Geography of Queensland
Encyclopedia
The geography of Queensland
, which is found in the north east portion of Australia
, is varied. It includes tropical islands, sandy beaches, flat river plains that flood after monsoon rains, tracts of rough, elevated terrain, dry deserts, rich agricultural belts and densely populated urban areas.
The total land mass of Queensland covers 22.5% of the Australian continent, an area of 1,730,648 square kilometers, making it the second largest state in the Commonwealth of Australia. The total length of Queensland's mainland coastline is 6973 km (4,332.8 mi) with another 6374 km (3,960.6 mi) of island coastline. The most unique geographical feature of the state is the Great Barrier Reef
, an important tourist drawcard. The Tropic of Capricorn
crosses the state with about half of Queensland's area located to the north of the line.
is aligned along the 138th meridian east
until Poeppel Corner at the intersection of this meridian and the 26th parallel south
. It is here that Queensland borders South Australia
. The boundary follows this longitude until it reaches Haddon Corner
where the border turns south reaching Cameron Corner on the 29th parallel south
, the most western part of the border with New South Wales
. The border follows this longitude towards the coast at about the 154th meridian east
before following the courses of a number of rivers, then across a number of mountain ranges until it reaches Point Danger. These rivers are the Macintyre River
, Severn River
and Weir Rivers, all tributaries of the Barwon River
itself a tributary of the Darling River
. Southern border towns include Mungindi
, Goondiwindi and Texas
.
There are 9 major regions of Queensland. These include South East Queensland
, Darling Downs which includes the Granite Belt, Central Queensland
encompassing the Mackay and Fitzroy regions, South West Queensland containing the Maranoa
, Central West, Wide Bay-Burnett
which includes the South Burnett
, North Queensland
, Gulf Country
and Far North Queensland
which includes the Atherton Tablelands. The Darling Downs and South East Queensland regions were the first to be settled. There are 15 bioregions
found in Queensland, including Cape York Peninsula
, Channel Country
, Brigalow Belt and Mulga Lands
.
Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world lies off the coast of Queensland. There are half of the world's perched or dune lakes on Fraser Island. These rare lakes, which total 80 of this type worldwide, are formed in depressions between sand dunes and have no natural inflow or outflow.Magnetic Island
, Heron island, Great Keppel Island
, Hamilton Island and the Whitsunday Islands
are known for their tourist resorts. Mornington Island
and Great Palm Island
sustain large aboriginal communities. In the Torres Strait Thursday Island is the administrative and commercial centre of the Torres Strait Islands
. Hinchinbrook Island
, a large, mountainous island offshore from Cardwell
, is completely preserved within the national park
. North West Island
is a coral cay that sustains important nesting grounds for sea birds and turtles.
The islands of Bribie, Moreton
, North Stradbroke
and South Stradbroke
are located in the south east corner of the state. North Stradbroke Island is the second largest sand island in the world. As Bribie Island is connected by a bridge over the Pumicestone Passage
it is the most developed island in the region.
To the north west of Queensland is the Gulf of Carpentaria
. North of Cape York Peninsula
is Torres Strait
with many Torres Strait Islands
, the most northerly of which is Boigu Island at the 10th parallel south
. To the east of Queensland lies the Coral Sea
, part of the Pacific Ocean
. Major bays along the coast include Princess Charlotte Bay
, Shoalwater Bay
north of Yeppoon
, Hervey Bay between Fraser Island and the mainland, Trinity Bay off Cairns and Moreton Bay
off Brisbane. The Great Sandy Strait
is a passage extending south of Hervey Bay, between the mainland and Fraser Island. Beaches on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast
are long and sandy, attracting tourists including surfers. Further north the waves are dampened by the barrier reefs.
Queensland's largest dam
is the Burdekin Dam
, followed by Lake Awoonga
. There is an absence of any large natural lakes in the state. There are a few natural lake
s created by volcanic craters and coastal lagoons mainly in South East Queensland. The lakes in the arid and semi-arid regions of Queensland experience low, highly variable rates of rainfall together with very high evaporation rates.
of the state, accounts for 45% of the nation's surface runoff
. Major coastal rivers include the Mitchell River
, Fitzroy River
, Mary River
and Brisbane River
with the Flinders River
being the longest at 840 km (522 mi). Inland are the northern tributaries of the Murry River including the Maranoa River
, Warrego River
and Condamine River
. Rivers of the Lake Eyre Basin
include Cooper Creek
with its two major tributaries Thomson River
and the Barcoo River
as well as the Georgina River
. The Wenlock River contains the highest diversity of freshwater fish of all Australian rivers.
Barron Falls
in the north of the state is one of the most striking. During heavy rains the landscape is transformed into a gushing torrent. Similarly Purlingbrook Falls
in the Gold Coast Hinterland
is most spectacular after strong downpours. Wallaman Falls
west of Ingham
in North Queensland is Australia's largest single drop waterfall. Other notable waterfalls include Milla Milla Falls, Purlingbrook Falls
and Coomera Falls
.
Some of Queensland's towns are located on relatively flat land on the banks of rivers. During severe floods, such as the 2010 Queensland floods
, numerous towns are inundated as flood waters rise. Levee
s have alleviated some minor flooding but after prolonged periods of heavy rainfall the sheer volume of flood waters cannot be held back. Disruptions from flooding have become accepted in inland towns like Charleville
and to a lesser degree in coastal towns such as Gympie
.
in contrast to the low-relief of western areas. East of the Great Dividing Range is a narrow coastal strip, known as the Australian north-east coast drainage division
which contains most of the state's population. It is along this strip that the state's most important agricultural product, sugar cane, is grown in the fertile soils and moist climate.
