Gladstone, city and port, Queensland, Australia. Gladstone is just south of the tropic of Capricorn on the Port Curtis inlet of the Coral Sea. It is the centre of an agricultural area and an important port because of its large, natural deep-water harbour. The port is one of the busiest in Australia and exports a large tonnage of coal from the Bowen Basin reserves as well as cement clinker, fly ash, and general cargo: its main imports are fuel oil, caustic soda, ammonia, and petroleum products. Gladstone has one of the world's largest alumina plants, producing about a tenth of the world's production, as well as Queensland's largest power station, and a major chemical plant. Although dominated by its port and local opencast mining, the city also attracts tourists to its coast, and because it is the closest major southern point of access to the Great Barrier Reef.
Gladstone was abandoned shortly after it was first founded in 1847, and then re-established in 1853. It was named after the British statesman William Ewart Gladstone. During World War II, Port Curtis served as a mustering point for naval convoys. Population (1989 estimate) 23,800.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Gladstone Information info
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