Boyne Island, Queensland


Boyne Island is a coastal town and locality in Queensland, Australia, south of Gladstone. It is part of the local government area of Gladstone Region. At the 2016 census, Boyne Island had a population of 4,760.

Geography

It is located on the west bank of the Boyne River and, is a particular type of island called a holm, an island in a river or an estuary. It is bounded on the Eastern side by the Boyne River, for about 4 km and the South Trees Inlet, on the southern, for 9 km, and western sides, for about 8 km Tannum Sands is located on the Eastern side of the mouth of the Boyne River spreading southward and is often referred to as Boyne Island's twin town.

History

The town was named for the Boyne River, which was named by John Oxley in 1823. Originally the island was used for sheep grazing, this was followed by small crops, horticulture, fishing and timber.
Boyne Island State School opened on 27 January 1953.

Heritage listings

Boyne Island has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Today Boyne Island is primarily a residential centre for the nearby Boyne Island aluminium smelter and Gladstone industries.
Australia's largest aluminium smelter, Boyne Smelters Ltd., is located north of the town separated by a buffer zone.

Education

Boyne Island State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 151 Malpas Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 361 students with 25 teachers and 20 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.
Boyne Island Environmental Education Centre is an Outdoor and Environmental Education Centre at 61 Malpas Street. It offers hands-on activities for students to learn about natural coastal, marine and reef environments of the area and to understand human use of these areas.

Amenities

The 13 hole Boyne Island Tannum Sands Golf Course is located in Boyne Island adjacent to the Boyne River, in Jacaranda Drive. Hole 12 in particular is challenging, with out-of-bounds and water hazard in strategic places.
The Gladstone Regional Council operates a public library on Boyne Island at the corner of Wyndham & Hayes Avenue.

Events

Boyne Island is home to the Boyne Tannum Hookup, which is a large fishing event held on the Labour Day long weekend in May each year. The event is held at Bray Park, which is on the river near the skate park. This event is very popular, with more than 3,000 entrants.