Other elevated areas include eastern parts of the Barkly Tableland, Atherton Tablelands, Central Highlands containing Carnarvon Gorge
and the Granite Belt, Queensland's primary wine-producing region. The Bunya Mountains
an isolated spur of the Great Divide are especially scenic and provide important habitat in a region that has suffered from excess land clearing. Closer to the coast is the Glasshouse Mountains, a series of volcanic plugs which were named by the explorer James Cook. Another natural wonder is the series of mountain ranges in South East Queensland known as the Scenic Rim
.
The highest mountains in the state are Mount Bartle Frere
at 1622 m (5,321.5 ft), Mount Bellenden Ker
at 1593 m (5,226.4 ft), Mount Superbus
at 1375 m (4,511.2 ft), at Mount Barney
1359 m (4,458.7 ft) and Thornton Peak
reaching 1374 m (4,507.9 ft) above sea level.
season. Tropical cyclone
s cross the coast regularly, sometimes providing good rainfall inland.
Mount Bellenden Ker has recorded Australia's highest annual rainfall, 12461 mm (490.6 in) and has Australia's highest median annual rainfall of 7950 mm (313 in). The highest daily rainfall total was 907.0 mm at Crohamhurst on 3 February 1893. The highest temperature recorded in the state was 49.5°C in Birdsville
on 24 December 1972. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the state was -10.6°C in Stanthorpe
on 23 June 1961.
Much of western Queensland is arid, with some desert
areas. The Sturt Stony Desert, Strzelecki Desert
and the Simpson Desert
are partially located in Queensland. Drought
has had a significant impact on Queensland rural communities, both socially and economically.
The east coast of Australia, including what is now known as Queensland was first explored by James Cook
but for thousands of years before it was occupied by Indigenous Australians
. The capital of Queensland is Brisbane
. Queensland uses the Australian Eastern Standard Time Zone
, but does not adjust in summer for daylight saving. Mining and agriculture, particularly sugar cane harvesting, are the state's main industries.
The Great Artesian Basin
is an important water source for the state. Through the drilling of bores it has allowed a sheep and cattle industry to thrive in the arid Mitchell grass, Mulga and Spinifex plains in western and central regions. Significant man-made features include the Dingo Fence
, an extensive rail network and numerous highways.
. By 2042 the population of Queensland is expected to reach 7 million people. Queensland has Australia's second largest aborigine population. However if growth rates continue, the population of indigenous Australians in Queensland will surpass New South Wales by the time of the next census.
, Ipswich
, Logan, Redcliffe City and Toowoomba the largest inland city in Australia is located 120 km west of Brisbane on the Darling Downs as well as Warwick
.
Townsville is the largest city in the state's north. Other cities in the north of the state include Mount Isa a mining town, Charters Towers
, Mackay
, the country's biggest exporter of sugar and one of the largest coal exporters in the country and Cairns. In the central regions of the state are the cities of Rockhampton
, Bundaberg, Gladstone
with its economically important coal
exporting port facilities, Maryborough
and Hervey Bay. The largest ports in Queensland are the Port of Gladstone
, followed by the Port of Brisbane
and then the Port of Townsville
.
Some Queensland towns and settlements are known as aboriginal communities. Palm Island
and Cherbourg
are two of the more well-known examples.
Rail networks extend along the eastern coast from the Gold Coast to Kuranda
. Major branch lines extend inland to Longreach and Charleville
and Mount Isa. The Pacific Highway
links Brisbane and Sydney along the coast while the New England
links the cities inland. The Newell Highway
connects Goondiwindi to the southern states via central New South Wales. The Bruce Highway
, which travels along the coast from Brisbane to Townsville, has sections near Gympie
which were described in a 2006 report as some of the worst national highway
in Australia.
, Wet Tropics of Queensland
and Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. Queensland has 226 national park
s. The largest is Simpson Desert National Park
in the remote south west of the state. The most visited national parks in South East Queensland are Tamborine National Park
, Lamington National Park
and Noosa National Park
. These parks are located near centres of major population and are the most accessible in the state. Lamington and other parks around the Scenic Rim
such as Main Range National Park
, are included in the World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia.
Further afield is the Carnarvon National Park
in Central Queensland containing rugged gorge
country and some of Australia's finest Aboriginal rock art
. In the north of the state are Boodjamulla National Park
including Riversleigh
, Barron Gorge National Park
and Daintree National Park
where the Wet Tropics of Queensland meets the Great Barrier Reef. Some waterways are protected in three state marine parks. These are the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
, Great Sandy Marine Park and Moreton Bay Marine Park
.
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...
, which is found in the north east portion of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, is varied. It includes tropical islands, sandy beaches, flat river plains that flood after monsoon rains, tracts of rough, elevated terrain, dry deserts, rich agricultural belts and densely populated urban areas.
The total land mass of Queensland covers 22.5% of the Australian continent, an area of 1,730,648 square kilometers, making it the second largest state in the Commonwealth of Australia. The total length of Queensland's mainland coastline is 6973 km (4,332.8 mi) with another 6374 km (3,960.6 mi) of island coastline. The most unique geographical feature of the state is the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
, an important tourist drawcard. The Tropic of Capricorn
Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, marks the most southerly latitude on the Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This event occurs at the December solstice, when the southern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun to its maximum extent.Tropic of Capricorn is one of the five...
crosses the state with about half of Queensland's area located to the north of the line.
