Port Alma, Queensland
| Port Alma Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Ship "Roscommon" moored at Port Alma | |||||||||||||||
  Port Alma | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 23°34′59″S 150°51′39″E / 23.5831°S 150.8607°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 0 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.0000/km2 (0.000/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4699 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 312.8 km2 (120.8 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Rockhampton Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mirani | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Flynn | ||||||||||||||
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Port Alma is a coastal town, locality and port in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3][4] In the 2021 census, Port Alma had "no people or a very low population".[1]
Geography
[edit]Port Alma ia approximately 60 kilometres (40 mi) from Rockhampton, at the south end of the Fitzroy River delta.[5]
The locality is bounded to the north by the Fitzroy River, to the north-east by Keppel Bay and to the east and south-east by Raglan Creek. The town is situated on the east of the locality on the western bank of Raglan Creek.[6]
Much of the locality is almost at sea level and is mostly undeveloped marshland.[6] There is one small hill on Casuarina Island called Sandfly Hillock (23°33′01″S 150°51′54″E / 23.5502°S 150.865°E) which rises to 12 metres (39 ft) above sea level.[7][6]
Islands
[edit]Casuarina Creek and a number of other small creeks form the Fitzroy River delta, which creates a number of low-lying islands, shoals, and channels within the locality including:[6]
- Alligator Passage (23°31′00″S 150°44′00″E / 23.5166°S 150.7333°E)[8]
- Casuarina Island (23°33′01″S 150°46′01″E / 23.5502°S 150.7669°E)[9]
- Dunlop Island (23°30′53″S 150°43′22″E / 23.5147°S 150.7227°E)[10]
- Egg Sand, a marine bank (23°30′51″S 150°48′11″E / 23.5141°S 150.8030°E)[11]
- Jacks Island (23°36′52″S 150°51′18″E / 23.6144°S 150.855°E)[12]
- Mosquito Island (23°30′53″S 150°45′50″E / 23.5147°S 150.7638°E)[13]
- Pugh Sand, a sand bar (23°31′00″S 150°46′00″E / 23.5166°S 150.7666°E)[14]
- Sandfly Island (23°31′07″S 150°46′39″E / 23.5186°S 150.7774°E)[15]
- Satellite Channel (23°31′00″S 150°43′00″E / 23.5166°S 150.7166°E)[16]
Headlands
[edit]Port Alma has the following headlands on its coastline:
- Bunyip Point (23°29′54″S 150°43′56″E / 23.4984°S 150.7323°E)[17][18]
- Eupatoria Point (23°34′33″S 150°51′53″E / 23.5759°S 150.8646°E)[17][19]
- False Point (23°31′02″S 150°47′58″E / 23.5172°S 150.7994°E)[17][20]
- Gayden Point (23°31′43″S 150°42′48″E / 23.5287°S 150.7132°E)[17][21]
- Iguana Point (23°30′26″S 150°44′16″E / 23.5072°S 150.7379°E)[17][22]
- Pile Point (23°30′42″S 150°42′23″E / 23.5118°S 150.7064°E)[17][23]
- Rocky Point (23°30′33″S 150°47′23″E / 23.5091°S 150.7898°E)[17][24]
- Saurian Point (23°33′45″S 150°47′52″E / 23.5624°S 150.7977°E)[17][25]
- Shell Point (23°33′52″S 150°52′33″E / 23.5644°S 150.8758°E)[17][26]
- Woods Point (23°30′07″S 150°43′17″E / 23.5020°S 150.7213°E)[17][27]
History
[edit]The town was named by hydrographer, Commander J. Jeffrey of HM Colonial Schooner Pearl, in 1864 after a battle site of the Crimean War.[2]
The Port Alma railway line was a 26-kilometre (16 mi) branch railway from Bajool railway station on the North Coast railway line to the port at Port Alma. It opened in 1912 to provide access to the port from Rockhampton. The last 10 km of the line closed in 1986, with the remainder serving a salt works until closure in 1990.[citation needed] There were two railway stations on the line, now both dismantled:
- CQ Salt railway station (23°37′22″S 150°43′17″E / 23.6228°S 150.7214°E)[28]
- Port Alma railway station (23°35′09″S 150°51′37″E / 23.5859°S 150.8603°E)[28]
Demographics
[edit]In the 2016 census, Port Alma had "no people or a very low population".[29]
In the 2021 census, Port Alma had "no people or a very low population".[1]
Economy
[edit]There are two main aspects to the economy in Port Alma: salt production and a cargo port.
Salt production occurs in large evaporation pans in the locality. The area is the major supplier of salt in Queensland and for the further export. The salt is used for human consumption, for swimming pools, and for industrial processes.[30]
The port is at the town and primarily handles cargoes consisting of class 1 explosives, ammonium nitrate, bulk tallow and equipment used in support of military exercises held at Shoalwater Bay.[5]
Education
[edit]There are no schools in Port Alma.[6] The nearest government primary schools are Bajool State School in neighbouring Bajool to the west and Marmor State School in neighbouring Marmor to the south. The nearest government secondary schools are Mount Larcom State School (to Year 10) in Mount Larcom to the south-east and Rockhampton State High School in Wandal, Rockhampton, to the north-west.[6]
Amenities
[edit]There are three boat ramps in Port Alma. Two are managed by the Rockhampton Regional Council:
- Casuarina Creek boat ramp and floating walkway on Port Alama Road (23°36′38″S 150°47′37″E / 23.6106°S 150.7935°E)[31]
- Inkerman Creek boat ramp and floating walkway on Port Alma Road (23°35′28″S 150°49′08″E / 23.5910°S 150.8189°E)[31]
Raglan Creek boat ramp is on Port Alma Road on the north bank of Raglan Creek (23°35′13″S 150°51′39″E / 23.5870°S 150.8609°E). It is managed by Transport and Main Roads.[31]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Port Alma (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Port Alma – town in Rockhampton Region (entry 27342)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ "Port Alma – locality in Rockhampton Region (entry 48845)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ "Port Alma – port in Rockhampton Region (entry 445)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ a b "Port Procedures and Information for Shipping — Port Alma (Maritime Safety Queensland)". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ "Sandfly Hillock – hill in Rockhampton Regional (entry 29596)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Alligator Passage – passage in Rockhampton Regional (entry 398)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Casuarina Island – island in Rockhampton Regional (entry 6485)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Dunlop Island – island in Rockhampton Regional (entry 10871)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Egg Sand – bank - marine in Rockhampton Regional (entry 11271)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Jacks Island – island - feature appears absent in Rockhampton Regional (entry 16969)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Mosquito Island – island in Rockhampton Regional (entry 22927)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Pugh Sand – bar in Rockhampton Regional (entry 27608)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Sandfly Island – island in Rockhampton Regional (entry 29597)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Satellite Channel – channel in Rockhampton Regional (entry 29974)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Bunyip Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 5310)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Eupatoria Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 11960)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "False Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 12186)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Gayden Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 13513)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Iguana Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 16613)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Pile Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 26734)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Rocky Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 28873)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Saurian Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 29997)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Shell Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 30687)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Woods Point – mountain in Rockhampton Region (entry 37996)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Port Alma (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ "Coal port at Port Alma? What about the salt?". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
- ^ a b c "Recreational Boating Facilities Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
Further reading
[edit]- Rhodes, Captain F. "The Port of Rockhampton". The Historical Society of Queensland Journal. 5 (3): 1115–1121 – via University of Queensland.
External links
[edit]
- "Our History". Gladstone Ports Corporation.