Proserpine, Queensland


Proserpine is a town and a locality in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. Founded in the 1890s, it is the administrative/service centre and gateway to the Whitsunday Region by road, rail and air. At the, Proserpine had a population of 3,562.

History

The town name Proserpine derives from the Proserpine River, whose name was derived from the legend of the Greek goddess Persephone. Giya is a language of North Queensland. The Giya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Whitsunday Regional Council, particularly the towns of Bowen and Proserpine. Proserpine was founded in the 1890s, just after the sugar mill was constructed. The Postal Office opened in 1886. The town experienced high growth in the 1900s as the local sugar industry grew and exported raw sugar via the Proserpine Landing from here it was sent to refineries. At this time it was the fastest growing regional town in Queensland.
In 1944 the Australian Field Experimental Station was constructed at Gunyarra just south of the town, this accommodated 600 staff from the AIF, AMF, RAAF, Australian Women's Army Service, Australian Army Medical Women's Service, Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, United Kingdom Royal Army Medical Corps, UK scientists from Porton, England, Australian civilian scientists, and observers from New Zealand Navy, South African Army, United States, and Australian Chemical Defence Board. It was constructed to test and research the effectiveness of Mustard Gas in tropical conditions.
In the 1950s the Proserpine Airport was opened which increased the towns accessibility by air. In 1986 construction commenced on the Peter Faust Dam north-west of the town to be used for flood mitigation during the wet season and irrigation during the dry, the dam was completed in 1990 and was expected to take decades to fill but a passing cyclone helped boost levels close to maximum capacity. The 1990s saw the Proserpine Sugar Mill crush a record amount of cane in 1996.
The Proserpine Library opened in 1998 and had a major refurbishment in 2011.

Heritage listings

sites include:
Proserpine is situated on the Bruce Highway and is a major stopping point for vehicular traffic.
The town is located along the banks of the Proserpine River and is surrounded by vast flat areas of land currently primarily used for sugarcane farming and urban expansion. Clarke Range is located to the west, northwards is Dryander National Park and to the east is Conway National Park.
The Clarke Range to the west of the town contains the small, former gold mining town of Dittmer and provides a backdrop to the area.

Climate

Proserpine's climate consists of two main seasons. The "Wet Season" and The "dry season".
The town has a dry-winter humid subtropical climate, similar to nearby Mackay.
A cyclone shelter was completed in February 2013 at Proserpine State Primary School and was a joint project between the Queensland Government and the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi the latter committing $30 million towards the cyclone shelter program. At more than, they can provide shelter for up to 800 people and are equipped with features to ensure people's comfort and safety, such as a backup generator, a kitchen, 10 toilets and five showers.

Facilities

Proserpine is a major hub for the Whitsundays region, providing important infrastructure, including the rail station, the main airport for domestic services, two high schools and primary schools, the region's only medium-sized modern hospital and other services. The Proserpine Community Centre opened in 2014 and provides a range of social services and spaces to the community.
In 2007 it won the Tourism Queensland Friendliest town award. Proserpine is growing steadily and this growth trajectory will be boosted by its airport becoming International standard in 2017/18, its affordability for new home buyers/builders and its short commute distance to the mines and all the best the region has to offer.
The Proserpine Library is located at 12 Main Street.

Demographics

In the, Proserpine recorded a population of 3,562 people. This is up from the 2011 count. It is expected this upward trend will continue and accelerate.
YearPopulationPercentage +/-
1901136-
19111102+710.29%
19332177+97.55%
19813058+40.47%
20013250+6.28%
20063316+2.03%
20113390+2.23%
20163562+5.07%

Tourism

Proserpine is the gateway to the Whitsunday Region and nearby Great Barrier Reef with most flights to the region from all 3 major capitals arriving at the towns airport, the regions only rail terminus receiving regular services north to Cairns connecting Proserpine with cities such as Townsville and Cairns and south to Brisbane connecting it to cities like Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, Sunshine Coast and ultimately Roma Street station in the Brisbane CBD. Bus services such as Greyhound and Premier Motor Service also service the town due to its location on the A1 Bruce Highway, it is also the first town tourists visit heading north in the region.
Tourism is increasing in Proserpine with new attractions planned including camping and recreation at the nearby Lake Proserpine, a free RV park, a Waterpark at the Proserpine Pool and an expansion of the Whitsunday Gold Coffee farm and farmers markets on the north side of the town, other attractions include the Proserpine Museum, Crocodile Safari at Glen Isla, Fishing at Lake Proserpine.

