Agnes Water is in Central Queensland approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) south-east of the Bruce Highway, Queensland's major coastal route. It is accessed via the main road called Round Hill Road. It is 90 minutes south of Gladstone, and 90 minutes north of Bundaberg on the Discovery Coast. Agnes Water is the closest access point to the southern Great Barrier Reef.[4] It is a neighbouring town of the Town of 1770.
Much of the area's natural beauty has been preserved through the establishment of Eurimbula National Park, covering more than 23,000 hectares and the nearby Joseph Banks Environmental Park, located on the headland originally known as Round Head.[5]
History
Prior to European settlement Agnes Water was home to the Meerooni tribe[6] who form the southern part of the Gurang nation.
The town of Agnes Water takes its name from pastoral holding first leased by Daniel Clowes in 1883, which he named after the coastal schooner Agnes, which was lost at sea in the area. The schooner left Bustard Head on 15 June 1873, en route from Mackay to Brisbane.
Daniel Clowes remained there until his death in 1891. The gravestones of Clowes and his wife are near the present township.
There was saw milling in the locality in the 1890s and the wide beach was a popular venue, particularly as buggies could be driven onto the beach. It became a holiday destination, and weekend residences were built, notably on Round Hill where the Town of 1770 was officially named in 1936. However, the town was regarded as somewhat remote, and it was not until the road into the town was completely sealed in the mid-1990s that development really took off.
Agnes Water State School was opened on 29 January 1990.[7]
The current Agnes Water Public Library opened in 2011 and had a minor refurbishment in 2016.[8]
In the 2011 census, Agnes Water had a population of 1,814. This figure is made up of 942 males and 872 females with a median age of 41. The town's most common ancestries are English (32.4%), Australian (29.6%), Scottish (8.6%), Irish (7.8%) and German (4.8%).[9]
In the 2021 census, Agnes Water had a population of 2,729 people.[1]
Religion
The area of Agnes Water has two local churches - the Agnes Water Baptist Church and the Catholic Church. Both are located on Bicentennial Dve, a short drive from the centre of the area. Census data from 2011 shows that 32.3% of the population do not identify with a religion while 19.6% list Anglican as their religion, followed by Catholicism (16.1%).[9]
The nearest government secondary school is Rosedale P-12 Campus in Rosedale, 64 kilometres (40 mi) away from the centre of Agnes Water, accessed mostly by local buses that travel the route daily.[19]
Only 7.1% of the population during the 2011 census listed their education level as being over secondary school (i.e. tertiary or further education).[9]
Facilities
Agnes Water beach, 2009
The town has a visitor information centre on Round Hill Road. The town also hosts a community centre, coastal camping reserve, life-saving club, state primary school (1990), and a museum which houses the Miriam Vale Historical Society. The Agnes Water Library is at 71 Springs Road and is operated by the Gladstone Regional Council.[20]
The local tourism and commerce group has created a website listing the natural attractions and all things to do while visiting the region.[21]
The Agnes Water Ambulance station has 5 paramedics. The officer-in-charge Brett Schultz has served the Agnes Community for over ten years.[22]
Creative Community
Agnes Water has become the home of many in the creative community. The community has a significant population who came to Agnes to visit the Great Barrier Reef and enjoy the natural beauty, and decided to stayed. The town is well represented creatively and visitors can partake in Art and Cultural Trails and visit the 1770 Art Show which takes places each year in May. [23] The town is also the inspiration behind the song "Sweet Agnes[24]" released in 2022 by the band Railmotor[25] The album was recorded in Agnes Water over two weeks in May, 2022.
Beaches and fishing
The main beach is 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) long, running from Round Hill in the north down to Agnes Water. The beach is relatively straight and faces east-north-east. Most of the beach is backed by a low dune and natural vegetation. At the southern Agnes Water end there is an extensive foreshore reserve, including a camping reserve. The beach usually receives waves averaging about one metre, which combine with the medium sand to build a moderately steep high tide beach, with a continuous bar exposed at low tide. During and following higher swell, up to 30 rip channels are cut across the lower section of the bar and an outer bar forms along the central and northern sections of the beach. The rip channels will persist for some weeks during lower wave conditions. As well as the surf beach, Agnes Water is intersected by rocky headlands and has a stream behind the coastline. A relatively safe beach is located in the southern patrolled area.
Region highlights
Agnes Water is predominantly a tourist region that relies on the constant flow of visitors including families that visit the area in peak school holiday seasons and grey nomads that add to the local population in the months from May to September each year.
The bulk of local businesses are built around typical town needs and servicing the demands of visitors, with operators such as 1770 LARC! Tours and Scooteroos.
Agnes Water has a significantly high proportion of hospitality services per capita to meet the demand of local visitors.
Agnes Water is also home to one of Australia's most highly awarded tea companies,[26] Tielka.[27]
^"Agnes Water Public Library"(PDF). Queensland Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-2017" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. November 2017. November 2017. Archived(PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
