Groper Creek, Queensland

Groper Creek is a coastal town and rural locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census, Groper Creek had a population of 62 people.[1]

Groper Creek
Queensland
Groper Creek
Coordinates19.6919°S 147.53°E / -19.6919; 147.53 (Groper Creek (town centre))
Population62 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density1.240/km2 (3.212/sq mi)
Established1921
Postcode(s)4806
Area50.0 km2 (19.3 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Burdekin
State electorate(s)Burdekin
Federal Division(s)Dawson
Localities around Groper Creek:
Rita Island Rita Island Rita Island
Inkerman Groper Creek Coral Sea
Inkerman Wunjunga Wunjunga

Geography

The locality is bounded by the Burdekin River to the north and by the Coral Sea to the east.[4] Groper Creek is a distributary of the Burdekin River delta, splitting from the river at the north-western corner of the locality (19.6716°S 147.5105°E / -19.6716; 147.5105 (Groper Creek (source))) and then flowing south-east towards the creek mouth at the Coral Sea (19.7143°S 147.5883°E / -19.7143; 147.5883 (Groper Creek (mouth))), about 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) south of the mouth of the Burdekin River (19.6884°S 147.6060°E / -19.6884; 147.6060 (Burdekin River (mouth))).[4]

The southern part of the locality is part of the mainland but the northern part of the locality is part of the delta and comprises a number of islands, the largest being:[4]

Much of the locality is unused marshland but there is some grazing on native vegetation on Big Patterson Island and other areas.[4]

The town of Groper Creek is located on the mainland on the western edge of the locality and is accessed via Groper Creek Road which passes through neighbouring Inkerman to Home Hill.[4]

The Speter Island Cattle Farm is a 235.122-hectare (581.00-acre) farm that includes 65 hectares (160 acres) on the mainland (directly south of the town) and extends across the creek Groper Creek onto Peters Island where there are 140 hectares (350 acres) of usable land. The herd of Droughtmaster/Senepol cross cattle swim across the creek when they wish to graze on the other side. As at May 2019, none of the cattle have been taken by the crocodiles in the creek.[7]

History

In 1873 the Queensland Government reserved 10 acres 1 rood for a landing place on Heath's Creek.[8] In that era, Heath Creek was a distributary of the Burdekin River and its mouth (19.7234°S 147.5785°E / -19.7234; 147.5785 (Heath Creek (mouth)))[9] provided access to boats to travel up the river, not possible from the river mouth.[10] A wharf was built on Health Creek in 1883.[11] However, changes to the delta over time resulted in Health Creek no longer being usable. So in 1921 a new landing area was established on Groper Creek which was a natural inlet off the Coral Sea that became a distributary of the Burdekin River following the floods in 1918.[12] By 1924, it had become a popular fishing spot.[13]

There were numerous crocodiles seen in the area in the 1930s but many of them were shot.[14] Crocodile hunting was not prohibited in Queensland until 1974, the last jurisdiction within Australia to do so.[15] Although their numbers are reduced, they are still seen in the creek.[16]

For many years, the settlement of Groper Creek was not an official place name, but was a widely used and well-known local name. On 28 November 2018 it officially became a town and locality. The name comes from the creek of the same name.[2][3][17]

In the 2016 census, Groper Creek had a population of 62 people.[1]

Amenities

There is a caravan park in the town on Hinkson Esplanade on the southern bank of the creek (19.6910°S 147.5312°E / -19.6910; 147.5312 (Groper Creek Caravan Park)).[18]

There are two public boat ramps into the creek Groper Creek on either side of a public jetty in the town at Hinkson Esplanade (19.6917°S 147.5317°E / -19.6917; 147.5317 (Groper Creek Jetty)). There is also the Wallace Landing boat ramp into Alma Creek further south (19.7359°S 147.5561°E / -19.7359; 147.5561 (Wallace Landing boat ramp)) accessed via Peak Road in Inkerman.[19]

Education

There are no schools in Groper Creek. The nearest primary school is Home Hill State School in Home Hill to the west. The nearest secondary school is Home Hill State High School in Home Hill.[4]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Groper Creek (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Groper Creek – town in Shire of Burdekin (entry 38876)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  3. "Groper Creek – locality in Shire of Burdekin (entry 49457)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  4. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  5. "Big Patterson Island – island in Shire of Burdekin (entry 2513)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  6. "Peters Island – island in Shire of Burdekin (entry 26520)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  7. Johnston, Jessica (1 May 2019). "Wave of opportunity". North Queensland Register. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  8. "OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS". The Telegraph (311). Queensland, Australia. 27 September 1873. p. 3. Retrieved 8 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Heath Creek – watercourse in Shire of Burdekin (entry 15611)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  10. "MINISTERS IN THE NORTH". The Brisbane Courier. XXXVII (7, 781). Queensland, Australia. 19 December 1882. p. 3. Retrieved 8 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "The Brisbane Courier". The Brisbane Courier. XXXVIII (8, 070). Queensland, Australia. 21 November 1883. p. 5. Retrieved 8 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "About". Groper Creek Caravan Park. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  13. "HOME HILL NOTES". Townsville Daily Bulletin. XXXX (12, 748). Queensland, Australia. 23 August 1924. p. 6 (MAGAZINE SECTION). Retrieved 8 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "HOME HILL NOTES". Townsville Daily Bulletin. LXI (208). Queensland, Australia. 31 August 1939. p. 9. Retrieved 8 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. Brennan, Claire (2013). "Crocodile hunting". Queensland Historical Atlas. University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  16. Garvey, Casandra (14 May 2017). "WATCH: Huge crocodile spotted sunbaking near anglers". Daily Mercury (includes 2 videos (32 secs and 40 secs) of a crocodile sighting in the creek). Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  17. "Groper Creek – watercourse in Burdekin Shire (entry 14908)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  18. "Welcome to Groper Creek Caravan Park". Groper Creek Caravan Park. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  19. "Recreational Boating Facilities Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 27 March 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
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