Awoonga is arguably one of the most important near-coast bird refuges on the East Coast of Australia. The Gladstone Area Water Board operates a fish hatchery which breeds barramundi and mangrove jack for release into Lake Awoonga. Barramundi over 20 kg (44.09 lbs) are regularly caught, and the heaviest caught by August 2008 weighed in at a hefty 36.5 kg (80.47 lbs). In addition, the mangrove jack breeding program has resulted in Lake Awoonga holding the largest stocks in Australia with over 13,000 released. Since 1996 over two and a half million barramundi fingerlings and 340,000 mullet fingerlings have been released into Lake Awoonga. Calliope has an 18-hole golf course with club and a bowls club. There are two pubs and an annual rodeo held each year. The town also has a swimming pool, racecourse, sports fields, Hazelbrook Park and a skateboard ramp. Recent years have seen the introduction of a child care centre, supermarket shopping, specialty stores, doctors surgeries and other essential services. A large number of new homes and town houses have been built in Calliope due to its proximity to Gladstone Port and associated industries such as LNG. Amenities Until 2008, Calliope was the council headquarters of the Calliope Shire which included Boyne Island, Tannum Sands, Ambrose, Mount Larcom and most of the industrial plants plus Awoonga dam. Calliope has now become one of the towns under the umbrella of the Gladstone Regional Council after the merger of the Calliope Shire Council and the former Gladstone City Council. GRC still maintain significant offices in Calliope. The Calliope Library is on Don Cameron Drive; it is operated by the Gladstone Regional Council. There is a Gladstone Regional Council administration centre at 5 Don Cameron Drive. Media: Calliope is serviced by Christian FM radio 87.6FM. The Calliope branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall at 2 Bloomfield Street. Education Calliope State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Stirrat Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 613 students with 48 teachers (41 full-time equivalent) and 24 non-teaching staff (16 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. After many years of lobbying from local residents fighting for a high school to be established in the town, Calliope State High School opened to students for the first time on 28 January 2020. A total of 165 students