Gracemere, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Gracemere is a town located on the Capricorn Highway
in Central Queensland
, Australia
, approximately 9 kilometres west of the city of Rockhampton
. Because of the proximity of the town to Rockhampton, Gracemere has become a dormitory town, with many residents commuting the short distance to work in the city. At the 2006 census
, Gracemere had a population of 5,061.
arrived looking for pastures for their sheep. They settled by a small lake, originally called "Farris" or Padgole lagoon which was named Gracemere in 1855. The name Gracemere comes from "Grace", the name of one of the Archer brothers wife and "mere" which is a Scottish term for lake. They also located a suitable landing point for supplies on the nearby Fitzroy River
, which later became Rockhampton.
Grazing, particularly of beef cattle
, has long been the significant industry of the area. The Gracemere Saleyards, located on the western side of the town, is the largest cattle sales facility in the Southern Hemisphere
, and has recently undergone a multi-million-dollar upgrade. A new shopping centre is currently under construction near the centre of town. Two anchor stores, Woolworths Group
Supermarket and a Big W
discount department store, will be included in the development, alongside 30 specialty stores. A new roundabout is also being constructed in the centre of the town, to cope with the influx of vehicles, as Gracemere is rapidly expanding with around 10 new housing estates under construction.
(St. Pauls Gracemere, Gracemere State School and Waraburra State School).
There have been rumours for some time as to when a high school will be built, due to the recent influx of students. Currently, all high school students travel by a free bus service into Rockhampton to continue their senior education
- OAM
and twice gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games
and Olympic Games
•Kerrie Meares
- Twice gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games
for cycling. She is the older sister of Anna Meares
Capricorn Highway
The Capricorn Highway is located in Central Queensland, Australia, and links the city of Rockhampton with western Queensland. The highway is approximately 560 kilometres long, and joins the Landsborough Highway at Barcaldine...
in 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...
, 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...
, approximately 9 kilometres west of the city of Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
. Because of the proximity of the town to Rockhampton, Gracemere has become a dormitory town, with many residents commuting the short distance to work in the city. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Gracemere had a population of 5,061.
History
The area was first explored by Europeans in 1853, when the Archer brothersThe Archer brothers
The Archer brothers were among the earliest settlers in Queensland. They were explorers and pastoralists. Seven sons of William Archer, a Scottish timber merchant, they spent varying amounts of time in the colony of New South Wales, mainly in parts of what later became Queensland. A substantial...
arrived looking for pastures for their sheep. They settled by a small lake, originally called "Farris" or Padgole lagoon which was named Gracemere in 1855. The name Gracemere comes from "Grace", the name of one of the Archer brothers wife and "mere" which is a Scottish term for lake. They also located a suitable landing point for supplies on the nearby 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...
, which later became Rockhampton.
Construction and industry
Gracemere, as a commuter town, has a relatively low level of industry compared to Rockhampton.Grazing, particularly of beef cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, has long been the significant industry of the area. The Gracemere Saleyards, located on the western side of the town, is the largest cattle sales facility in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, and has recently undergone a multi-million-dollar upgrade. A new shopping centre is currently under construction near the centre of town. Two anchor stores, Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
Supermarket and a Big W
Big W
Big W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
discount department store, will be included in the development, alongside 30 specialty stores. A new roundabout is also being constructed in the centre of the town, to cope with the influx of vehicles, as Gracemere is rapidly expanding with around 10 new housing estates under construction.
Education
There are three schools servicing Gracemere. They are all primary, one catholic and two public.(St. Pauls Gracemere, Gracemere State School and Waraburra State School).
There have been rumours for some time as to when a high school will be built, due to the recent influx of students. Currently, all high school students travel by a free bus service into Rockhampton to continue their senior education
Transport
As a dormitory town, most Gracemerians either that a private vehicle or catch a bus to the city. The bus service, Youngs Bus, operates hourly between the town centre and South Gracemere. Traffic can peak at around 8:00 in the morning, with traffic being banked up for around 1-1.5 kilometers on weekdays. Infrastructure problems are now becoming a reality for the small town and surrounding Capricorn Highway towns. This has resulted in constant roadworks and upgrades of the highway road quality. This mass influx of vehicles has resulted in a proposal for a new western bypass for Rockhampton, to send vehicles right to the northern suburbs, avoiding inner city congestion and delay, as this is where many Gracemerians work.Notable residents
•Anna MearesAnna Meares
Anna Maree Meares, OAM is an Australian track cyclist.She has been the 500m TT world champion twice, and a gold medalist at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.-Biography:...
- OAM
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
and twice gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
and Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
•Kerrie Meares
Kerrie Meares
Kerrie Meares is an Australian professional racing cyclist. She is the older sister of Anna Meares. She was a contender for the 2004 Olympic team, but pulled out from competition due to nagging injuries, suffered during numerous crashes that occurred during competitions earlier that year.-Career...
- Twice gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
for cycling. She is the older sister of Anna Meares