Sarina, Queensland


Sarina is a rural town and coastal locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the, Sarina had a population of 5,522 people.

Geography

Sarina lies just inland of the east coast of Queensland, south of the city of Mackay, and approximately north of the city of Rockhampton. The Bruce Highway passes through the locality from south to north, as does the North Coast railway line.
The town of Sarina is located on Plane Creek, which flows into the Coral Sea, but most of the urban development is on the northern side of the creek. The Bruce Highway and the railway line pass through the town, which is served by the Sarina railway station.
Plane Creek West ''' is a neighbourhood within the locality, approximately west of the town of Sarina.
The neighbourhood of Oonooie lies 6.8 km south of the town and is the name of a former railway station on the North Coast line, which was named on 29 April 1915, reportedly after a principal clanswoman of that area.
The neighbourhood of Mount Convenient lies north of the town and is the name of a former railway station on the North Coast line, which was named on 30 October 1913 after a nearby peak, Mount Convenient.
The neighbourhood of Swayneville lies south-west of the town.
The Goonyella railway line passes along the eastern boundary of the locality towards the Hay Point coal terminal.
Mount Chelona is located in the north of the locality near where the Bruce Highway exits the locality north to Alligator Creek.

Economy

Industries include sugar cane growing and milling, cattle grazing and agriculture. It is a major supplier of ethanol through the CSR Limited distillery attached to CSR's Plane Creek sugar mill.
Approximately north is the second largest export coal terminal in Australia, and one of the biggest coal distribution terminals in the world, Hay Point.

History

Yuwibara is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwibara country. It is closely related to the Biri languages/dialects. The Yuwibara language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Mackay Region.
Sarina was originally known as Plane Creek, but took its present name from the Sarina Inlet which was in turn named after Sarina, the Greek mythological enchantress, by William Charles Borlase Wilson, a surveyor, some time before 1882.
Plane Creek Provisional School opened on 5 August 1897. In 1907 it became Plane Creek State School. In 1912 it was renamed Sarina State School. On 31 January 1956 a secondary department was added to the school, which operated until January 1964, when Sarina State High School opened.
Plane Creek Upper Provisional School opened on 1900 and closed on 1969. On 1 January 1909 it became Plane Creek Upper State School. In 1928 it was renamed Plane Creek West State School. It closed in 1969.
Hillside State School opened in 1909 and closed on circa 1926.
Middle Creek Provisional School opened in 1915. In 1916 it was renamed Laburnum Grove Provisional School. It closed circa 1941.
St Anne's Catholic Primary School was officially opened on 23 May 1925 by the Sisters of Mercy.
Mount Chelona State School opened on 4 September 1933 and closed circa 1941.
Swayneville State School opened on 26 August 1935.
Sarina State High School opened on 28 January 1964. In 2014, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary.
At the, Sarina had a population of 3,285.
In the 2011 census, Sarina had a population of 5,730 people.
In the, Sarina had a population of 5,522 people.

Heritage listings

Sarina has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Sarina State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at Broad Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 465 students with 35 teachers and 24 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.
Swayneville State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 952 Sarina Marlborough Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 112 students with 12 teachers and 11 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.
St Anne's Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary school for boys and girls at 3 Range Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 210 students with 20 teachers and 15 non-teaching staff.
Sarina State High School is a government secondary school for boys and girls at Anzac Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 743 students with 64 teachers and 43 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.

Amenities

The Mackay Regional Council operates a library at 65 Broad Street and operates a mobile library service on a fortnightly schedule at Swayneville near the school. The library facility opened in 1984 with a major refurbishment in 2013.
The Sarina branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the QCWA Hall at 2 Broad Street.

Sport

Sarina is home of the Sarina Crocodiles, a Rugby league club, producing Queensland representative players including Martin Bella, Dale Shearer, Kevin Campion, Daly Cherry-Evans and dual international Wendell Sailor.

Attractions

Proximity to the coast and mountains attracts tourists through this area. Recently tourism has grown in Sarina with Mackay being relatively close.
A large cane toad statue, called Buffy, is situated in the town centre in honour of Sarina's cane farming history. Buffy was made from fibreglass in the early 1980s for a parade float for the Apex Sugar Festival. The name Buffy comes from the species name bufo marinus.
Buffy has been painted for the "state of origin" football game multiple times and has even been stolen. To try and deter further theft, buffy has been chained to the concrete slab on broad street where he resides, though this hasn't stopped people from decorating buffy with "Queenslander" flags and state of origin banners

Notable people from Sarina