| Early in the colonisation of Australia,
Port Curtis was touted to become the grand Northern Australian Colony.
By 1864, however, such dreams and schemes were dashed, albeit temporarily,
for lack of freshwater and ill-conceived adventures. Despite such
early set backs, the region and its township, Gladstone, have since
developed into a major shipping port and industrial centre, with
the pace of change accelerating in recent decades.
Port and industrial development have resulted in considerable alterations
to landscape and coastal features in an effort to accommodate ever-growing
demands of industry, trade and population. But, what are the effects
of these changes? Are they sustainable? Does it matter? How much
is the quality of our lives linked with that of the wider port area
and associated marine wetland environments? How much do you value
our coastal location?
The time is right to take stock and evaluate. The Coastal CRC's
Historical Coastlines Project is gathering knowledge and comparing
current indicators of ecological condition with those from the past,
using photographs, maps and memories. In this phase of the project,
the team is focusing on changes in coastal features and intertidal
wetlands of the Calliope River, Auckland Creek and Endfield Creek
in Port Curtis region.
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| Timebights of Auckland Creek,
Gladstone: in 1864, loading cattle for international ports;
in 1910, tending to the naval defense of Northern Australia;
and in 2002, the relative calm of moorings and local tourism. |
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