Border
The far western boundary with the Northern TerritoryNorthern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
is aligned along the 138th meridian east
138th meridian east
The meridian 138° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Australasia, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
until Poeppel Corner at the intersection of this meridian and the 26th parallel south
26th parallel south
The 26th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 26 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
. It is here that Queensland borders South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. The boundary follows this longitude until it reaches Haddon Corner
Haddon Corner
Haddon Corner is the north-eastern corner of the state of South Australia, where it meets with the border of Queensland. The point is located in the outback Channel Country district....
where the border turns south reaching Cameron Corner on the 29th parallel south
29th parallel south
The 29th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 29 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
, the most western part of the border with New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The border follows this longitude towards the coast at about the 154th meridian east
154th meridian east
The meridian 154° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Australasia, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
before following the courses of a number of rivers, then across a number of mountain ranges until it reaches Point Danger. These rivers are the Macintyre River
MacIntyre River
The Macintyre River is a river in northern New South Wales, Australia, part of which forms the border with Queensland.The headwaters of the Macintyre River rise west of Guyra and south of Glen Innes on the Northern Tablelands...
, Severn River
Severn River (Queensland)
The Severn River, in Queensland, is a small river that rises in the Sundown National Park which joins the Dumaresq River near the Tenterfield Creek and Glenlyon Dam road. The Dumaresq flows into the Macintyre River...
and Weir Rivers, all tributaries of the Barwon River
Barwon River (New South Wales)
The Barwon River flows through New South Wales, virtually as a continuation of the Macintyre River / Border Rivers system, before joining with the Culgoa River to form the Darling River...
itself a tributary of the Darling River
Darling River
The Darling River is the third longest river in Australia, measuring from its source in northern New South Wales to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth, New South Wales. Including its longest contiguous tributaries it is long, making it the longest river system in Australia.The...
. Southern border towns include Mungindi
Mungindi, New South Wales
Mungindi is a town on the border of New South Wales and Queensland in Moree Plains Shire. It possesses a New South Wales postcode. Mungindi sits on the Carnarvon Highway and straddles the Barwon River which is the border between New South Wales and Queensland...
, Goondiwindi and Texas
Texas, Queensland
Texas is a town in Queensland, Australia. The town is located just from Queensland's southern border with New South Wales, close to Bonshaw, New South Wales...
.
Regions
There are 9 major regions of Queensland. These include South East Queensland
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
, Darling Downs which includes the Granite Belt, Central Queensland
Central Queensland
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional...
encompassing the Mackay and Fitzroy regions, South West Queensland containing the Maranoa
Maranoa
The term Maranoa may refer to a variety of places in Australia.* Maranoa, Queensland, a region of South-western Queensland, Australia.**Division of Maranoa, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in Queensland, in the corresponding area.* Maranoa , a river in the...
, Central West, Wide Bay-Burnett
Wide Bay-Burnett
Wide Bay-Burnett is a region of the Australian state of Queensland, located between 170 and 400 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The area's population growth has exceeded the state average over the past 20 years, and it is forecast to grow to more than 430,000 by 2031...
which includes the South Burnett
South Burnett
The South Burnett is a peanut growing and wine-producing region on the Great Dividing Range, north of the Darling Downs, in Queensland.-Towns:...
, North Queensland
North Queensland
North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the state of Queensland in Australia. Queensland is a massive state, larger than most countries, and the tropical northern part of it has been historically remote and undeveloped, resulting in a distinctive regional character and...
, Gulf Country
Gulf Country
The Gulf Country is the name given to the region of woodland and savanna grassland surrounding the Gulf of Carpentaria in north western Queensland and eastern Northern Territory on the north coast of Australia...
and Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
which includes the Atherton Tablelands. The Darling Downs and South East Queensland regions were the first to be settled. There are 15 bioregions
Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia
The Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia is a biogeographic regionalisation of Australia developed by the Australian Government's Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts...
found in Queensland, including Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
, Channel Country
Channel Country
The Channel Country is region of outback Australia located mostly in the state of Queensland but also in portions of South Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales. The name comes from the numerous intertwined rivulets that cross the region, which cover 150,000 km²...
, Brigalow Belt and Mulga Lands
Mulga Lands
The Mulga Lands are an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia region of eastern Australia consisting of dry sandy plains scattered with mulga trees.-Location and description:...
.
Islands
Magnetic Island
Magnetic Island is an island offshore from the city of Townsville, Queensland, Australia. This mountainous island in Cleveland Bay has effectively become a suburb of Townsville, with 2,107 permanent residents. The island is accessible from Townsville Breakwater to Nelly Bay Harbour by ferry...
, Heron island, Great Keppel Island
Great Keppel Island
Great Keppel Island lies 15 kilometres from the coast off Yeppoon, Central Queensland, Australia. The island is the largest of the eighteen islands in the Keppel Group, and covers an area of more than 14.5 square kilometres...
, Hamilton Island and the Whitsunday Islands
Whitsunday Islands
The Whitsunday Islands are a collection of continental islands of various sizes off the central coast of Queensland, Australia, situated between just south of Bowen and to the north of Mackay, some north of Brisbane. The island group is centred on Whitsunday Island, while the group's commercial...
are known for their tourist resorts. Mornington Island
Mornington Island
Mornington Island is the northern most of 22 islands that form the Wellesley Islands group. The island is located in the Gulf of Carpentaria at and is part of the Gulf Country region in the Australian state of Queensland. The Manowar and Rocky Islands Important Bird Area lies about 40 km to...
and Great Palm Island
Great Palm Island
Great Palm Island, also known as Palm Island, or by the Aboriginal name Bwgcolman; is a tropical island with a resident community of about 2,000 people. The island has an area of . The official area figure of 70.9 km² refers to Aboriginal Shire of Palm Island and includes nine smaller islands...
sustain large aboriginal communities. In the Torres Strait Thursday Island is the administrative and commercial centre of the Torres Strait Islands
Torres Strait Islands
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of...
