Seventeen Seventy, Queensland


Seventeen Seventy, also written as 1770, is a coastal town and locality in Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia, built on the site of the second landing in Australia by James Cook and the crew of HM Bark Endeavour in May 1770. Originally known as Round Hill – after the creek it sits on – the name was changed on 24 June 1936 after the town allotments were surveyed in 1935 to recognise the historical importance of the town. The community of Seventeen Seventy hold the re-enactment of this historic landing each year as part of the 1770 Festival held in May.

Official name

Although the town is referred to locally as 1770 using numerals, the official name of the town is in words Seventeen Seventy, as it is a principle of Queensland's place naming that numbers are spelled out.

Geography

The village is a tourist destination on Queensland's Discovery Coast. It is situated on a peninsula, with the Coral Sea and Bustard Bay on three sides. Agnes Water is eight kilometres to the south. The village itself contains holiday accommodation, restaurants, general store, hotel, picnic areas with free barbecues and a small marina where daily trips depart for Lady Musgrave Island on the Great Barrier Reef, and several trips a week to Bustard Head Light Station.
Seventeen Seventy can be reached by a sealed road from Bundaberg, to the south, going through Agnes Water. The town sustains a small permanent population; a significant holiday population makes it to the area to take advantage of fishing, Great Barrier Reef trips and other water activities.
The area also has four national parks. These are Deepwater, Eurimbula, Mount Colosseum, and Round Hill. These all offer wilderness camping and hiking.

History

At the the town of Seventeen Seventy had a population of 76 people.

Tourism

The area's wildlife and vegetation have been preserved as far as possible, and this, together with the area's natural environment, and an outer surf and inner still water beach, is a tourist attraction. There are also day cruises and flights to the outer Great Barrier Reef, to nearby Lady Musgrave Island and Pancake Creek, and the nearby Bustard Head lighthouse.
The local Tourism & Commerce organisation responsible for promoting the region is Discovery Coast Tourism and Commerce.

Heritage listings

Seventeen Seventy has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: