| Hervey Bay Queensland | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 View over the city andHervey Bay Airport towards theGreat Sandy Strait  War Memorial in Freedom Park  University of Southern Queensland (campus is now part of the University of the Sunshine Coast)  Humpback whale in Hervey Bay withK'gari | |||||||||
  Hervey Bay | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°17′S152°50′E / 25.29°S 152.84°E /-25.29; 152.84 (Hervey Bay (town centre)) | ||||||||
| Population |
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| • Density | 619.3/km2 (1,604.1/sq mi) | ||||||||
| Established | 1863 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4655 | ||||||||
| Area | 93.2 km2 (36.0 sq mi)[3] (2011 urban) | ||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Fraser Coast Region | ||||||||
| Region | Wide Bay-Burnett | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Hinkler | ||||||||
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Hervey Bay (/ˈhɑːrvi/)[4] is a city on the coast of theFraser Coast Region ofQueensland, Australia.[5] The city is situated approximately 290 kilometres (180 mi) or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital,Brisbane. It is located on thebay of the same name open to theCoral Sea between the Queensland mainland and nearbyK'gari (also known as Fraser Island).[6] The local economy relies on tourism which is based primarily aroundwhale watching in Platypus Bay to the north, ferry access toK'gari, accessible recreational fishing and boating and the natural north facing, calm beaches with wide undeveloped foreshore zones. In October 2019, Hervey Bay was named the First Whale Heritage Site in the world by the World Cetacean Alliance, for its commitment to and practices of sustainable whale and dolphin watching.[7]
In the2021 census, Hervey Bay had a population of 57,722 people.[1] A 2010 study by Deakin University showed that people on the Fraser Coast area including Hervey Bay, were the happiest in Australia.[8]
The area that became Hervey Bay is on the traditional lands of theButchulla people. The city takes its name fromHervey Bay, named byJames Cook in 1770 in honour ofAugustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol. Several small townships developed along the bayside, the earliest beingPialba in 1863.[9] From 1863 to 1906, theWide Bay region became a central part of thePacific Slave trade, with more than 12 thousandSouth Sea Islanders brought to the cotton andsugarcane plantations inMaryborough and Hervey Bay.[10] DuringWorld War II, the region operated atraining school for theZ Special Unitspecial forces. Hervey Bay boomed from the 1980s on and was proclaimed a city in 1984.[11]
Butchulla (also known as Batjala, Badtjala, Badjela, and Badjala) is the language of the Fraser Coast region, includingK’gari. Butchulla language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of theFraser Coast Regional Council, particularly the towns ofMaryborough and Hervey Bay extending south towardsDouble Island Point and north toBurrum Heads.[12]
The indigenousBatjala people including theKabi Kabi are thetraditional residents of Hervey Bay. Batjala means Bat-No and Jala-tongu. The first recorded European sighting ofHervey Bay was made byJames Cook while carrying out hisrunning survey of theeast coast of Australia, on 22 May 1770. By noon Cook's ship was in a position a little over half-way across the opening of Hervey Bay heading forBundaberg. When Cook first discovered Hervey Bay, he did not realise that Fraser Island was separated from mainland Australia; Cook did not travel far enough south due to the shallow depths of the waters in the Bay.[13] Cook named the bay "Hervey's Bay" afterAugustus John Hervey (1724–1779), later ThirdEarl of Bristol, a naval officer who became aLord of the Admiralty the yearEndeavour returned.[14]
Until around the mid-1980s the area was serviced by arail link from the mainNorth Coast line that diverted fromAldershot and went throughTakura,Walligan, andNikenbah, before continuing on toPialba andUrangan. The line was a major freight point for thePort of Maryborough and for the sugar cane industry until road transport assumed the role.
On 18 February 1984, theTown of Hervey Bay was officially proclaimed as the "City of Hervey Bay", due to its increasing population and growth in its business sector and tourism industry. Despite this, many of the local residents still saw it as a small seaside village. Along with theCity of Maryborough and theShire of Woocoo, as well as parts of theShire of Tiaro, it was amalgamated into theFraser Coast Region on 15 March 2008.
The Hervey Bay Library opened in 1997 and had a major refurbishment in 2014.[15] A new library is under construction with an expected completion date of mid 2026.