Economy

Service and administration

Proserpine is the Main hub and service/administration centre for the region. It provides important social and transport infrastructure including the rail station, mainland airport, 2 high schools, the hospital and other vital services. Whitsunday Regional Council also has its main offices in Proserpine. Due to the extensive damage to the Proserpine Council Chambers as a result of Cyclone Debbie in March 2017, a new administration building for Whitsunday Regional Council will be built from 2019 onward for over $6 million. The council employs over 100+ people in this office.

Industrial & Manufacturing

Manufacturing in the town is growing and some of the products produced include window frames, bottled water, concrete products, metal products, kitchen cabinets, timber products etc.

Logistical

Due to the towns location along the important arterial road, the Bruce Highway, the town hosts transportation depots which play an integral part in the effective distribution of a variety of goods across the region. In June 2017 international Swedish furniture manufacturer and retailer IKEA opened a distribution point in the town's main business park.

Retail

The town has a small shopping centre known as "Freshfields Plaza" whose major tenant is Woolworths, it also has a few specialty stores including a liquor store, hair and beauty store and a newsagency.
Many of the towns retail stores and professional offices are clustered in the Main Street area.

Sugar

One of the town's main industries is sugar growing. In the north west corner of the Central Business District is a large factory known as the Proserpine Mill. It was established in 1897 and is one of the town's biggest employers at the present time. It is now recognised as one of the most modern sugar mills in the world.

Gold

is the location of the largest gold find in the Whitsundays; it is to the south west of Proserpine. The Dittmer Gold Mine has been closed since the 1960s; mining and panning for gold for commercial and recreational purposes still occurs in the vicinity.

Aquaculture

The Proserpine area is home to a major prawn farm owned by Tassal.

Landmarks and attractions

Landmarks

• Proserpine Mill chimneys. Twin chimneys that are 62m tall and dominate the skyline.
• Proserpine water tower and associated mural.

Attractions

• Proserpine WaterPark, opened August 17, 2018, a waterpark featuring interactive waterplay for the enjoyment of all ages
• Proserpine 360 cinema, planetarium and bowling. A new entertainment precinct under construction in the former Faust Department store.
• Art Deco façades in Main St.
• Fishing/crabbing in the Proserpine River
• Skydiving
• The four pubs attract locals and visitors for authentic pub food and drinks.
• Fishing/crabbing in the Proserpine River.
• Crocodile safari tour in the Proserpine River.
• Proserpine rock-wallaby statue outside the council HQ is a popular spot with tourists for taking photos.
• Proserpine Historical Museum – A museum run by local volunteers.
• Proserpine Entertainment Centre – Used for various events/functions including movies, funerals, matinées, and concert dances.
• Peter Faust Dam located west of Proserpine is a dam popular with fisherman and watersports enthusiasts.
• Nearby beaches such as Wilson's Beach & Conway Beach.
• Nearby national parks such as the Cathu State Forest, Proserpine National Park, Dryander National Park and the Conway National Park.

Events

Les Stagg Oval is located on the western side of the railway tracks and the Whitsunday Brahmans are based there. There is also a BMX track, skate park and half court basketball courts located in the vicinity of the oval.
Proserpine Junior/Senior Sporting Complex is a medium-sized facility located on the western edge of town at the intersection of Crystalbrook and Kelsey Creek Road. Sports that it caters for are junior/senior cricket, soccer and football. Night games can be played at the eastern end of the facility under high-powered halogen lighting. Many events have been held at the facility including the yearly event the Paul Bowman Challenge which celebrated its 10-year anniversary this year, it is a rugby league event and 54 teams from around the region and other surrounding regions participate, it regularly attracts over 1,000 spectators. Recent cricket events include a match involving the Queensland Bulls on 15 September and cricketing greats such as Allan Border, Jimmy Maher, Ian Healy and Michael Kasprowicz were in attendance.
The Proserpine Showground is located in the south-western corner of the town and is used for various events such as auctions, swap meats, car boot sales, softball but the main event that attracts the largest amount of attendees is the Proserpine Show which is held on 24 and 25 June. In 2012, the Proserpine show celebrated 100 years at the showground.
The Whitsunday Raceway motorbike track and dirt riders club is located to the south of the town, these facilities have been constructed for racing, driver training and hosting of competitive events. The facility was opened in 2011 and has hosted the Australian Supermoto Championships. This has helped attract lovers of motorbike racing and dirt riding to Proserpine. The facility is expected to grow in future years as more events are held and support of the club grows. BMW has launched new products at the raceway starting with the BMW G310R in 2017
The weightlifting and Khanacross events of the 2018 NQ Games were held in Proserpine.

