About Proserpine
Welcome to Proserpine!
Proserpine is aptly named after the Roman goddess of fertility Proserpina, (Greek: Persephone) the daughter of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture and crops, and Jupiter, the god of sky and thunder.
Set on the fertile floodplains of the Proserpine River, the town is located 125km north of Mackay and 275km south of Townsville. Known as the gateway to the Whitsundays, the township is seemingly in communion with her goddess namesake, producing record sugar cane crops, cattle and in years gone by, gold.
Bolstered by these primary industries and tourists attracted to the 74 islands of the Whitsunday Group, discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770, Proserpine is serviced by two jet airports, a railhead, and boasts good private and public schools, a hospital, and above average infrastructure. The Peter Faust Dam provides not only abundant water to supplement the high average rainfall but recreational boating, water sports and some of the best barramundi fishing in Queensland.
The Conway Range National Park is one of the largest National Parks in the State and the Whitsunday Great Walk trails throughout the Park are becoming world famous. Saltwater fishing is a popular pastime in the Proserpine and O’Connell Rivers.
With a population of approximately 4000, Proserpine has grown in recent years into a service town for the huge Whitsunday tourism industry and local primary industries, is home to the Proserpine Sugar Mill, and is the administrative hub of the Whitsunday Regional Council. The Council covers an area of 23,856 square kilometres, and contains an estimated resident population in 2006 of 30,719.