In the2016 census, Hervey Bay had a population of 52,073 people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 4.0% of the population. The median age of people was 48 years, ten years older than the national median age. 74.6% of people were born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were England 5.9%, New Zealand 3.5%, Germany 0.8%, Scotland 0.6%, and Philippines 0.6%. 88.4% of people only spoke English at home. Other languages spoken at home included German 0.5%, French 0.2%, Mandarin 0.2%, Dutch 0.2%, and Italian 0.2%. The most common responses for religion were no religion 28.0%, Anglican 20.5%, and Catholic 18.9%.[2]
In the2021 census, Hervey Bay had a population of 57,722 people.[1]
Hervey Bay has a number ofheritage-listed sites. K'gari is listed on theWorld Heritage List.[16] TheWoody Island Lighthouses are listed on theQueensland Heritage Register.[17]
Hervey Bay is situated approximately 3½ hours' drive north ofBrisbane, via theBruce Highway and 30 minutes' drive north-east ofMaryborough. The city is also served by the high-speedTilt Train, which has connections fromMaryborough West or nearbyHoward. The city is served by theHervey Bay Airport, with direct flights from Brisbane (QantasLink) Sydney and Melbourne (Jetstar Airways). TheCity of Hervey Bay (now theFraser Coast Region) has released an airport master plan which includes future provision of ataxiway parallel to the main runway, additional car parking and a larger terminal. The city is also served by passenger ferry to Fraser Island, as well as both scheduled and unscheduled vehicular ferries.[citation needed]
Despite Hervey Bay's growing popularity, no plans have been made for a new railway line to the city. The previous passenger and freight line branched off the North Coast main line atColton, just north of Maryborough. Trains stopped at many stations along the line, but the main stations were Pialba and Urangan. The railway then extended along theUrangan Pier. The line carried out pineapples and local goods from the city. The line was closed in 1993. The tracks from Nikenbah to Urangan were removed and the Pialba – Urangan line was converted into arail trail.[18] Traces of the railway line are still visible in Urangan. There are two semi-removed crossings (Everything but the tracks was removed) near the end of Pier Street and the track'sballast is still slightly visible from where the mobility corridor ends.[citation needed]
Hervey Bay is the largest population centre within theFraser Coast Region. The current mayor of the Fraser Coast Regional Council isGeorge Seymour first elected in a by-election held in May 2018[19] and re-elected in the 2020 quadrennial election[20] and again at the 2024 election.[21] A total of ten councillors are elected every four years.[citation needed]
TheElectoral district of Hervey Bay has Queensland's second highest share of residents aged over 60.[22]
Hervey Bay is represented in theParliament of Queensland byLiberal National memberDavid Lee, and in theCommonwealth Parliament by theNationals member forHinkler,Keith Pitt.[23]
Hervey Bay has a warmhumid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) with hot, wet summers and very mild, relatively dry winters. Mean maximum temperatures range from 21.8 °C (71.2 °F) in July to 30.3 °C (86.5 °F) in January. The coast is predominantly affected by south easttrade winds; keeping the temperatures down in summer and up in winter. Annual rainfall averages around 1,022.0 millimetres (40.24 in), with a maximum in summer and autumn.
Extreme temperatures, moderated by the ocean, have ranged from −1.2 °C (29.8 °F) on 16 July 2007 to 36.8 °C (98.2 °F) on 5 December 2012.[24]Tropical cyclones can affect the town during the austral summer, withCyclone Hamish (2009) as aCategory 5, andCyclone Oswald (2013) fromtornadoes spawned by the cyclone. However, Fraser Island affects weather in Hervey Bay, protecting the marine environment from open ocean storm effects.
| Climate data for Hervey Bay (25º19'12"S, 152º52'48"E, 13 m AMSL) (1999–2024 normals and extremes) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.2 (95.4) | 34.7 (94.5) | 35.4 (95.7) | 32.1 (89.8) | 29.6 (85.3) | 27.6 (81.7) | 26.1 (79.0) | 29.5 (85.1) | 31.2 (88.2) | 33.0 (91.4) | 34.5 (94.1) | 36.8 (98.2) | 36.8 (98.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.3 (86.5) | 30.2 (86.4) | 29.2 (84.6) | 27.1 (80.8) | 24.3 (75.7) | 22.2 (72.0) | 21.8 (71.2) | 22.9 (73.2) | 24.9 (76.8) | 26.6 (79.9) | 28.1 (82.6) | 29.5 (85.1) | 26.4 (79.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22.0 (71.6) | 22.0 (71.6) | 20.8 (69.4) | 17.8 (64.0) | 14.2 (57.6) | 11.8 (53.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 10.5 (50.9) | 14.0 (57.2) | 16.9 (62.4) | 19.1 (66.4) | 21.1 (70.0) | 16.7 (62.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 16.0 (60.8) | 16.6 (61.9) | 15.6 (60.1) | 7.0 (44.6) | 4.0 (39.2) | 1.8 (35.2) | −1.2 (29.8) | −0.1 (31.8) | 2.9 (37.2) | 6.8 (44.2) | 9.1 (48.4) | 13.4 (56.1) | −1.2 (29.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 124.4 (4.90) | 133.3 (5.25) | 132.2 (5.20) | 65.7 (2.59) | 98.1 (3.86) | 70.0 (2.76) | 42.4 (1.67) | 47.7 (1.88) | 34.3 (1.35) | 80.8 (3.18) | 71.1 (2.80) | 128.4 (5.06) | 1,022 (40.24) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 8.3 | 9.2 | 11.0 | 9.2 | 9.7 | 7.7 | 5.5 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 6.3 | 7.9 | 87.5 |
