Communities

There are many wonderful areas for our community to live and visit in the Whitsunday Region including Airlie Beach and the surrounding beach settlements, Proserpine, Bowen, Collinsville and of course the Whitsunday Islands. Below is some information on each destination, however if you would like more detailed demographic statistics, please download our Demographic Profile.

 

AIRLIE BEACH

Airlie Beach is a coastal holiday town with palm-fringed beaches that form part of a peninsular to the Whitsunday Passage, overlooking the Pioneer Bay. Airlie Beach is the gateway to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands and offers an array of accommodation options for visitors, from stylish resorts to camping and caravan parks.

Airlie provides many essential services for travellers in the region seven days a week, including tourism information centres, retail outlets, accommodation and dining options, entertainment and activities. The Airlie Beach Lagoon provides stinger-free swimming with lifeguards and a children’s pool. On Saturday mornings, the Foreshore is transformed into a market with stalls selling fresh local produce, arts and crafts. Airlie Beach also hosts attractions such as Shingley Beach, Abel Point Marina and the beachfront walking tracks linking Airlie Beach with surrounding suburbs. There is Twilight Yacht Racing every Wednesday and all are welcome to turn up and become one of the crew.

The Whitsunday Great Walk is a different experience for visitors and locals alike, a 30km rainforest journey through the Conway Range and ending in Airlie Beach. This walking track has varying distances and a camp site with toilet and water facilities. 

Airlie Beach hosts a number of events each year including the Airlie Beach Food and Wine Festival, the Oceanic Whitsunday Boat and Leisure Show, the Airlie Beach Festival of Sport and the Airlie Beach Race Week.

The growing neighbouring community of Cannonvale is becoming a prominent business centre, with two shopping centres and several commercial and industrial precincts in which many local businesses reside. Additionally, Cannonvale is the location of two primary schools.

Other suburbs in this area include Jubilee Pocket, Flametree and Shute Harbour. Shute Harbour is located approximately 10km from Airlie Beach and is an embarking point for ferries and boats to the Whitsunday Islands.

 

BEACH SETTLEMENTS

To the north and south of Airlie Beach are a number of beach settlements that are both a permanent residence for locals as well as an additional holiday spot for visitors. The settlements to the north of Airlie Beach include Dingo Beach and Hydeaway Bay. These relaxed communities offer pristine beaches, accommodation and dining options and are situated near Gloucester Island, a national park that offers camping and hiking facilities. Each year Dingo Beach hosts the Dingo Beach Whitfunday, a family fun day on the beach.

Conway Beach and Wilson Beach are located off the highway between Airlie Beach and Proserpine. Conway Beach boasts a caravan park, public toilets and shaded picnic areas; Wilson Beach is a noted fishing spot and provides views of the Proserpine River and ocean. Cedar Creek Falls is located just off Conway Road (road to Conway Beach) and is a popular picnic and swimming spot, especially after periods of rain. During the wet season there is a running waterfall that falls into a natural swimming pool and there are a number of bush walks up and around the falls.

 

WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS

There are 74 islands in the world famous Whitsunday Island Group, several of which are developed for living and holidaying however there are many more that are uninhabited national parks. The Whitsunday Islands are a major tourism drawcard for the region and include the following resort islands:

  • Hamilton Island
  • Hayman Island
  • Daydream Island
  • Long Island
  • Koala Adventure Island
  • Brampton Island
  • Lindeman Island

The Whitsunday Islands host a number of events each year, including the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, the Hamilton Island Outrigger Cup and the Hayles Dent to Dunk Race and Rally.

 

PROSERPINE

Proserpine is the rural township located approximately 26km inland of Airlie Beach and was founded on the success of the sugar and cattle industries. The town has an operating sugar mill and provides some key infrastructure for the region. This includes the rail station, the mainland airport for scheduled jet services, a high school, hospital and other vital services. Whitsunday Regional Council also has a customer service centre and Chambers located in the town centre.

Proserpine offers visitors to the region a change of pace and scenery, with a variety of country shops, friendly people and welcoming pubs set amongst the canefields. The attractions to Proserpine include a historical museum, entertainment centre (showing regular cinema screenings) and Peter Faust Dam, an ideal location for sailing, watersports and freshwater fishing. There is also a local croc safari in which crocodiles can be seen in their natural habitat along the banks of the Proserpine River.

Proserpine hosts a range of events each year including the Harvest Festival Show, the Proserpine Show and the Invitational Catch and Release Fishing Tournament at Peter Faust Dam.

 

BOWEN

With award-winning beaches and a friendly and welcoming community, the coastal township of Bowen has much to offer visitors and locals alike. Known by many as the “Mural Town”, there are 24 murals throughout the town depicting its diverse history from settlement to present day. Bowen is a great holiday spot for families, couples and singles with many beaches, bushwalks and marine activities including snorkelling, diving, fishing, windsurfing and sailing.

 

Other activities that visitors can experience in Bowen include a visit to the Big Mango, the Bowen Historical Museum, and a round of beachfront golf at Queens Bay. Muller’s Lagoon is another attraction, a 23 hectare botanical garden and wetlands habitat located in the centre of town.

Fishing is one of Bowen’s biggest attractions and the catch of the day includes coral trout, barramundi, sweetlip, cod and spotted and spanish mackeral.

Bowen has a number of events throughout the year including the Bowen River Rodeo and Camp Draft, the Fishing Classic, the Coral Coast Show and the Bowen Show.

The Whitsunday Regional Council is currently performing a number of development activities including the Bowen Foreshore and a number of cycling and walking paths.

Bowen offers a range of retail and shopping options and is also home to the region’s only cinema, Summergarden Movie Theatre. In 2007, Bowen featured in the filming of Baz Luhrmann’s movie, Australia.

 

COLLINSVILLE

Established in 1922 as a coal mining town, Collinsville is 83km west of Bowen and is situated at the foothills of the Clarke Range. Collinsville is known for its tradition of mateship and offers a warm reception to any visitor who has detoured off the usual tourist track.

Collinsville has a tourist information centre in the town centre to advise visitors of the surrounding attractions including the Collinsville Coal Mining Heritage Centre, which showcases “The Coalface Experience”. There is also a Memorial Statue and an Annual Memorial Service (held 13 October) dedicated to miners killed in the district’s mines over the years. There are also parks throughout the town and eight murals that represent aspects of regional coalmining. Visitors can also enjoy a cold drink and a counter meal at the heritage listed pub.

Each year Collinsville hosts the Moongunya Bush and Craft Festival in October at the Collinsville Community Centre. Today the area around Collinsville (including Scottville and Newlands) produces over one million tonnes of coal per annum, which is shipped to the deepwater coal-loading facilities at Abbot Point near Bowen.

REGIONAL PROFILE:

Demographics