Old whaling harpoon at the marina, Hervey Bay

Hervey Bay
Popular resort town and main access point to Fraser Island.
Hervey Bay is a well-frequented holiday destination, a huge retirement centre, and the most popular access point to Fraser Island. Essentially a string of associated villages - Urangan, Torquay, Scarness, Pialba and Point Vernon - it stretches along the bay in a series of small shopping centres and a seemingly endless run of holiday units, motels, caravan parks and flats.

Located 300 km north of Brisbane and 37 km east of Maryborough, Hervey Bay's great attraction lies in the diversity it offers - whale spotting, fishing, walking, water skiing, scuba diving, fishing, exploring nearby Fraser Island. Beyond these activities are the usual tourist attractions of a wildlife park, a bird sanctuary and an aquarium. There is also an interesting and substantial historical museum and a memorial to the kanakas who worked the sugar fields in the area.

Hervey Bay has had little respect for its past. Once a series of quiet and sleepy villages it is now in the process of exploding into a Gold Coast style series of holiday destinations. It is now a city (officially proclaimed in 1984) encompassing a series of small villages, all of which now blend together. With this development has come the inevitable problem that much of the character of the area has been sacrificed by the construction of modern project homes for people (apparently most of them came from Victoria) eager to retire to the sun. This problem is compounded by the fact that much of the beach foreshore is taken up with Caravan Parks (it actually boasts that it is the 'Caravan Capital of Australia') creating a very one dimensional feel about the place - shops on one side of the Esplanade, then Caravan Parks, then a narrow hard sand beach.

The first European to reach the Hervey Bay area was Captain James Cook who sailed past Fraser Island naming many of the prominent features. Cook did not sail into Hervey Bay. In fact he was some 6 km offshore as he sailed north. This did not stop him naming the bay after the 'English Casanova', Augustus John Hervey, a sailor of some note who acquired a fierce reputation as a womaniser.

Matthew Flinders passed through the area twice. In 1799 Flinders sailed around Fraser Island entering the bay and going ashore at the present site of Dayman Park. He was the first European to step ashore at Hervey Bay.

It is one of the ironies of history that Flinders, who returned to the area in 1802 on his historic circumnavigation of the Australia, did not located the Fraser Island Straits on either of his voyages.

The first settlement of Hervey Bay occurred in the 1850s. Hervey Bay was originally part of a cattle station, the Toogoom Run, which was settled in 1854. The first permanent white settler at Hervey Bay was Boyle Martin who, with his wife and child, arrived in 1863. He worked cutting timber and it is suggested that he was the first person to grow sugar cane in the area. By 1859 the first subdivision of land around Hervey Bay took place.

The attractions of the area were obvious. The fishing was good, the place was quiet, the weather was excellent, the area around the bay was flat and accessible. All these factors quickly led Maryborough businessmen to take up large waterfront blocks of land for weekend retreats.

In the 1870s many Scandanavian settlers moved into the area and for a short time Hervey Bay became known as Aarlborg. At this time the area was basically used for dairy farming.

In the 1880s sugar was introduced to the area and the Kanakas were brought from the South Pacific islands to work on the sugar plantations.

In 1896 the Bay was connected to Maryborough by railway and in 1917 (progress wasn't exactly rapid) the Urangan Pier was completed and Urangan became an important port for the export of sugar.

Modern tourism started in the 1950s when Hervey Bay became a popular retreat particularly for retired Victorians who were initially attracted to the area by the warmth of the climate and later the added appeal of 'no death duties'. It has continued to grow in popularity so that in 1984 Hervey Bay was proclaimed a city.

Things to see:  

The Matthew Flinders Memorial
The Matthew Flinders Memorial is located in Dayman Park (good maps of the Hervey Bay area are freely available from virtually all tourist outlets) which lies between the Urangan Pier and Hervey Bay Marina. A bronze plaque on the monument reads: 'Erected to the memory of Capt Matthew Flinders R.N. who landed hereabout from HMS Norfolk on 6th August, 1799 and Lt Joseph Dayman R.N. who passed here in the schooner Asp, after making the first passage of the Fraser Island Straits in 1847.' Dayman found the straits by clinging to the shores of the bay as he sailed down the coast after a surveying expedition in the Port Curtis area.

Urangan Pier
Stretching 1.4 km out into the sea and now over 70 years old, it is used by holidaying fishermen and people who want a leisurely walk.

During the war Fraser Island and Hervey Bay were used as training grounds for the famous Z-Force. At Dayman Point, near the Matthew Flinders memorial, is another memorial 'Dedicated to the men of Z. Force who sank 38 000 tons of Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour September 1943'.

Using an old Japanese fish carrier named Kofuku Naru, which had been changed to the Krait, Z-Force managed to get into Singapore Harbour where they attached limpet mines to a number of Japanese vessels. In one night they blew up over 38 000 tons of Japanese ships and managed to return to Australia.

Whale Watching
In recent year the fashionable activity of whale watching has attracted thousands of people to the area. The migrating humpback whales pass along this section of the Queensland coast between August and October and interest in the huge mammals has created a new tourist industry. There are ten companies offering whale watching voyages and all are listed in the Fraser Coast Tourist Information Directory.

The Hervey Bay Museum in Zephyr Street (clearly signposted off the Esplanade) is an interesting and detailed collection of buildings and memorabilia related to the area. The Museum is easily located as it has a huge 'Fighting Whiting', donated by the local newspaper, outside to attract tourists.

Tourist Attractions
Apart from these attractions the area has a number of typical holiday resort attractions. There is Vic Hislop's White Death Shark Show on the Esplanade at Urangan, Polymetrics of Hervey Bay at 63 Old Maryborough Road, Pialba - who claim to have 'Australia's largest range of crystal clear resin embedment and acrylic souvenirs', Neptune's Marine Aquarium at Dayman Point (tel: 07 4128 9828) which has living coral, tropical fish, a shark pool and crocodile pit, and the Botanic Gardens in Elizabeth Street, Urangan.

Vic Hislop's Shark Show

Memorial to the Kanakas
There is a Memorial to the Kanakas at Point Vernon (follow the Esplanade along to Corser Street - the memorial is located at the back of the Polson Cemetery) which is a reminder that these virtual slaves were brought to Australia as conscripted labour from 1863-1906. There were an estimated 12 000 (of a total of over 50 000) kanakas living in the Maryborough-Hervey Bay area.

Ferry Services to Fraser Island
Services from Hervey Bay Boat Harbour (at Urangan) and River Heads (south of town) all require advance bookings. The Fraser Dawn departs from Hervey Bay Boat Habour at Urangan for Moon Point at 8.30 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. daily, returning from Moon Point at 9.30 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. daily. The trip takes about one hour and, in September 2002, the price was $82 return for one vehicle and driver plus $5.50 for each additional person at school age and above. For walk-on passengers the cost was $16.50 return per person, tel: (07) 4125 4444.

Also departing from Hervey Bay Boat Harbour, at Urangan, is a passenger service bound for the Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island. This is NOT a vehicle barge. It departs at 6.45 a.m., 8.45 a.m., midday and 4.00 p.m. daily, plus an additional departure at 6.30 a.m. from Sunday to Thursday and at 7.00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The return trips depart Kingfisher Resort at 7.40 a.m., 10.30 a.m., 2.00 p.m., 5.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m. daily. The cost is $35 return, per adult and $17.50 return, per child aged over four, tel: (1800) 072 555.

The Kingfisher Resort also has a passenger service which departs from River Heads at 7.15 a.m., 10.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. daily, with return services departing from the resort at 8.00 a.m., 1.30 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. The prices are the same as from Urangan.

It is also possible to take a vehicle barge called the Fraser Venture from River Heads to Wonggoolba Creek (a thirty minute trip). They depart at 9.00 a.m., 10.15 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. daily, with an additional service at 7.00 a.m. Saturday. The return trips depart from Wonggoolba Creek at 9.30 a.m., 3.30 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. daily with an additional service at 7.30 a.m. on Saturdays, tel: (07) 4125 4444. The prices for the Fraser Venture are the same as those for the Fraser Dawn.

Maps of the island are for sale at all ferry points. It is important to remember that a permit is required to drive on Fraser Island, for which a fee is payable. They can be obtained from the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service office at River Heads. There are also fees for usage of the camping facilities on the island.

