Balgal Beach, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Balgal Beach is a residential coastal suburb approximately 59 kilometres north of Townsville, Queensland
, Australia, and 64 kilometres south of Ingham, Queensland
. As of the 2006 census, the population of Balgal Beach was 743, a 30.3% increase since the 1996 census.
. The area of coastline to the north of Rollingstone was named Balgal Beach in 1947, when the first dwellings were constructed. The name "Balgal" was derived from an Aborigial word meaning "stone."
The land in this area was predominantly used for farming and grazing, and remained rural until the mid-1980s when the allocation of 500 rural/residential blocks at the Mystic Sands Estate saw the population increase nearly twofold.
, Balgal Beach today is a popular destination for recreational activities such as boating, fishing and swimming. A boat ramp is located by the mouth of Rollingstone Creek, allowing for access to Palm Island
and Orpheus Island National Park. Facilities at Balgal Beach include a patrolled stinger enclosure from November to May, the Mystic Sands Golf & Country Club, a general store/cafe, holiday units and designated camping areas.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia, and 64 kilometres south of Ingham, Queensland
Ingham, Queensland
Ingham is a town in the Great Green Way region of North Queensland, Australia. The town was founded in 1864, gazetted a shire in 1879, and is the service centre for many sugarcane plantations, pioneered in the 1870s by William Ingham, for whom the town is named...
. As of the 2006 census, the population of Balgal Beach was 743, a 30.3% increase since the 1996 census.
History
Balgal Beach was originally part of the Armidale pastoral lease, settled in 1883 by John Lambert before later changing name to RollingstoneRollingstone, Queensland
Rollingstone is a semi-rural/residential suburb approximately 54 kilometres north of Townsville, Queensland, Australia, and 57 kilometres south of Ingham, Queensland...
. The area of coastline to the north of Rollingstone was named Balgal Beach in 1947, when the first dwellings were constructed. The name "Balgal" was derived from an Aborigial word meaning "stone."
The land in this area was predominantly used for farming and grazing, and remained rural until the mid-1980s when the allocation of 500 rural/residential blocks at the Mystic Sands Estate saw the population increase nearly twofold.
Balgal Beach Today
Located a few kilometres north of the suburb of RollingstoneRollingstone, Queensland
Rollingstone is a semi-rural/residential suburb approximately 54 kilometres north of Townsville, Queensland, Australia, and 57 kilometres south of Ingham, Queensland...
, Balgal Beach today is a popular destination for recreational activities such as boating, fishing and swimming. A boat ramp is located by the mouth of Rollingstone Creek, allowing for access to Palm Island
Palm Island, Queensland
Palm Island is an Aboriginal community located on Great Palm Island, also called by the Aboriginal name "Bwgcolman", an island on the Great Barrier Reef in North Queensland, Australia The settlement is also known by a variety of other names including "the Mission", Palm Island Settlement or Palm...
and Orpheus Island National Park. Facilities at Balgal Beach include a patrolled stinger enclosure from November to May, the Mystic Sands Golf & Country Club, a general store/cafe, holiday units and designated camping areas.