Education and health

Proserpine has two local public schools: Proserpine State Primary School and Proserpine State High School. There is also a private Catholic school, Saint Catherine's.
The Proserpine Hospital in Taylor St is the main hospital for the Whitsunday Region.

Utilities

The town is supplied water by the company SunWater from the nearby Peter Faust Dam that was constructed in 1990 for flood mitigation purposes. The water is treated at the water treatment plant.
Ergon Energy supplies power to the town via the Proserpine Substation complex on Kelsey Creek road which is connected to its main transmission lines.
A new fire and rescue station opened in 2018, this is a major investment in the emergency services in Proserpine. The new facility is on Hinschen Street and replaces the station located in Main Street.
Burials for the town and immediate region are conducted at the Proserpine Cemetery on the western edge of the town. The cemetery opened in the late 1880s. The cemetery is divided into "New" and "Old" sections. The new section being the lawn cemetery that opened in the 1980s and the old section being the original section that opened in the late 1880s. The lawn cemetery also includes a columbarium for the interment of ashes.
in April 2018

Transport

Bus

There are Whitsunday Transit bus services to and from Airlie Beach and a connection service to Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast Airport. The main bus stations are located in Mill Street and Blair Street.

Taxi

Taxi services operate 24/7 in the town and a taxi rank is located outside the courthouse.

Air

has flights to Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. The airport opened in 1951 and the first flight landed at it in November of the same year. It was a flight from Brisbane in a Douglas DC-3.
The airport is used for training by No 36 Squadron of the RAAF using its C-17 Globemaster III. It is expected in future that it will be increasingly used as a training base by the defense force. It is one of the few airports in the country that can support C-17 operations.

Rail

Proserpine is located on the North Coast line and has services between Brisbane and Cairns provided by the Spirit of Queensland which depart from Proserpine station located in Hinschen Street almost at the geographical centre of the town. It was opened on 2 July 1910 and Governor William MacGregor was in attendance having arrived on a special train, the opening was timed to coincide with the Proserpine Show. Regular services to Bowen commenced on 18 July 1910. The station is fairly long, modern and well maintained and is also used for freight. It has restroom facilities, covered waiting areas, arrival and departure announcements and coaches that provide connections to surrounding areas meet every arriving train.

Government

Proserpine is locally governed by Whitsunday Regional Council, a product of amalgamation of the former Shire of Whitsunday with the former Shire of Bowen. The mayor is Andrew Wilcox. Jason Costigan is the member for the state seat of Whitsunday and George Christensen is the federal member for Dawson. Voting in elections is usually conducted at the Magistrates Court. Proserpine is division 2 in the Whitsunday Regional Council area and the current Councillor representing division 2 is deputy mayor John Collins.

Media

Proserpine is served by several radio stations including the Hot FM and Sea FM networks, MY105 FM Hot Country and Legends, 4MK AM, Zinc FM and the ABC's local Tropical North station. The town receives broadcasts from five television networks—Seven Queensland, WIN, Southern Cross Nine, ABC TV and SBS. All networks also provide additional digital only television stations. Of the three main commercial networks, Seven Queensland and WIN produce 30-minute local news bulletins each weeknight with WIN also producing a statewide late news bulletin for regional Queensland. Southern Cross Nine also provides a one-hour Queensland bulletin. The towns local paper is the Whitsunday Coast Guardian which used to be printed in the Guardian building on Chapman St but is now printed in Townsville.

Community groups

The Proserpine branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall at 4 Faust Street.

Notable people

Proserpine is mentioned in the first verse of the song "I've Been Everywhere" by Australian country singer Geoff Mack.
Proserpine was featured in a campaign for airline Jetstar Airways in 2006 starring actress and television star Magda Szubanski.