Calliope is a rural town and locality in the Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Calliope had a population of 5,263 people. Geography Calliope is near the 'cross-roads' of the Bruce Highway and the Dawson Highway in Central Queensland, SSW of the port city of Gladstone. Gladstone–Monto Road (State Route 69) runs south from the Dawson Highway through the locality. History The town takes its name from the Calliope River, which in turn was named after HMS Calliope by the Governor of New South Wales, Charles Augustus FitzRoy, on 18 April 1854, after travelling from Sydney to Port Curtis on board that ship. Industries of the town and surrounds since that time have included gold mining, beef, timber, and more recently heavy industry (Aluminium, Coal, LNG), shipping and tourism. Alluvial gold was mined in the area after its discovery in 1862. The following year Queensland's first goldfield was officially proclaimed. Calliope Post Office opened on 1 March 1864. Calliope State School opened on 2 September 1872. Booroom State School opened in 1911 and closed in 1939. Booroom is a parish west of Calliope. In the , the locality of Calliope had a population of 3,058 people. In the , the locality of Calliope had a population of 3,438 people. In the , the locality of Calliope had a population of 5,263 people. Local attractions The Calliope River Historical Village is situated on the banks of the Calliope River. Lake Awoonga resulted from the construction of a dam on the Boyne River. Lake Awoonga supplies water to the city of Gladstone, and Calliope and other townships in the region, as well as supplying the major industries for which the Gladstone region is known. Total capacity of Lake Awoonga is 777,000 megalitres (203,412,500,000 gallons). The catchment area contributing to the Lake is 2,240 square kilometres (864.87 square miles) and is surrounded by the Boyne, Dawes and Many Peaks Ranges. Lake Awoonga is home to a thriving array of native animals, several of which are of conservation significance. Two fauna species are listed as vulnerable: the yellow-bellied glider and the grey-headed flying fox. For the bird-watching enthusiast, Lake Awoonga is a paradise with more than 225 species or over 27% of Australia's bird species found in the region. The southern squatter pigeon is listed as vulnerable and of conservation significance, and twenty-seven species are listed on International Migratory Conservation Agreement lists. Lake