Parkhurst is bounded to the north by Ramsay Creek and to the west by Ramsay Creek and then the Fitzroy River. To the south it is bounded by Limestone Creek and by Yeppoon Road. A section of the Bruce Highway passes through the centre of the suburb from south to north, while the North Coast railway line also passes through the suburb from south to north, to the west of the highway. The Parkhurst Industrial Estate is in the south-west of the suburb, while the residential land is in the west near the river and in the north-east of the suburb. Most of Parkhurst remains farmland, but Rockhampton's urban sprawl has led to further residential developments being established throughout Parkhurst including the Northridge, Rosedale, Paramount Park, Riverside and Edenbrook estates. The increasing population at Parkhurst and in areas further north such as Rockyview and Glendale has led to the construction of the Parkhurst Town Centre, a new shopping centre anchored by a Woolworths supermarket. Construction of the centre commenced in August 2015. Woolworths was the first store in open in the centre on 15 November 2016. The land near the river is prone to flooding. Rockhampton's water treatment facility is located near the river.
History
The Glenmore Homestead is one of the earliest in the Rockhampon area, being established in the late 1850s. Land was opened up for settlement and small farms were established. Parkhurst Provisional School accepted its first enrolments on 11 June 1900. In 1909 it became Parkhurst State School. At the the suburb recorded a population of 1,385.
Parkhurst is home to the Rockhampton Heritage Village. Located at 296 Boundary Road, this open air museum showcases a range of historic buildings with exhibitions of artefacts from Rockhampton's history. The museum is a venue for local markets and has a large function venue built in the style of a traditional woolshed. Limestone Creek Environmental Park offers a range of walking tracks in and around Limestone Creek through an open eucalypt forest where wildlife can be seen. It is popular with bird watchers and photographers.
Education
Parkhurst Early Learning Centre is a child care and early childhood education centre which has been operating in the suburb since 1995. The centre in Bean Avenue currently has a capacity to cater for 99 children per day which was increased after a purpose-built kindergarten building was added to the original centre. Along with providing care for infants and toddlers, the centre offers an approved 24-space kindergarten program. The centre also provides daily before-school and after-school care for primary school aged children, and vacation care during school holidays. Parkhurst State School is a state primary school located on Mason Avenue. In 2014, the school had an enrolment of 308 students with 25 teachers. The school motto is 'Every Parkhurst learner is literate, numerate, safe, happy and learning every day.' Approximately half the children live outside the suburb and come from the more rural areas to the north via a school bus. While there is no high school located at Parkhurst, Heights College and Glenmore State High School at Kawana are located to the south and are the nearest schools to Parkhurst which offer secondary education. The grounds of the North Rockhampton campus of Central Queensland University are located adjacent to Parkhurst, and the university suggests Parkhurst as one of the conveniently located suburbs for students looking for accommodation near the campus.
