Rockhampton

Back to our travels.  We spent just over a week in the Rockhampton and Yeppoon area visiting with friends.  After our two aborted trips to see them last year, it was nice to actually spend some time with them this time.  Where to start?  Let’s start with Rockhampton, or “Rocky”.

Rocky is a large regional centre with lots of services.  However, we have not really played the tourist too much.  This time we went on a historic walking tour.  

The tour started at the Criterion Hotel, which is quite a landmark.  It is on the site of the first hotel in the area, which was the Bush Inn.  

 The interior is rather grand.

Gracemere, just a bit further inland, is the older settlement, established by the Archer brothers, who were the first Europeans to explore the area and settle in the early 1850s.  They realised that a port would be needed to service the area, so they established one on the Fitzroy River.  Of course, a pub was soon established. 

As the port was the main transport hub of the area, that section of the town thrived.

It was interesting hearing about the early days.

In the late 1850s there was a gold rush nearby, which helped the establishment of Rockhampton, followed by a meat works in the 1870s, as a result of the cattle grazing enterprises in the area.

In 1882 a massive gold discovery was made at Mount Morgan, and the town really boomed, hence the impressive buildings built along the waterfront.

Quay Street, which runs beside the river, is Queenland’s longest heritage listed street.  The Customs House is the stand out building.  

There are no remains of the bustling old port, as rail and road have long since replaced shipping for transporting goods and people.  In its place are beautiful gardens and a leafy tree lined street.

In the middle of all the heritage buildings, next to the Customs House there is one very modern one.  It is the Rockhampton Museum of Art.  It was only opened in 2022.  It has been built on the site of another modern building. 

I loved the wall construction, using sandstone, but with a rougher mortar finish.  A nod to the earlier buildings, but not copying them.

We visited on another day.  

In the large foyer is a featured sculpture, created by an artist from Switzerland.  It is actually a huge candle, made entirely from wax.  

There are two wicks sticking out of the subject's head.    It had only just been installed in the museum, as it was nearly intact.  Over time it will gradually melt.  

Once completely melted, it will be recast and the process started over again.

There were a couple of interesting exhibitions to have a look at.  This one caught my eye, as it was embroidered, and covered Friday, Saturday and Sunday.    The text on the phone is saying she just wants to be friends.  Something quite different.

After our browse, it was time for morning tea in the gallery cafe. This was recommended by the lady behind the counter and it did not disappoint.  Oh my! Rather decadent.

Behind the gallery there is a walkway through to the main shopping street, which features some murals.

The crocodile was the centrepiece.

Of course, we had to have lunch too, and found a nice pub beside the river.  It turned out that it had only opened a few months before we were there.  It was lovely sitting on the verandah in the warmth.  

We did a bit of celebrity spotting while there.  The football legend Wally Lewis and a group of people were also lunching there.

We had a bit more of a wander around town and took in some other old buildings.

It was interesting to see that the railway line runs right through the centre of town.  There were flashing lights and boom gates in the main street, but just one street over, (still very busy), there was only a railway crossing sign, no lights or gate.  It was a very long train.

And that about sums up our looking around Rockhampton.