| East Mackay Mackay, Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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  East Mackay | |||||||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 21°09′00″S 149°11′59″E / 21.15°S 149.1997°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 3,725 (SAL 2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4740 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 3.3 km2 (1.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Mackay Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mackay | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Dawson | ||||||||||||||
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East Mackay is a coastal suburb of Mackay in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2016 census, East Mackay had a population of 3,564 people.[3]
As the name suggests, East Mackay is the suburb to the east of the city centre. It is flat low-lying coastal land (less than 10 metres above sea level). It is bounded by the Pioneer River to the north and the Coral Sea to the east.[4] There is a sandy beach along the foreshore to the sea known as Town Beach.
East Mackay has the following sandy beaches:
It is possible to swim at the beaches at high tide, but, as the tide goes out, extensive mudflats are revealed.[6]
The suburb is mostly used for residential purposes except for the northern part of the suburb at the mouth of the Pioneer River, which is a wetland known as the Sandfly Creek Environmental Reserve and managed by the Mackay Regional Council. The wetland serves a number of purposes, acting as a levee against coastal erosion, providing a habitat for shorebirds and other fauna, and providing a walking track for visitors.[7]
Victoria Park State School opened on 1 July 1926. On 27 January 1970, the school was divided to create a separate Victoria Park State Infants School for the early years of schooling, but on 16 December 1994 the infants school was merged back into the main school.[8][9][10] The infants school was at 43-47 Skakespeare Street (the triangular block enclosed by Shakespeare Street, Hague Street and Macrossan Street, 21°08′57″S 149°11′51″E / 21.1493°S 149.1974°E).[11][4]
In the 2016 census, East Mackay had a population of 3,564 people.[3]
Victoria Park State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at 15 Goldsmith Street (21°08′52″S 149°11′38″E / 21.1477°S 149.1939°E).[12][13] In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 612 students with 48 teachers (45 full-time equivalent) and 36 non-teaching staff (23 full-time equivalent).[14] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 643 students with 51 teachers (47 full-time equivalent) and 43 non-teaching staff (27 full-time equivalent).[15] It includes a special education program.[12]
Mackay Positive Learning Centre is a specific-purpose primary and secondary (6-12) school at Shakespeare Street (21°08′55″S 149°11′41″E / 21.1486°S 149.1947°E).[12] The role of Positive Learning Centres is to re-engage with school-age children who need intervention to enable them to return to conventional schooling or to transition into vocational training.[16]
The Bluewater Trail which connects a number of popular recreation areas passes through East Mackay roughly following the riverside and coastline.[17]
Queens Park at Goldsmith Street has a number of amenities including an orchid house, a band rotunda, a cricket pitch, picnic tables and playgrounds. A number of areas in the park can be hired for weddings.[18][19]