. Hinchinbrook Island
Hinchinbrook Island
Hinchinbrook Island lies east of Cardwell and north of Lucinda, Queensland Australia. Hinchinbrook Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and wholly protected within the Hinchinbrook Island National Park, except for a small resort. It is the largest island on the Great Barrier Reef...
, a large, mountainous island offshore from Cardwell
Cardwell, Queensland
Cardwell is a tropical coastal town in northeastern Queensland. It is located at the southern extremity of the Cassowary Coast. At the 2006 census, Cardwell had a population of 1,250. The Bruce Highway National Highway 1 and the North Coast railway line are the dominant transport routes;...
, is completely preserved within the national park
Hinchinbrook Island National Park
Hinchinbrook Island National Park is situated along the Cassowary Coast Queensland, Australia. The nearest capital city is Brisbane approx. 1240 km to the south. Cardwell is 2.0 drive north of Townsville being the closest North Queensland provincial city...
. North West Island
North West Island
North West Island is a coral cay in the southern Great Barrier Reef, located 75 kilometres northeast of Gladstone, Queensland. North West Island forms part of Capricornia Cays National Park and with an area of 1.05 km², the island is the second largest coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef...
is a coral cay that sustains important nesting grounds for sea birds and turtles.
The islands of Bribie, Moreton
Moreton Island
Moreton Island is a large sand island on the eastern side of Moreton Bay, on the coast of south-east Queensland, Australia. Moreton Island lies 58 kilometres northeast of the Queensland capital, Brisbane. The island is 95% National Park and a popular destination for four wheel driving, camping,...
, North Stradbroke
North Stradbroke Island
North Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, 30 km southeast of the capital Brisbane. Before 1896 the island was part of the Stradbroke Island. In that year a storm separated it from South Stradbroke Island, forming the Jumpinpin Channel. It is known...
and South Stradbroke
South Stradbroke Island
South Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, south of Brisbane and forms the northern end of Gold Coast. The 21 km by 2.5 km sized island is the smaller one of the two Stradbroke Islands and lies very close to the mainland. The island has hundreds of wild...
are located in the south east corner of the state. North Stradbroke Island is the second largest sand island in the world. As Bribie Island is connected by a bridge over the Pumicestone Passage
Pumicestone Passage
Pumicestone Passage, also known as the Pumicestone Channel, is a narrow waterway between Bribie Island and the mainland in Queensland, Australia...
it is the most developed island in the region.
Bodies of water
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
. North of Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
is Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
with many Torres Strait Islands
Torres Strait Islands
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of...
, the most northerly of which is Boigu Island at the 10th parallel south
10th parallel south
The 10th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 10 degrees south of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australasia, the Pacific Ocean and South America....
. To the east of Queensland lies the Coral Sea
Coral Sea
The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands...
, part of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Major bays along the coast include Princess Charlotte Bay
Princess Charlotte Bay
Princess Charlotte Bay is a large bay on the east coast of Far North Queensland at the base of Cape York Peninsula, 350 km north northwest of Cairns. Princess Charlotte Bay is a part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and it is a habitat for the dugong....
, Shoalwater Bay
Shoalwater Bay
Shoalwater Bay is a large bay on the central coast of Queensland, Australia, located 100 km north of the coastal town of Yeppoon and 628 km north-north-west of the state capital, Brisbane. Since 1966, the land surrounding Shoalwater Bay has been under the ownership of the Australian Defence Force,...
north of Yeppoon
Yeppoon, Queensland
Yeppoon is a coastal resort town situated in Central Queensland, Australia. Located on Keppel Bay, at the 2006 census, Yeppoon had a population of 13,284.-Geography:...
, Hervey Bay between Fraser Island and the mainland, Trinity Bay off Cairns and Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
off Brisbane. The Great Sandy Strait
Great Sandy Strait
The Great Sandy Strait is an 70 km Australian sand passage estuary separating mainland Queensland, from World Heritage listed Fraser Island.-Description:...
is a passage extending south of Hervey Bay, between the mainland and Fraser Island. Beaches on the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Sunshine Coast is an urban area in South East Queensland, north of the state capital of Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Although it does not have a central business district, by population it ranks as the 10th largest metropolis in Australia and the third largest in...
are long and sandy, attracting tourists including surfers. Further north the waves are dampened by the barrier reefs.
Queensland's largest dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
is the Burdekin Dam
Burdekin Dam
Burdekin Dam is located on the Burdekin River in Queensland, Australia south west of Ayr, and Home Hill. The body of water held by the dam is also known as Lake Dalrymple. Burdekin Dam is managed by SunWater. The dam provides drinking water for twin cities of Thuringowa and Townsville and a large...
, followed by Lake Awoonga
Lake Awoonga
Lake Awoonga was formed on the Boyne River by the dam located from Gladstone, in Central Queensland, Australia. It is approximately 30 minutes drive from Gladstone, via Benaraby.Lake Awoonga is the main water supply for the Gladstone region...
. There is an absence of any large natural lakes in the state. There are a few natural lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s created by volcanic craters and coastal lagoons mainly in South East Queensland. The lakes in the arid and semi-arid regions of Queensland experience low, highly variable rates of rainfall together with very high evaporation rates.
