (1990), and a museum which houses the Miriam Vale Historical Society. The Agnes Water Library is at 71 Springs Road; it is operated by the Gladstone Regional Council.[7]
Beaches and fishing
The main beach is 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) long, running from Round Hill in the north down to Agnes Water. The beach is relatively straight and faces east-north-east. Most of the beach is backed by a low dune and natural vegetation. At the southern Agnes Water end there is an extensive foreshore reserve, including a camping reserve. The beach usually receives waves averaging about one metre, which combine with the medium sand to build a moderately steep high tide beach, with a continuous bar exposed at low tide. During and following higher swell, up to 30 rip channels are cut across the lower section of the bar and an outer bar forms along the central and northern sections of the beach. The rip channels will persist for some weeks during lower wave conditions. As well as the surf beach, Agnes Water is intersected by rocky headlands and has a stream behind the coastline. A relatively safe beach in the southern patrolled area.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Agnes Water (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
- ↑ "Agnes Water (entry 39140)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ "Discover the Town of 1770~Agnes Water". Discovery Coast Tourism and Commerce Inc. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
- ↑ "Tindale Tribes - Goeng". Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- 1 2 "Rosedale State School: P-12 Campus". Queensland Government (Department of Education, Training and Employment). Retrieved 22 September 2013.
- ↑ "New school ready to open at Agnes Water". The Observer (Gladstone). 20 January 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
- ↑ "Contact us". Gladstone Regional Libraries. Gladstone Regional Council. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
External links
Media related to Agnes Water, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons
- "Agnes Water". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.