	Tourist Information
	Hervey Bay Coach Terminal and Transit Centre Shop 6 Centro Hervey Bay Shopping Centre Boat Harbour Dve Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 4000
	Hervey Bay Information Centre 227 Maryborough Hervey Bay Rd Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 9855, 1800 811 728 Facsimile: (07) 4124 7626
	Hervey Bay Tourism and Development Cnr Urraween Rd & the Hervey Bay-Maryborough Rd Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 6079
	Hervey Bay Tourist and Visitors Information Centre 333 The Esplanade Scarness Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 6911
	Hervey Bay Tourist & Visitors Centre 63 Old Maryborough Rd Pialba Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 4050 Facsimile: (07) 41241 556
	Hervey Bay-Fraser Island Visitors Centre Maryborough Rd Hervey Bay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 8741 Facsimile: (07) 4124 8743
	Motels
	Bay View Motel 399 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1134 Rating: **
	Fairway Motel 29 Boat Harbour Dve Pialba Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1008 Rating: ***
	Fraser Gateway Motor Inn 68 Main St Pialba Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 3666 Rating: ***
	Golden Sands Motor Inn 44 Main St Pialba Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 3977 Rating: ***
	Hervey Bay Motel 518 The Esplanade Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 9277 Rating: **
	Playa Concho Motor Inn 475 Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1544 Rating: ***
	Reef Motel 410 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 2744 Rating: **
	Shelly Beach Motel 510 The Esplanade Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 9888 Rating: ***
	Sunseeker Motel 354 The Esplanade Scarness Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1888 Rating: **
	Tower Court Motel 459 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1322 Rating: ***
	Urangan Motor Inn 573 The Esplanade Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 9699 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Bay Central Tavern 115 Boat Harbour Dve Pialba Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 4111
	Beach House Hotel 24 The Esplanade Scarness Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1233 Rating: **
	Hervey Bay Hotel Watson St Pialba Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1044
	Torquay Hotel/Motel 421 The Esplanade Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 2266
	Resorts
	Boatharbour Resort 650 The Esplanade Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 4040
	Colonial Log Cabin Resort Boat Harbour Dve Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1844 Rating: **
	Delfinos Bay Resort 383 The Esplanade Hervey Bay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 1666
	Kondari Resort 49 Elizabeth St Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 9702 Rating: ***
	Hervey Bay Resort 249 The Esplanade Pialba Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1555 Rating: ***
	Apartments
	Arlia Sands 13 Ann St Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1288
	Calypso Holiday Apartments 480 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 2688
	Carramar Holiday Apartments 379 The Esplanade Scarness Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1458
	Pine Lodge Holiday Apartments 359 The Esplanade Scarness Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 4239
	Silver Sands Holiday Apartments 477 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 6636
	Jetty View Holiday Flats 583 The Esplanade Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 9255
	Lodges & Chalets
	Hervey Bay Colonial Lodge 94 Cypress St Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1073 Rating: ***
	Caravan Parks
	Sun Lodge Cara Park 26 Mant St Point Vernon Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1692 Rating: **
	Australiana Village Caravan Park 295 Boat Harbour Dve Scarness Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 2762 Rating: ****1/2
	Big 4 Fraser Lodge Holiday Park Fraser St Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1502 Rating: ****1/2
	Happy Wanderer Village Caravan Park 105 Truro St Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1103 Rating: ****1/2
	Harbour View Caravan Park Jetty Rd Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 9374 Rating: ***
	Hervey Bay Caravan Park Margaret St Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 9553 Rating: ****
	Lazy Acres Caravan Park 9 Exeter St Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1840 Rating: ***1/2
	Magnolia Caravan Park 220 Boat Harbour Dve Pialba Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1700 Rating: ***
	Palms Caravan Park 67 Truro St Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1704 Rating: ***
	Pialba Caravan Park The Esplanade Pialba Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1399 Rating: ***
	Point Vernon Caravan Park 26 Corser St Point Vernon Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1432 Rating: ***
	Scarness Caravan Park The Esplanade Scarness Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1274 Rating: ***
	Shelly Beach Caravan Park 61 Ocean St Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1105 Rating: ***
	Torquay Caravan Park The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1578 Rating: ***
	Windmill Caravan Park 17 Elizabeth St Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 9267 Rating: ***
	Camping & Other
	Midway Terraces 335 The Esplanade Scarness Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 4119
	Restaurants
	Aegean Waters Restaurant Piano Bar 434 The The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 2232
	Angelo's Pizza & Pasta Restaurant 16 Bideford St Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 6411
	Blazing Saddles Restaurant 140 Freshwater St Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 5466
	China Garden 421 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 2077
	China World Restaurant 402 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1233
	Curried Away Restaurant 174 Boat Harbour Dve Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 1577
	Dolly's Licensed Restaurant 410 The Esplanade Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 5633
	Don Camillo Ristorante Italiano 486 The Esplanade Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1087
	Drover's Dog Bar & Grill 7 Pulgul St Urangan Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 9554
	Gringo's Mexican Cantina 449 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 1644
	Hervey Bay Chinese Restaurant 3 Fraser St Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 6906
	Krills Seafood Restaurant 249 The Esplanade Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4128 1555
	O'Rileys Pancake Pizza & Pasta Parlour 446 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 3100
	Ravello Torquay Rd Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 5285
	Sails Restaurant The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 5170
	Sirens at Shelly Bay 465 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 6285
	Temptations By The Bay 387 The Esplanade Torquay Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4125 4522
	The Three Monkey's Restaurant 383 Esplanade Scarness Hervey Bay QLD 4655 Telephone: (07) 4124 2466