Rivers
Queensland contains hundreds of rivers and many more smaller creeks. The discharge from these rivers, particularly in the tropical northTropical Queensland
Tropical Queensland is region of the state of Queensland, Australia that lies north of latitude 23.5 degrees South in the tropical latitude.It contains the Tropical North Queensland including the Far North Queensland, North Queensland and the Mackay Region as well as the Gulf Country in the west...
of the state, accounts for 45% of the nation's surface runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
. Major coastal rivers include the Mitchell River
Mitchell River (Queensland)
The Mitchell River is a river in the Far North Queensland region of Australia. The river begins on the Atherton Tableland about northwest of Cairns, and flows about northwest across Cape York Peninsula from Mareeba to the Gulf of Carpentaria....
, Fitzroy River
Fitzroy River (Queensland)
The Fitzroy River lies in Queensland, Australia. Its catchment covers an area of 142,665 square kilometres, making it the largest river catchment flowing to the eastern coast of Australia. The river is formed by the joining of the Mackenzie and Dawson rivers at Duaringa. The catchment stretches...
, Mary River
Mary River (Queensland)
The Mary River is a river system in South East Queensland, Australia. The river rises at Booroobin in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, west of Landsborough...
and Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
with the Flinders River
Flinders River
The Flinders River is the longest river in Queensland, Australia at about . The river rises in the Burra Range, part of the Great Dividing Range, 110 km northeast of Hughenden and flows in a westerly direction past Hughenden, Richmond and Julia Creek then northwest to the Gulf of Carpentaria...
being the longest at 840 km (522 mi). Inland are the northern tributaries of the Murry River including the Maranoa River
Maranoa River
The Maranoa River is a large river situated in south west Queensland. The Maranoa passes through Mitchell and flows south towards St George. It is a tributary of the Balonne River which eventually flows into the Darling River , so it contributes to the Murray-Darling Basin.The river rises on the...
, Warrego River
Warrego River
The Warrego River is situated in south west Queensland and north west New South Wales, Australia. It is the northernmost tributary of the Darling River....
and Condamine River
Condamine River
The Condamine River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin, drains the northern portion of the Darling Downs, an area of sub-coastal southern Queensland, Australia...
. Rivers of the Lake Eyre Basin
Lake Eyre Basin
The Lake Eyre basin is a drainage basin that covers just under one-sixth of all Australia. The Lake Eyre Basin is the largest endorheic basin in Australia and amongst the largest in the world, covering about 1,200,000 square kilometres, including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South...
include Cooper Creek
Cooper Creek
Cooper Creek is one of the most famous and yet least visited rivers in Australia. It is sometimes known as the Barcoo River from one of its tributaries and is one of three major Queensland river systems that flow into the Lake Eyre Basin...
with its two major tributaries Thomson River
Thomson River (Queensland)
The Thomson River is situated in western Queensland, Australia, and forms part of the Lake Eyre Basin. The river was named by the explorer, Edmund Kennedy, in the 1840s....
and the Barcoo River
Barcoo River
The Barcoo River in western Queensland, Australia that rises on the northern slopes of the Warrego Range, flows in a south westerly direction and unites with the Thomson River to form Cooper Creek. The first European to see the river was Thomas Mitchell in 1846, who named it Victoria Stream...
as well as the Georgina River
Georgina River
The Georgina River is the north-westernmost of the three major rivers of the Channel Country in western Queensland that flow in extremely wet years into Lake Eyre.-Geography:...
. The Wenlock River contains the highest diversity of freshwater fish of all Australian rivers.
Barron Falls
Barron Falls
Barron Falls is where the Barron River makes its descent from the Atherton Tablelands to the Cairns coastal plain, in Queensland, Australia. Protected within the Barron Gorge National Park, the volume of water seen in the upper photo only occurs after substantial rainfall during the wet season...
in the north of the state is one of the most striking. During heavy rains the landscape is transformed into a gushing torrent. Similarly Purlingbrook Falls
Purlingbrook Falls
Purlingbrook Falls are found within the central section of Springbrook National Park, at Springbrook which is part of the Gold Coast hinterland, south-west of Surfers Paradise, in Queensland, Australia....
in the Gold Coast Hinterland
Gold Coast hinterland
The Gold Coast hinterland is an area of South East Queensland, Australia that comprises the Tweed Range, Nimmel Range, Tamborine Mountain, Numinbah Valley, eastern parts of the McPherson Range and western parts of suburban Gold Coast.-History:...
is most spectacular after strong downpours. Wallaman Falls
Wallaman Falls
The Wallaman Falls are notable for their single-drop of 268 metres, which is Australia's highest permanent waterfall. The pool at the end of the waterfall is 20 metres deep....
west of Ingham
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...
in North Queensland is Australia's largest single drop waterfall. Other notable waterfalls include Milla Milla Falls, Purlingbrook Falls
Purlingbrook Falls
Purlingbrook Falls are found within the central section of Springbrook National Park, at Springbrook which is part of the Gold Coast hinterland, south-west of Surfers Paradise, in Queensland, Australia....
and Coomera Falls
Coomera Falls
The Coomera Falls are found on the upper Coomera River in South East Queensland, Australia. The height of the waterfall is 64 m.The Coomera Falls drop into Coomera Gorge. Access is via graded walking tracks in Lamington National Park from Binna Burra....
.
