Gracemere, Queensland

Gracemere is approximately west of the city of Rockhampton. Because of the proximity of the town to Rockhampton, Gracemere has become a dormitory town, with many residents commuting the short distance to work in the city. Gracemere Lagoon is to the north of the town (). The Capricorn Highway enters the locality from the north (Fairy Bower) and exits to the west (Kabra). • Langley railway station, now abandoned () • Gracemere railway station, once servicing the town, but now abandoned () == History ==

The area was first explored by Europeans in 1853, when the Archer brothers arrived looking for pastures for their sheep. They settled by a small lake, originally called "Farris" or Padgole lagoon which was named Gracemere in 1855. The name Gracemere comes from "Grace", the name of Thomas Archer's wife and "mere" which is a Scottish term for lake. Gracemere State School opened on 20 February 1871. As Gracemere developed as a dormitory town, further schools were needed with Waraburra State School opening on 27 January 1987 and St Paul's Catholic Primary School opening on 27 January 1988. Gracemere Shoppingworld opened in December 2014 with Woolworths and Best & Less operating as the anchor stores along with up to 20 speciality stores. In 2019, Gracemere was rapidly expanding with around 10 new housing estates under construction. == Demographics ==

In the , the town of Gracemere had a population of 8,401 people. In the , the locality of Gracemere had a population of 11,315 people. In the , the locality of Gracemere had a population of 12,023 people. == Heritage listings ==

Gracemere has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: • Gracemere Homestead, 234 Gracemere Road () == Economy ==

Gracemere, as a commuter town, has a relatively low level of industry compared to Rockhampton. Grazing, particularly of beef cattle, has long been the significant industry of the area. The Central Queensland Livestock Exchange (formerly the Gracemere Saleyards) is on the western side of the town. It is the largest cattle sales facility in the Southern Hemisphere and commenced a multimillion-dollar upgrade in 2019. It is at 16 Saleyards Road () on a site. == Education ==

There are three schools servicing Gracemere. They are all primary, one Catholic and two public. Gracemere State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 1A O'Shanesy Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 302 students with 23 teachers (18 full-time equivalent) and 16 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 492 students with 34 teachers (33 full-time equivalent) and 24 non-teaching staff (16 full-time equivalent). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 310 students with 19 teachers (18 full-time equivalent) and 13 non-teaching staff (8 full-time equivalent). Currently, all high school students travel by a bus service into Rockhampton to continue their senior education. == Amenities ==

Gracemere Shoppingworld is bounded by O'Shanesy Street, McLaughlin Street and the Capricorn Highway (). The Rockhampton Regional Council operate a public library in Gracemere at 1 Ranger Street (). The Gracemere branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the Guide Hut in James Street. == Attractions ==

The entrance to the Gracemere Industrial Park has the Big G, one of Australia's big things. It is in the shape of a capital letter G and is in size and is made from of mild steel. It is on the southern corner of Somerset Road and Enterprise Drive (). == Transport ==

As a dormitory town, most Gracemerians either drive a private vehicle or catch a bus to the city. The bus service, Young's Bus Service, operates hourly between the town centre and South Gracemere. Traffic can peak at around 8:00 in the morning, with traffic being banked up for around 1-1.5 kilometres on weekdays. Infrastructure problems are now becoming a reality for the small town and surrounding Capricorn Highway towns. This has resulted in constant roadworks and upgrades of the highway road quality. This mass influx of vehicles has resulted in a proposal for a new western bypass for Rockhampton, to send vehicles right to the northern suburbs, avoiding inner city congestion and delay, as this is where many Gracemerians work. == Notable residents ==

• Anna Meares – OAM and twice gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games • Kerrie Meares – Twice gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games for cycling. She is the older sister of Anna Meares == References ==