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Benaraby is a rural town and locality in the Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census the locality of Benaraby had a population of 1,219 people.[1]

Benaraby Queensland
Benaraby Progress Association Hall, 2017
Benaraby
Coordinates	24.0020°S 151.3166°E / -24.0020; 151.3166 (Benaraby (town centre))
Population	1,219 (2016 census locality)[1]
• Density	11.522/km2 (29.841/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4680
Area	105.8 km2 (40.8 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	20 km (12 mi) S of Gladstone
LGA(s)	Gladstone Region
State electorate(s)	Callide Gladstone
Federal division(s)	Flynn

Geography

Benaraby is 20 kilometres south of Gladstone in Central Queensland. It is on the Boyne River and is the access point to Lake Awoonga, which forms much of the southern boundary of the locality. The Boyne River flows north from the lake through the locality, passing just east of the town, where it is crossed by the Bruce Highway.[4]

History

Boyne River Provisional School opened on 12 July 1886 and closed in November 1886. It reopened on 24 Aug 1903. In 1907 was renamed Benaraby Provisional School. On 1 January 1909 it became Benaraby State School.[5]

Benaraby Post Office opened around 1912 (receiving offices known as Boyne Bridge, Boyne River, Annandale and Benaraby had been open from 1890) and closed in 1982.[6]

The population of Benaraby at the 2006 census was 594.[7]

Originally a rural locality, in recent times it has become more of a residential suburb for the workers in Gladstone, Boyne Island and Tannum Sands.

In the 2016 census the locality of Benaraby had a population of 1,219 people.[1]

Education

Benaraby State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 17 O'Connor Road (24.0037°S 151.3238°E / -24.0037; 151.3238 (Benaraby State School)).[8][9] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 105 students with 7 teachers (5 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (6 full-time equivalent).[10]

Amenities

Benaraby contains a petrol station, a primary school, a community hall, a nursery and three accommodation providers.

"This Big" sculpture

In June 2017, a 4.5 metre tall sculpture called "This Big" was installed at the Caltex Truck & Travel Centre on the Bruce Highway at Benaraby which was officially unveiled in September 2017.[11][12][13]

Commissioned by site owner Martin Spinks, the "This Big" sculpture depicts a giant pair of hands measuring a barramundi.[11][12] Inspired by the Gladstone Region's aluminium industry and fishing culture, it was created by Lump Studio in Melbourne where ten people worked on the sculpture over a period of six months before it was transported to Benaraby where it took three days to install.[12] The sculpture consists of corten steel, aluminium and powder coating.[11] 3D modelling was used to create the hands which consist of 226 pieces of steel welded together.[11] A total of 11 separate aluminium segments make up the barramundi.[11]

The "This Big" sculpture was officially unveiled by Escape with ET host and former rugby league player Andrew Ettingshausen on 23 September 2017.[13] Ettingshausen said the sculpture is not only intended to be a designated highway landmark but to also represent Benaraby as being the gateway to newly created fishing zones and "the real start of the barramundi fishery in Queensland".[13]

References

External links

• "Gladstone Localities". Queensland Places. University of Queensland.

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