Some of Queensland's towns are located on relatively flat land on the banks of rivers. During severe floods, such as the 2010 Queensland floods
2010–2011 Queensland floods
A series of floods hit Australia, beginning in December 2010, primarily in the state of Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least seventy towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was...
, numerous towns are inundated as flood waters rise. Levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
s have alleviated some minor flooding but after prolonged periods of heavy rainfall the sheer volume of flood waters cannot be held back. Disruptions from flooding have become accepted in inland towns like Charleville
Charleville, Queensland
Charleville is a town in south western Queensland, Australia, 758 kilometres by road west of Brisbane . It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Murweh Shire, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres...
and to a lesser degree in coastal towns such as Gympie
Gympie
Gympie may refer to:* Gympie, a city in Queensland, Australia** Gympie Airport** Electoral district of Gympie** Gympie Region, its local government authority* Gympie Gympie , a stinging plant...
.
Mountains and ranges
Eastern Queensland is dominated by the Great Dividing RangeGreat Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
in contrast to the low-relief of western areas. East of the Great Dividing Range is a narrow coastal strip, known as the Australian north-east coast drainage division
Australian north-east coast drainage division
The north-east coast drainage division is the area of Queensland between the Great Dividing Range and the ocean. It lies between Torres Strait and an arbitrary line drawn along the Queensland - New South Wales border.-See also:...
which contains most of the state's population. It is along this strip that the state's most important agricultural product, sugar cane, is grown in the fertile soils and moist climate.
Other elevated areas include eastern parts of the Barkly Tableland, Atherton Tablelands, Central Highlands containing Carnarvon Gorge
Carnarvon Gorge
Carnarvon Gorge is located in the Southern Brigalow Belt bioregion in Central Queensland , 593 km northwest of Brisbane. Primarily created by water erosion, Carnarvon Gorge is around 30 kilometres long, and six hundred metres deep at the mouth...
and the Granite Belt, Queensland's primary wine-producing region. The Bunya Mountains
Bunya Mountains
The Bunya Mountains are a distinctive set of peaks forming an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland. The mountain range forms the northern edge of the Darling Downs near Bell and Dalby. The mountains are south of Kingaroy and just to the south west of Nanango...
an isolated spur of the Great Divide are especially scenic and provide important habitat in a region that has suffered from excess land clearing. Closer to the coast is the Glasshouse Mountains, a series of volcanic plugs which were named by the explorer James Cook. Another natural wonder is the series of mountain ranges in South East Queensland known as the Scenic Rim
Scenic Rim
The Scenic Rim is a group of forested mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range straddling the border between south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...
.
The highest mountains in the state are Mount Bartle Frere
Mount Bartle Frere
Mount Bartle Frere is the highest mountain in Queensland at an elevation of 1622 metres. The mountain was named after Sir Henry Bartle Frere, a British colonial administrator and then president of the Royal Geographical Society by George Elphinstone Dalrymple in 1873. Bartle Frere was British...
at 1622 m (5,321.5 ft), Mount Bellenden Ker
Mount Bellenden Ker
Mount Bellenden Ker is the second highest mountain in Queensland, Australia. It is named after the botanist John Bellenden Ker Gawler. Located 60 km south of Cairns near Babinda, it is adjacent to Mount Bartle Frere, the state's highest peak, part of the Bellenden Ker Range which is also...
at 1593 m (5,226.4 ft), Mount Superbus
Mount Superbus
Mount Superbus lies 150 km south-west of Brisbane and is South East Queensland's highest peak at 1375 metres . At this elevation it is the third highest peak in Queensland. Only Mount Bellenden Ker at 1593 m and Mount Bartle Frere at 1622 m in Far North Queensland are higher.It has an...
at 1375 m (4,511.2 ft), at Mount Barney
Mount Barney
Mount Barney is a mountain located in south-east Queensland, Australia. It lies approximately 130 kilometres south-west of Brisbane, not far from the Queensland - New South Wales border, and forms part of the McPherson Range. It is a popular destination for bushwalkers and campers...
1359 m (4,458.7 ft) and Thornton Peak
Thornton Peak
Thornton Peak is a prominent mountain that rises above the Daintree Rainforest to a height of 1374 m. The mountain is located about 32 km northwest of Cairns within the catchment of the Daintree River....
reaching 1374 m (4,507.9 ft) above sea level.
Climate
The coastal strip, east of the Great Dividing Range, has a moist, warm temperate climate. West of the range both the minimum temperatures and rainfall rates decrease while the days are hotter. In the north of the state there is a monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season. Tropical cyclone
Cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
s cross the coast regularly, sometimes providing good rainfall inland.
Mount Bellenden Ker has recorded Australia's highest annual rainfall, 12461 mm (490.6 in) and has Australia's highest median annual rainfall of 7950 mm (313 in). The highest daily rainfall total was 907.0 mm at Crohamhurst on 3 February 1893. The highest temperature recorded in the state was 49.5°C in Birdsville
Birdsville, Queensland
-External links:*...
on 24 December 1972. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the state was -10.6°C in Stanthorpe
Stanthorpe, Queensland
Stanthorpe is a town situated in south east Queensland, Australia. The town lies on the New England Highway near the New South Wales border 223 km from Brisbane via Warwick, 56 km north of Tenterfield and 811 m above sea level. The area surrounding the town is known as the Granite Belt...
on 23 June 1961.
