Calliope (Qld)
- Local Government Area
- Gladstone
- Population
- 5,263
- Area
- 183.39 km²
- Coordinates
- -24.0340, 151.1874
- Data
- Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics ASGS boundaries, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
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About Calliope (Qld)
Calliope is a rural town in the Gladstone Region of Central Queensland, situated approximately 20 kilometres south-west of Gladstone at the junction of the Bruce and Dawson Highways. Named after the Calliope River by Governor Charles Augustus FitzRoy in 1854 after HMS Calliope, the town rose to prominence following the discovery of alluvial gold in 1862, which established Queensland's first officially proclaimed goldfield. The area was traditionally occupied by the Gureng Gureng people. After gold deposits were exhausted, Calliope served as a pastoral and service centre, with a railway line constructed through the town in 1910. The Calliope River Historical Village preserves the region's heritage through over 20 restored buildings and regular markets. Nearby Lake Awoonga, a major reservoir on the Boyne River, supports significant biodiversity including over 225 bird species.
Nearby localities
- River Ranch 7 km
- Taragoola 9 km
- Burua 10 km
- Benaraby 12 km
- Wurdong Heights 12 km
- Wooderson 13 km