West Mackay


West Mackay is a suburb of Mackay in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.
According to the, West Mackay includes the largest Maltese Australian community of any suburb in Queensland, numbering 243 individuals and making up 3.9% of the suburb's population.

Geography

West Mackay is west of the Mackay central business district. Having a diamond-like shape, it is bounded by the Pioneer River to the north-west, the Bruce Highway to the north-east, Paradise Street to the south-easat and the North Coast railway line to the south-west. The land is low lying and flat. The North Coast railway line and the Glenella Connection Road pass through the locality from south to north-west crossing the river on separate bridges to Foulden. Another major transport routes through the suburb is the Nebo Road.
The Mackay Base Hospital is located on Hospital Road beside the Pioneer River. The Mackay Botanic Gardens are located off Lagoon Street and features a natural lagoon.

History

There was previously a bridge, known as the Hospital Bridge, which connected Talty Road in Foulden to Bridge Street in West Mackay. It was the first bridge over the Pioneer River. Construction commenced in 1875. The low bridge was prone to flooding.
In April 2009 its replacement was open to the west of the Hospital Bridge carrying the newly-constructed Glenella Connection Road over the Pioneer River. On 5 December 2009, the new bridge was named the Edmund Casey Bridge in honour of long-serving local Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, Ed Casey, as part of the Q150 celebrations. Local residents campaigned to retain the Old Hospital Bridge for recreational use such as walking, cycling and fishing, but the council insisted the costs of making it safe were too great and that only a short segment connected on the West Mackay side would be preserved as a fishing pier. However, in March 2017, Cyclone Debbie damaged the fishing pier., necessitating a new fishing pier to be built. The new pier will be L-shaped and more resistant to flood damage.
In the 2011 census, West Mackay had a population of 6,507 people.

Heritage listings

West Mackay has a number of heritage-listed places, including:
Mackay West State School opened on 11 February 1924.