Bluewater
Townsville, Queensland
Ditton Street with Bluewater Drive in the background
Bluewater is located in Queensland
Bluewater
Bluewater
Coordinates19°10′37″S 146°33′21″E / 19.1769°S 146.5558°E / -19.1769; 146.5558 (Bluewater (town centre))
Population1,040 (2016 census suburb)[1]
 • Density11.91/km2 (30.85/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4818
Area87.3 km2 (33.7 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)City of Townsville
State electorate(s)Thuringowa
Federal division(s)Herbert
Localities around Bluewater:
Clemant Coral Sea Toolakea
Clemant Bluewater Coral Sea
Saunders Beach
Bluewater Park Lynam Yabulu
Black River

Bluewater is a town and coastal suburb in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census the suburb of Bluewater had a population of 1,040 people.[1]

The coastal town of Bluewater Beach is also within the suburb.[4]

Geography

The suburb of Bluewater is approximately 31.9 kilometres (19.8 mi) by road north-west of Townsville CBD.[5] It is bounded to the south-east by Althaus Creek (19°09′09″S 146°36′06″E / 19.15250°S 146.60167°E / -19.15250; 146.60167 (Althaus Creek (mouth))).[6][7]

As its name suggests, the town of Bluewater Beach is on the coast of the Coral Sea, while the town of Bluewater is inland on the Bruce Highway, which enters the locality from south-east (Yabulu) and exits to the north-west (Clemant).[8]

The suburb is popular with residents who prefer larger lot sizes and is home to a number of properties with hobby farms and horse agistment. It is also home to solar farms.[9]

History

Bluewater is situated in the traditional Nyawigi Aboriginal country.[10] The origin of the suburb name Bluewater is from the adjacent Bluewater Creek that was shown on a district map from 1886.[11]

Bluewater was settled in the late nineteenth century, and was close to the Purono rail siding, constructed in 1919 on the extension of the North Coast railway line from Townsville to Ingham. During World War II, Bluewater became campground to a number of service personnel whose responsibility it was to resist Japanese invasion.

It was not until 1946 that land was first subdivided along Bluewater Beach, followed by subdivisions of Toolakea Beach and the Bluewater Township in the 1950s.[12]

Bluewater Provisional School opened on 3 June 1957.In 1958 it was renamed Bluewater Creek Provisional School. In 1959 it became Bluewater Creek State School. In 1960 it was renamed Bluewater State School.[13]

Bluewater Post Office opened by May 1960.[14]

In the 2016 census the suburb of Bluewater had a population of 1,040 people.[1]

The community was badly flooded on 31 January 2019.[15] The wet weather and consequent flooding was expected to continue for another week.[16]

Education

Bluewater State School, 2016

Bluewater State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 1-3 Ditton Street with its entrance on Buckby Street (19°10′29″S 146°33′20″E / 19.1748°S 146.5556°E / -19.1748; 146.5556 (Bluewater State School)).[17][18] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 438 students with 32 teachers (30 full-time equivalent) and 22 non-teaching staff (12 full-time equivalent).[19]

There is no secondary school in Bluewater. The nearest government secondary school is Northern Beaches State High School in Deeragun to the south-east.[6]

Amenities

Bluewater is a thriving community containing a number of amenities.

The Townsville City Council operate a mobile library service which visits the Community Centre at Bluewater on Monday afternoons.[20]

Toolakea and Bluewater Beach are popular recreational areas.

There is a boat ramp at Bluewater Road on the north bank of Althaus Creek (19°09′26″S 146°35′55″E / 19.1571°S 146.5985°E / -19.1571; 146.5985 (Bluewater Road boat ramp)). It is managed by the Townsville City Council.[21]

There is the Urban Forest and Fitness Trail.

Other amenities in the area include a community centre, a Girl Guides training and camping centre,[22] a Scout hall and Bluewater Medical Practice.

There is a waste transfer station towards the end of Bluewater Drive.[23]

Attractions

Bluewater Park is a popular tourist destination with designated free campsites.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bluewater (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "Bluewater – town in City of Townsville (entry 3301)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  3. ↑ "Bluewater – suburb in City of Townsville (entry 44573)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Bluewater Beach – town (entry 3303)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  5. ↑ Google (25 September 2023). "Townsville CBD to Bluewater" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "Althaus Creek – watercourse in City of Townsville (entry 481)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "Council approves solar farm application in Bluewater". Townsville City Council. Townsville City Council. 22 January 2019. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  10. ↑ "Wellbeing of Nywaigi Traditional Owners – Figure 1". Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  11. ↑ "Townsville City Council community profiles Division 1" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  12. ↑ "Thuringowa Library Heritage Services: A History of the Bluewater Area" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 9 June 2008.
  13. ↑ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  14. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  15. ↑ "Bluewater, Far North Queensland, homes flooded after heavy rain". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  16. ↑ "Cow Swept Out To Sea, Tractors Washed Away in Wild Townsville Floods". 10 daily. 30 January 2019. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  17. ↑ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "Bluewater State School". Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  19. ↑ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  20. ↑ "Mobile Library Service" (PDF). Townsville City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  21. ↑ "Recreational Boating Facilities Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  22. ↑ Bluewater Training And Camping Centre Archived 15 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 9 June 2008.
  23. ↑ Discover Thuringowa: Northern Beaches Archived 19 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 9 June 2008.
  24. ↑ "Camping at Bluewater Park – QLD". findacamp.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
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