The Range

The Range, a residential suburb of Rockhampton, is three km south-west of the city centre. It is named after the Athelstane Range and is on the Range's foothills.

Athelstane was named after the house built by William Wiseman in about 1859, which he named Mount Athelstane. Wiseman, a lands commissioner, was involved in choosing the site on the Fitzroy River for Rockhampton. The house, at the corner of Nathan and Laverack Streets, overlooking the lower river plain, survives in part and is on the Australian heritage register.

Agnes Street approximates the ridge of Athelstane Range, and sites near and adjoining it enjoyed superior views and circulation of air above the Fitzroy River plain. A leading citizen and parliamentarian, John Ferguson, built Kenmore (c1875), lavishly decorated and finished. Rockhampton's grandest mansion, heritage-listed, it was given to the Sisters of Mercy for the Mater hospital (1915). In Agnes Street the Mercy Convent opened The Range High School (1896-1990) in the Bishop's residence, Stoneleigh. It is heritage-listed and is now a boarders' campus. Rockhampton boys' and girls' grammar schools (1881, 1892) are also in Agnes Street.

Secular institutions also chose The Range. Rockhampton high school (1919), a block east of the boys' grammar, is now a TAFE. The Rockhampton Base Hospital is north-east of the grammar school. The suburb was served by two tram lines (1909-39): one approaching it from Davis Street and ending at the Botanic Gardens, running via Ward Street; and a second touching the edge of The Range at the old high school. The tram service and the desirable house sites provoked active interwar housing developments. Most houses are high-set Queenslanders, commanding above-average prices.

FLOODS 2011

The Yeppen Yeppen and Murray Lagoons on The Range’s south were flooded from the south for about 10 km in January 2011. The waters joined those from the Fitzroy River covering Depot Hill. Fortunately flooding did not advance far into built-up areas of The Range, just crossing Blackall Street near the Yeppen Yeppen Lagoon.

The census populations of The Range have been: