Rockhampton

Rockhampton, town in eastern Australia, near the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the state of Queensland. Rockhampton lies on the tropic of Capricorn and the Fitzroy River, halfway between Brisbane and Townsville. Rockhampton is at the center of a fertile agricultural area and is a major processing center for beef from the surrounding cattle ranches. The town is also an important tourist destination, with several historic buildings along the waterfront and the Great Barrier Reef offshore. Rockhampton is the site of the Dreamtime Cultural Centre, devoted to displays of Aboriginal art and history, and the Rockhampton Botanic Gardens. Rockhampton is at the junction of the north-south Bruce Highway, the east-west Capricorn Highway, and major railways that parallel the highways. An airport also serves the town. Rockhampton was settled in the 1850s as a river crossing and grew rapidly as a farming market and port after gold and copper were discovered, in 1858, about 100 km (about 62 mi) away. Population (2001 estimate) 59,475.