TOURIST
INFO LINKS
H.A.C. is a Non
Profit Tourism Organisation registered under the Co-operatives Act 1997
using the Internet to build up a vast Library of Places to stay and
things to see all over Australia, linked to all relative regional
Shire Tourist Information Centres to provide the visitors with a
comprehensive information folio.
REDUCED
RATES
You can make a "direct to the venue" booking for anything
from Accommodation, or tickets to Theme Parks, and all varieties of
Tourist Attractions , and at no extra costs placed on the normal rates,
in fact as it is the policy of HAC to make
no commission charges to any trader, and have all enquiries directed
to their respective website, many traders then may opt to
reward you by providing their services and products at great rates,
because they are saving from 10% to 25% commission costs.
HERE'S SOME HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT OUR QUEENSLAND:-
POPULATION APPROX 3.9 MIL
Queensland
stretches from the temperate zone into the tropics. Its northern tip,
Cape York, is separated from Papua New Guinea by the narrow Torres Strait.
The corals of the Great Barrier Reef fringe the eastern coastline for
more than 2000 kilometres. Annual rainfall ranges from four metres in
the tropical northern rainforests to 0.2 metres on the Mitchell Grass
plains of the southwest. The wide variety of natural habitats supports
a great diversity of wildlife. The current population is approx 3.9
million
European exploration of the area which is now
Queensland started in the 17th century. European settlement of Queensland
started in 1824 when a site for a penal settlement was chosen on the
Brisbane River.
By 1839, the convict establishment was phased
out and the land was prepared for sale for free settlement. In 1859,
the colony of Queensland was separated from New South Wales. Rapid growth
was experienced after separation and this growth has continued to the
present. In fact as late as the 50's and early 60's one could approach
the Government and gain a permanent lease on Land, Islands, and even
coral attols.. The writer of this website had the option to take some
land near Gordonval Nth Queensland in 1958.
Queen
St, Brisbane was the first settlement in 1860. At the time
of the separation from New South Wales in 1859, the population of Queensland
was 23,520 persons. Population growth was rapid in the early years and
it took less than 5 years for the population to double.
After becoming a separate colony in 1859, Queensland quickly developed,
with many towns outside Brisbane being established. For example, Ipswich
and Rockhampton were constituted as towns in 1860, while Maryborough
and Warwick became towns the following year.
In 1862, the first telegraph link between Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba
and Sydney was completed and an extensive railway construction program
commenced.
The growth and development of the Queensland colony was somewhat halted
when a severe economic crisis occurred in 1866. It was the discovery
of gold that enabled the colony to thrive once again. Gold was discovered
at Gympie, Cape River and Cloncurry in 1867. In the following two decades
many other gold discoveries were made and this further helped development
of settlements and towns throughout central, western and northern Queensland.
Agriculture, especially the sugar industry, also expanded at this time
with farms being established over a large area.
Queensland’s population passed the 250,000 mark in 1883, and reached
half a million by the time of Federation in 1901 comprising 282,291
males and 224,430 females. Brisbane was proclaimed a city in 1902. Now
other Cities such as the Gold Coast alone has reached half a million
permanent residents.
