West Stowe, Queensland
West Stowe is a rural locality in the Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] It is immediately west of the Gladstone urban area and immediately south of the small town of Yarwun.[3] In the 2021 census, West Stowe had a population of 391 people.[1] GeographyThe Calliope River forms the southern boundary and most of the eastern boundary.[4][5] The Bruce Highway enters the locality from the south (River Ranch) and exists to the south-west (East End).The Gladstone–Mount Larcom Road (State Route 58) runs along part of the northern boundary.[6] The North Coast railway line also forms part of the north and north-eastern boundary. There are two stations on the north-east boundary:[6]
The Wiggins Island Balloon Loop is a 13-kilometre (8.1 mi) balloon loop within West Stowe. The loop is for unloading coal trains and transferring the coal onto a conveyor belt to the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal in Callemondah where it is loaded onto ships.[9] The terrain varies from 10 to 314 metres (33 to 1,030 ft) above sea level. There are a number of named peaks, all in the north of the locality:[5]
Calliope Conservation Park is in the north-east of the locality and there are three sections of the Mount Stowe State Forest in the north of the locality. Apart from these protected areas, the land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation.[3] HistoryThe locality was officially named and bounded on 27 August 1999. It most likely takes its name from the parish.[2][15] The Wiggins Island Balloon Loop was built in 2012 to 2013.[9] DemographicsIn the 2016 census, West Stowe had a population of 311 people.[16] In the 2021 census, West Stowe had a population of 391 people.[1] EducationThere are no schools in West Stowe. The nearest government primary schools are:[17]
The nearest government secondary schools are:[17]
There are also non-government schools available in Gladstone.[17] References
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