| Average afternoonrelative humidity (%) | 61 | 64 | 62 | 62 | 59 | 63 | 55 | 54 | 58 | 60 | 59 | 61 | 60 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 19.7 (67.5) | 20.3 (68.5) | 18.9 (66.0) | 17.0 (62.6) | 13.8 (56.8) | 12.7 (54.9) | 10.2 (50.4) | 10.7 (51.3) | 13.6 (56.5) | 15.9 (60.6) | 16.6 (61.9) | 18.8 (65.8) | 15.7 (60.2) |
| Source:Bureau of Meteorology (1999–2024 normals and extremes)[25] | |||||||||||||
Hervey Bay began as a dispersed community spread over numerous small, seaside villages. As the area grew, these communities amalgamated and became suburbs . The current urban area includes the following settlements:[citation needed]
Hervey Bay has 14 schools.[26]
| Pre | Primary | Secondary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public |
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| Private |
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Hervey Bay also has two Higher Education institutes, a campus of theUniversity of the Sunshine Coast and theWide Bay Institute of TAFE.[42][43] and a State Government Special School.
TheFraser Coast Regional Council operate the Hervey Bay Library at 161 Old Maryborough Road,Pialba.[44]
LifeChurch Hervey Bay meets at the Community Centre at 22 Charles Street inPialba.[45] It is part of theWesleyan Methodist Church of Australia.[46]
Local commercial FM radio stations areBreeze 102.5,Triple M 103.5,Hit 101.9 andRebel 106.7. Along with a number of other regional Australian newspapers owned byNewsCorp, theHervey Bay Independent newspaper ceased publication in June 2020.[47]
In April 2022, theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation opened a bureau at Hervey Bay to improve its coverage of the Fraser Coast.[48] Staffed by two locally-based journalists, the new bureau on Boat Harbour Drive was opened as part of the ABC's regional expansion.[49]
Hervey Bay and the Fraser Coast region's largest shopping centre is Stockland Hervey Bay.[50] It is a regional shopping centre located in the suburb of Urraween. Stockland Acquired the centre in April 2011, at the time it had a floor area of 15,600 square metres, and 48 stores. In 2013 Stockland begun construction of a $115 million redevelopment that would double the floor area to over 35,000 square metres.[50] The development would include an additional 70 specialty stores and a 500-seat food court, taking the total number of stores to 110.[51]
Hervey Bay has an active sporting community with the geography and climate encouraging a diverse range of activities. The natural foreshore area of Hervey Bay has a 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) long bike and pedestrian path that visibly integrates recreational fitness into the environment and community.[citation needed]
Competition sports are generally regional and played against nearby cities,Bundaberg,Maryborough andGympie.[citation needed]
The calm waters and gently sloped beaches make recreational and competitive water sports popular and accessible. These include sailing, kite boarding, water skiing, wake boarding, kayaking, out-rigging, snorkelling, scuba diving, and ocean swimming.[citation needed]
The Hervey Bay Triathlon started in 1988 and has been raced annually since.[citation needed]
Australian rules football is popular in Hervey Bay. The city has two senior clubs competing in theAFL Wide Bay competition: Hervey Bay Bombers based inWondunna and the Bay Power based inUrangan. Both field senior men's, women's and junior teams.[52]
The local rugby league team, Hervey Bay Seagulls, are the cornerstone of rugby league in the Hervey Bay area.[citation needed]
Hervey Bay is thewhale watching capital of Australia, withhumpback whales migrating along the coast between April and October every year. Researchers at The Oceania Project conducted a 25-year study which found the bay was an important social hub for humpback whales.[53] Whale number have increased from about 2,000 in 1992, to around 33,000 in 2018.[53] Hervey Bay is a stopover for mature female humpback whales. Mature females visit Hervey Bay during August in company with the cohort of immature males and females. During September and October Hervey Bay is dominated by Mature females with new calves. The humpback whales are known to be very relaxed in the company of the whale watching vessels.Southern right whales have also been recorded with increasing sighting rates.[54]
According to the Australian Sister Cities Association, Hervey Bay has twosister cities:
Hervey Bay travel guide from Wikivoyage| International | |
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| National | |
