Cape Cleveland, Queensland

For the lighthouse, see Cape Cleveland Light.

Cape Cleveland is a rural locality in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.^[2] In the 2021 census, Cape Cleveland had a population of 128 people.^[1]

Cape Cleveland Townsville, Queensland
Tender departing the RV Solander, one of the research vessels at the Australian Institute of Marine Science.jpg
Cape Cleveland
Coordinates	19.3155°S 147.0097°E / -19.3155; 147.0097 (Cape Cleveland (centre of locality))
Population	128 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	0.5714/km2 (1.480/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4810
Area	224.0 km2 (86.5 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	32.7 km (20 mi) E of Annandale 35.7 km (22 mi) ESE of Townsville CBD 1,305 km (811 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	City of Townsville
State electorate(s)	Burdekin
Federal division(s)	Dawson
Suburbs around Cape Cleveland: Cleveland Bay Coral Sea Coral Sea Stuart Nome Cape Cleveland Cungulla Mount Elliot Cromarty Giru

Geography

The locality is bounded to the north-west by Cleveland Bay (19.2142°S 146.8998°E / -19.2142; 146.8998 (Cleveland Bay)),^[3][4] to the north by the Coral Sea, to the north-west by Bowling Green Bay (19.3653°S 147.2533°E / -19.3653; 147.2533 (Bowling Green Bay)).^[3][5][6]

Cleveland Bay has smaller side bays of:

• White Rock Bay 19.2410°S 147.0031°E / -19.2410; 147.0031 (White Rock Bay)^[3]
• Red Rock Bay (19.2007°S 147.0202°E / -19.2007; 147.0202 (Red Rock Bay))^[3]

while Bowling Green Bay has smaller side bays of:

• Paradise Bay (19.2348°S 147.0458°E / -19.2348; 147.0458 (Paradise Bay))^[3]
• Chunda Bay (19.2848°S 147.0495°E / -19.2848; 147.0495 (Chunda Bay))^[3]

The locality has a number of headlands, including:

• Red Rock Point, on the north-west coast to the immediate south of Red Rock Bay (19.2031°S 147.0189°E / -19.2031; 147.0189 (Red Rock Point))^[7][8]
• Cape Cleveland, the northernmost point of the locality, separating Cleveland Bay and Bowling Green Bay (19.1822°S 147.0138°E / -19.1822; 147.0138 (Cape Cleveland))^[7][9]
• Cape Woora, on the north-east coast to the south of Paradise Bay (19.2561°S 147.0598°E / -19.2561; 147.0598 (Cape Woora))^[7][10]
• Cape Ferguson, on the north-east coast to the immediate north of Chunda Bay (19.2763°S 147.0609°E / -19.2763; 147.0609 (Cape Ferguson))^[7][11]

The coastline of the locality has the following beaches:

• Launs Beach, on the north-west coast to the south of White Rock Bay (19.2642°S 146.9907°E / -19.2642; 146.9907 (Launs Beach))^[12]
• Long Beach, on the north-west coast to the south of Red Rock Point (19.2196°S 147.0188°E / -19.2196; 147.0188 (Long Beach)) ^[12]
• Big Beach, on the north-east coast (19.3740°S 147.0976°E / -19.3740; 147.0976 (Big Beach)) extending to neighbouring Cungulla^[12]

The locality has a number of mountains, from north to south:

• Mount Cleveland on the headland Cape Cleveland (19.2564°S 147.0300°E / -19.2564; 147.0300 (Mount Cleveland)) 558 metres (1,831 ft) above sea level^[7][13]
• The Cone (19.3936°S 147.0798°E / -19.3936; 147.0798 (The Cone)) 94 metres (308 ft)^[7][14]
• Feltham Cone (also known as Mount Burrumbush) (19.4282°S 147.0735°E / -19.4282; 147.0735 (Feltham Cone (Mount Burrumbush))) 279 metres (915 ft)^[7][15]

The Bruce Highway and North Coast railway line form a small section of the south-west boundary with Mount Elliot.^[6] The locality was once served by the now-abandoned Clevedon railway station (19.3964°S 147.0220°E / -19.3964; 147.0220 (Clevedon railway station)) beside the junction of the Bruce Highway and Cape Cleveland Road.^[16]

Much of the locality is within the Bowling Green Bay National Park and the Bowling Green Bay Conservation Park, which extend into the neighbouring localities of Mount Elliot, Cromarty, and Giru, and beyond.^[6] Apart from these protected areas and marshland in the west of the locality, there is a small area of rural residential development centred on Riley Road, some grazing on native vegetation, and some unused marshland. Around Cape Ferguson at the end of Cape Cleveland Road is a 207.4-hectare (512-acre) land parcel which is the headquarters of the Australian Institute of Marine Science(19.2676°S 147.0558°E / -19.2676; 147.0558 (Australian Institute of Marine Science)), where research into tropical marine science is undertaken.^[6][17]

History

The area takes its name from the headland Cape Cleveland, named by Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific in 1770. Cook gave no reason for the name, but it is possible it was in honour of John Clevland, a former Secretary to the British Admiralty.^[2] Cook's original choice of name was "Iron Head", but this was crossed and replaced in a revision of his log shortly after leaving the cape.^[18]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Cape Cleveland had a population of 124 people.^[19]

In the 2016 census, Cape Cleveland had a population of 155 people.^[20]

In the 2021 census, Cape Cleveland had a population of 128 people.^[1]

Heritage listings

Cape Cleveland Light keepers house and lighthouse

Cape Cleveland has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Cape Cleveland Lighthouse, Cape Cleveland (19.1829°S 147.0155°E / -19.1829; 147.0155 (Cape Cleveland Lighthouse))^[21]

Education

There are no schools in Cape Cleveland. The nearest government primary schools are Giru State School in neighbouring Giru to the south-east and Wulguru State School in Wulguru to the west. The nearest government secondary school is William Ross State High School in Annandale, Townsville.^[6]

Attractions

The public can book tours of the Australian Institute of Marine Science between March and October. As at 2021, the tours have been suspended due to the COVID pandemic.^[22]

The Cape Cleveland Lighthouse is in private ownership, but visitors are welcome by arrangement and basic camping facilities are available. There is no road access, so the options are either a long bushwalk or by ferry or with an organised tour.^[23][24]