Much of western Queensland is arid, with some desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
areas. The Sturt Stony Desert, Strzelecki Desert
Strzelecki Desert
The Strzelecki Desert is located in the Far North Region of South Australia, southwest Queensland and western New South Wales. It is positioned in the northeast of the Lake Eyre Basin, and north of the Flinders Ranges. Two other deserts occupy the Lake Eyre Basin—the Tirari Desert and the...
and the Simpson Desert
Simpson Desert
The Simpson Desert is a large area of dry, red sandy plain and dunes in Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland in central Australia. It is the fourth largest Australian desert, with an area of 176,500 km² ....
are partially located in Queensland. Drought
Drought in Australia
Drought in Australia is defined as rainfall over a three month period being in the lowest decile of what has been recorded for that region in the past. This definition takes into account that drought is a relative term and rainfall deficiencies need to be compared to typical rainfall patterns...
has had a significant impact on Queensland rural communities, both socially and economically.
Human geography
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 250,000 |
| 1922 | 779,000 |
| 1952 | 1,259,500 |
| 1992 | 3,030,000 |
| 2001 | 3,655,139 |
| 2003 | 3,774,292 |
| 2005 | 3,963,968 |
| 2007 | 4,196,000 |
| 2009 | 4,450,418 |
The east coast of Australia, including what is now known as Queensland was first explored by James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
but for thousands of years before it was occupied by Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. The capital of Queensland is Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. Queensland uses the Australian Eastern Standard Time Zone
UTC+10
UTC+10 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +10. This time is used in:-As standard time :*Australia **Queensland*Federated States of Micronesia**Chuuk, Yap and surrounding area...
, but does not adjust in summer for daylight saving. Mining and agriculture, particularly sugar cane harvesting, are the state's main industries.
The Great Artesian Basin
Great Artesian Basin
The Great Artesian Basin provides the only reliable source of freshwater through much of inland Australia. The basin is the largest and deepest artesian basin in the world, stretching over a total of , with temperatures measured ranging from 30°C to 100°C...
is an important water source for the state. Through the drilling of bores it has allowed a sheep and cattle industry to thrive in the arid Mitchell grass, Mulga and Spinifex plains in western and central regions. Significant man-made features include the Dingo Fence
Dingo Fence
The Dingo Fence or Dog Fence is a pest-exclusion fence that was built in Australia during the 1880s and finished in 1885, to keep dingoes out of the relatively fertile south-east part of the continent and protect the sheep flocks of southern Queensland. It is one of the longest structures in the...
, an extensive rail network and numerous highways.
Population
The population of Queensland at the end of June 2009 was 4,406,800 ranking it as the third most populous state. Most of Queensland's current population growth is driven by migration from New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. By 2042 the population of Queensland is expected to reach 7 million people. Queensland has Australia's second largest aborigine population. However if growth rates continue, the population of indigenous Australians in Queensland will surpass New South Wales by the time of the next census.
Cities and towns
Queensland's capital city, Brisbane is located in the most populous region South East Queensland. Also located here is the Gold CoastGold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
, Logan, Redcliffe City and Toowoomba the largest inland city in Australia is located 120 km west of Brisbane on the Darling Downs as well as Warwick
Warwick, Queensland
Warwick is a town in Queensland, Australia, lying south-west of Brisbane. It is the administrative centre of the Southern Downs Local Government Area. In 2006 the town of Warwick had a population of 12,562....
.
Townsville is the largest city in the state's north. Other cities in the north of the state include Mount Isa a mining town, Charters Towers
Charters Towers, Queensland
Charters Towers is a city in northern Queensland, Australia. It is located 137 kilometres inland from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. In 2006 the population was 7,979 people, some 450 fewer than in the 2001 census. During the last quarter of the 19th century the town boomed as the rich gold...
, Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
, the country's biggest exporter of sugar and one of the largest coal exporters in the country and Cairns. In the central regions of the state are the cities of Rockhampton
Rockhampton
Rockhampton can refer to:* Rockhampton, Queensland is a city in Queensland, Australia* Rockhampton City, Queensland, a suburb of Rockhampton, Queensland* Electoral district of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia...
, Bundaberg, Gladstone
Gladstone, Queensland
- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
with its economically important coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
exporting port facilities, Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
and Hervey Bay. The largest ports in Queensland are the Port of Gladstone
Port of Gladstone
The Port of Gladstone is Queensland's largest multi-commodity port and the fifth largest multi-commodity port in Australia. It is the world's fourth largest coal exporting terminal. It forms and integral part of the City of Gladstone in Central Queensland and is located about 525 km north of...
, followed by the Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane
Port of Brisbane is the shipping port of Brisbane, on the east coast of Australia. It is located in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River on reclaimed land that was once called Fisherman Islands at the mouth of the river. It currently is the third busiest port in Australia and the nation's...
and then the Port of Townsville
Port of Townsville
Port of Townsville is a seaport in Townsville, Queensland. It is the third largest seaport in Queensland after Port of Brisbane and the Central Queensland Port in Gladstone. Port of Townsville handles numerous imports and exports mainly, Mineral Ores, Fertiliser, Concentrates, Sugar and Motor...
.
Some Queensland towns and settlements are known as aboriginal communities. 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 Cherbourg
Cherbourg, Queensland
Cherbourg is a town in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. It is located off the Bunya Highway approximately north-west of Brisbane and from the town of Murgon. It is situated very close to the dam wall of Bjelke-Petersen Dam. Attractions in Cherbourg include the 'Bert Button...
are two of the more well-known examples.
Transport
Kuranda, Queensland
Kuranda is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia, it is 25 kilometres from Cairns, via the Kuranda Range road. It is surrounded by rainforest. At the 2006 census, Kuranda had a population of 1,611.-History:...
