| Mackay Queensland | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aerial view of Mackay, 2009 The Cane Fire sculpture Street art down Fifth Lane Spanish Mission architecture along Wood Street Bluewater Sculpture trail | |||||||||
  Mackay | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°08′28″S 149°11′09″E / 21.1411°S 149.1858°E} | ||||||||
| Population | 84,333 (2021)[1] (22nd) | ||||||||
| • Density | 397.05/km2 (1,028.35/sq mi) | ||||||||
| Established | 1862[2] | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4740 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 11.0 m (36 ft) | ||||||||
| Area | 212.4 km2 (82.0 sq mi)[1] (2021 urban) | ||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Mackay Region | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) |
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| Federal division(s) | |||||||||
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Mackay (/məˈkaɪ/[3][4][5]) is a city in the Mackay Region on the eastern or Coral Sea coast of Queensland, Australia.[6][7] It is located about 970 kilometres (603 mi) north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is described as being in either Central Queensland or North Queensland, as these regions are not precisely defined. More generally, the area is known as the Mackay–Whitsunday Region. Nicknames of Mackay include the Sugar capital, Alexandra and Macktown.[8][9] The demonym of Mackay residents is Mackayites.
Founded in 1862 the settlement was originally known as Alexandra, in honour of Princess Alexandra of Denmark, and was later renamed Mackay after John Mackay. Sugar became the economic foundation of the city, with plantations using South Sea Islanders that had been blackbirded as indentured labourers or slaves.[10][11] The trades ending in 1904 roughly coincided with the immigration of Mediterranean migrants from Italy and Malta beginning in 1891 to work the sugarcane plantations, and by the 1930s one third of Australia’s Italian migrants lived in North Queensland.[12][13][14] The city was nearly destroyed in the 1918 cyclone, and the following reconstruction used primarily Art Deco and Spanish Mission architectural styles for which the city is famous.
Mackay has a rich history and culture, known for its architecture, food, and as a cultural-melting pot.[15] It has long established cross-cultural communities that have influenced the city; including Yuwi, South Sea Islanders, Italians, Maltese, and more recently Filipinos.[16] Mackay is considered the capital of South Sea Islander culture, being home to the largest population in the nation.[17] The city is noted for its seafood, tropical produce, public art and laneways, jazz scene, and festivals including the Mackay Festival of Arts and Jazz in the Park.[18]
Major landmarks in Mackay include, Bluewater Quay and river markets, Mackay Harbour, the Leichhardt Tree,[19] the Bluewater Sculpture trail and the Kommo Toera trail through the Mackay Wetlands. The city's hinterland includes, Mount Blackwood, Eungella National Park including Finch Hatton Gorge, along with the expansive mountain bike trails between Eungella and Finch Hatton. Mackay's coastal highlights include, Cape Hillsborough, the national parks of Round Top and Flat Top islands and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Great Barrier Reef.
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mackay". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Mackay, Queensland". Britannica. Archived from the original on 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ Hall, Glen (2009). "Mac "Eye" or Mac "A"?". Mackay Historical Society and Museum. Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ "Australian World Map: Mackay Cedar". Macquarie Dictionary. Macmillan Publishers Australia. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ Reichard, Jonathan (1 September 2017). "Do you know how to pronounce these place names?". The Courier Mail. Brisbane: Queensland Newspapers. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ "Mackay – city (entry 20426)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:1was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Mackay. Travel guide for Mackay: eGuide Archived 15 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Mackayeguide.com. Retrieved on 18 August 2011.
- ^ "Mackay nicknames we stubbornly refuse to give up". Courier Mail. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "Sugar". A Short History of Mackay. 12 August 2004. Archived from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ^ Kroeger, Brooke (31 August 2012). Undercover Reporting: The Truth About Deception. Northwestern University Press. p. 33. ISBN 9780810163515. Archived from the original on 27 July 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ^ "The Italian Experiment". North Queensland History. 7 September 2015. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ^ "1891 Italian Labour for the Canefields". Australian Food Timeline. 11 February 2023. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ^ "Italy-born" (PDF). homeaffairs.gov.au. 11 February 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ^ "Mackay: where gourmet delights and natural wonders abound". Australian Traveller. 6 March 2019. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "GLOBAL GROOVES PROVIDES IMMERSIVE MULTICULTURAL EXPERIENCE". Mackay Regional Council. 16 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "Truth-telling about the history of Australia's South Sea Islander community". ArtsHub. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "FESTIVAL OF ARTS KICKS OFF WITH JAZZ, HIGH TEA, SWORDS AND SPANDEX". Mackay Regional Council. 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "Local Heritage Register: The Leichhardt Tree" (PDF). Mackay Regional Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
