Yeppoon
Postcode: 4703
Yeppoon is a coastal resort town situated in Central Queensland, Australia. The town is the administrative centre for the Livingstone Shire. Located on Keppel Bay, at the 2001 census, Yeppoon had a population of 10,656.
Yeppoon is the major town along the tourist strip of the Capricorn Coast, and is around 700 km north of the state capital, Brisbane, and 40 km from its nearest regional centre, the city of Rockhampton. Long stretches of beaches are the main tourist attraction, while the islands of the Keppel Group, in particular Great Keppel Island, are another drawcard. The Rosslyn Bay boat harbour caters for professional and privately owned vessels.
North of the town is the Byfield State Forest and National Park. The State Forest is consists largely of pine plantations. The National Park is largely coastal and sand dune based geographical areas. It is popular with Four Wheel Drive enthusiasts.
Pineapples and sugar were the major industries of the early town. The first European residents arrived in 1865. Along with other sugar growing areas of Australia, South Sea Islanders were used as labourers on the sugar plantations, often without their consent. No sugar is grown in the area today, however pineapples are still a major crop in the region.
Yeppoon is home to prominent high schools such as St. Brendan’s College, St Ursula’s College and Yeppoon State High School. Rugby league players Julian O’Neill, Shane Martenee and PJ Marsh are all St. Brendan’s alumni.