. Major branch lines extend inland to Longreach and Charleville
Charleville, Queensland
Charleville is a town in south western Queensland, Australia, 758 kilometres by road west of Brisbane . It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Murweh Shire, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres...
and Mount Isa. The Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
links Brisbane and Sydney along the coast while the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
links the cities inland. The Newell Highway
Newell Highway
The Newell Highway is the longest highway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs parallel to the eastern coast about 400 kilometres inland, and is the main inland direct road link from Victoria to Queensland, bypassing the more congested coastal areas of New South Wales...
connects Goondiwindi to the southern states via central New South Wales. The Bruce Highway
Bruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...
, which travels along the coast from Brisbane to Townsville, has sections near Gympie
Gympie
Gympie may refer to:* Gympie, a city in Queensland, Australia** Gympie Airport** Electoral district of Gympie** Gympie Region, its local government authority* Gympie Gympie , a stinging plant...
which were described in a 2006 report as some of the worst national highway
National Highway (Australia)
thumb|right|150px|The National Highway Shield in NSW, QLD, WA, NT & TAS.The National Highway is a system of roads connecting all the States and Territories of Australia, and is the major network of highways connecting Australia's largest and most important cities.The National Highway was...
in Australia.
Protected areas
Queensland contains significant areas of rainforest and other areas of biological diversity. World Heritage Areas include the Great Barrier ReefGreat Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
, Wet Tropics of Queensland
Wet Tropics of Queensland
The Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site consists of approximately 8,940 km² of Australian wet tropical forests growing along the north-east Queensland portion of the Great Dividing Range, stretching from Townsville to Cooktown, running in close parallel to the Great Barrier Reef...
and Gondwana Rainforests of Australia. Queensland has 226 national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
s. The largest is Simpson Desert National Park
Simpson Desert National Park
Simpson Desert is the largest national park in Queensland, Australia, 1495 km west of Brisbane. The park covers an area of more than 10,00 km² in the Simpson Desert surrounding Poeppel Corner west of Birdsville and Bedourie in the southwest of the state.-Landforms:The main features of the...
in the remote south west of the state. The most visited national parks in South East Queensland are Tamborine National Park
Tamborine National Park
Tamborine is a national park in the Gold Coast hinterland of South East Queensland, Australia, 45 km south of Brisbane.It covers 11.60 km² on the plateau of Tamborine Mountain and around its foothills. The plateau is 8 km long, 5 km wide and rises to an altitude of 525 meters...
, Lamington National Park
Lamington National Park
Lamington is a national park in Queensland, Australia, lying on the Lamington Plateau of the McPherson Range on the Queensland/New South Wales border...
and Noosa National Park
Noosa National Park
Noosa National Park is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 121 km north of Brisbane. It is situated near Noosa Heads between the Pacific Ocean and the Sunshine Coasts's northern area of urban development and extends southwards, past Lake Weyba to Coolum...
. These parks are located near centres of major population and are the most accessible in the state. Lamington and other parks around the Scenic Rim
Scenic Rim
The Scenic Rim is a group of forested mountain ranges of the Great Dividing Range straddling the border between south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia.-Description:...
such as Main Range National Park
Main Range National Park
Main Range is a mountain range and a national park in Queensland , 85 km southwest of Brisbane. It is part of the World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia . It protects the western part of a semicircle of mountains in South East Queensland known as the Scenic Rim...
, are included in the World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia.
Further afield is the Carnarvon National Park
Carnarvon National Park
Carnarvon National Park is located in the Southern Brigalow Belt bioregion in Central Queensland , 593 km northwest of Brisbane...
in Central Queensland containing rugged gorge
Canyon
A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...
country and some of Australia's finest Aboriginal rock art
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
. In the north of the state are Boodjamulla National Park
Boodjamulla National Park
Boodjamulla National Park, formerly known as Lawn Hill National Park, is a national park in the Gulf Country region of northwestern Queensland, Australia. The park is northwest of Mount Isa or northwest of Brisbane....
including Riversleigh
Riversleigh
Riversleigh, in North West Queensland, is Australia's most famous fossil site. The 100 km² area has fossil remains of ancient mammals, birds and reptiles of Oligocene and Miocene age...
, Barron Gorge National Park
Barron Gorge National Park
Barron Gorge National Park is a national park in Queensland , 1,404 km northwest of Brisbane and 2 km from Kuranda. Barron Gorge is part of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The Kuranda Scenic Railway line passes through the park with a station at Barron Falls. One train runs from...
and Daintree National Park
Daintree National Park
Daintree is a national park in Far North Queensland, Australia, northwest of Brisbane and northwest of Cairns. It was founded in 1981 and is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland. In 1988 it was granted listing as a World Heritage List...
where the Wet Tropics of Queensland meets the Great Barrier Reef. Some waterways are protected in three state marine parks. These are the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from damaging activities. Fishing and the removal of artefacts or...
, Great Sandy Marine Park and Moreton Bay Marine Park
Moreton Bay Marine Park
The Moreton Bay Marine Park was established in 1992 to protect ecologically significant habitats in Moreton Bay. The World Heritage listed park extends from Caloundra south to the Gold Coast Seaway. The park's border extends up to the highest tidal mark and covers a total of 3400 km2.The park...
.
See also
- List of postcodes in Queensland
- South East Queensland Regional PlanSouth East Queensland Regional PlanThe South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009-2031 is a document designed to guide regional growth and development in South East Queensland, Australia. It was established under the , which has now been replaced by and includes ....
- States and territories of AustraliaStates and territories of AustraliaThe Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...