The Gladstone Marina

With the ever-increasing emphasis on leisure boating in Gladstone, the authorities reclaimed the salt-flats west of the mouth of Auckland Creek in the 1970s. It took over ten years for the building of the first stage of the massive marina project in 1987. The buildings on the shores of the marina were soon let to shops restaurants and charter offices.

Much of the foreshores are set on acres of rolling lawns and well-planned natural gardens, becoming one of the most popular picnic spots for residents and an increasing number of tourists. The floating marina system utilises concrete-encased styrene pontoons and allows generous mooring and manoeuvring space within each of the pens. The main wharf was built on the Auckland Creek side of the marina pens, which added great potential for tourism to the region when the terminal for the Heron Island and other charter boats was built there. The land adjacent to Auckland Creek on the marina shores then became the setting for Gladstone Easter Festival with the outdoor stage area ideal for both day and night entertainment. In 1990 the Port Authority initiated the construction of a Fisherman’s Base Wharf. This was established on the western bank of the marina basin to service Gladstone’s fishing and charter industry.