Agnes Water is a coastal town and a locality in the Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Agnes Water had a population of 2,729 people.
Geography
Agnes Water is in Central Queensland approximately south-east of the Bruce Highway, Queensland's major coastal route. It is accessed via the main road called Round Hill Road. It is 90 minutes south of Gladstone, and 90 minutes north of Bundaberg on the Discovery Coast. Agnes Water is the closest access point to the southern Great Barrier Reef. It is a neighbouring town of the Town of 1770.
Much of the area's natural beauty has been preserved through the establishment of Eurimbula National Park, covering more than 23,000 hectares and the nearby Joseph Banks Environmental Park, located on the headland originally known as Round Head.
History
Prior to European settlement Agnes Water was home to the Meerooni tribe who form the southern part of the Gurang nation.
The town of Agnes Water takes its name from pastoral holding first leased by Daniel Clowes in 1883, which he named after the coastal schooner Agnes, which was lost at sea in the area. The schooner left Bustard Head on 15 June 1873, en route from Mackay to Brisbane.
Daniel Clowes remained there until his death in 1891. The gravestones of Clowes and his wife are near the present township.
There was saw milling in the locality in the 1890s and the wide beach was a popular venue, particularly as buggies could be driven onto the beach. It became a holiday destination, and weekend residences were built, notably on Round Hill where the Town of 1770 was officially named in 1936. However, the town was regarded as somewhat remote, and it was not until the road into the town was completely sealed in the mid-1990s that development really took off.
Agnes Water State School was opened on 29 January 1990.
Agnes Tavern opened in 1993.
The current Agnes Water Public Library opened in 2011 and had a minor refurbishment in 2016.
In the , Agnes Water had a population of 1,814. This figure is made up of 942 males and 872 females with a median age of 41. The town's most common ancestries are English (32.4%), Australian (29.6%), Scottish (8.6%), Irish (7.8%) and German (4.8%).
Discovery Christian College opened in 2015.
In the , Agnes Water had a population of 2,210 people.
Goora Gan Steiner School opened in January 2017.
In 2018, Agnes Water became the first cryptocurrency town. Shops, hotels accept cryptocurrency - Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and NEM.
In the , Agnes Water had a population of 2,729 people.
Religion
The area of Agnes Water has two local churches - the Agnes Water Baptist Church and the Catholic Church. Both are located on Bicentennial Dve, a short drive from the centre of the area. Census data from 2011 shows that 32.3% of the population do not identify with a religion while 19.6% list Anglican as their religion, followed by Catholicism (16.1%).
Education
Agnes Water State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 1 Donohue Drive (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 215 students with 19 teachers (15 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff (8 full-time equivalent).
Goora Gan Steiner School is a private primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 71 Springs Road (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 12 students with 2 teachers and 1 non-teaching staff.
Discovery Christian College is a private primary and secondary (Prep-12) school for boys and girls at 2873 Round Hill Road (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 160 students with 18 teachers (15 full-time equivalent) and 12 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent).
The nearest government secondary school is Rosedale P-12 Campus in Rosedale, away from the centre of Agnes Water, accessed mostly by local buses that travel the route daily.
Only 7.1% of the population during the listed their education level as being over secondary school (i.e. tertiary or further education).
Facilities
The town has a visitor information centre on Round Hill Road. The town also hosts a community centre, coastal camping reserve, life-saving club, state primary school (1990), and a museum which houses the Miriam Vale Historical Society. The Agnes Water Library is at 71 Springs Road and is operated by the Gladstone Regional Council.
The local tourism and commerce group has created a website listing the natural attractions and all things to do while visiting the region.
The Agnes Water Ambulance station has 5 paramedics. The officer-in-charge Brett Schultz has served the Agnes Community for over ten years.