Mackay, city in Queensland, Australia. Mackay lies at the mouth of the Pioneer River where it enters the Pacific Ocean and is a large deep-water port between Townsville and Rockhampton. It is the focus of the Australian sugar industry, shipping approximately a third of all Australian sugar from its docks and with the world's largest bulk sugar terminal, and is the seat of a sugar research institute (1953). The surrounding area is agricultural, producing sugar cane, tropical fruit (especially pineapples), and dairy produce, and there is some coal mining. Mackay is also a holiday resort, with access to the Great Barrier Reef, long sandy beaches, and the largest continuous stretch of rainforest in Queensland at the Eungella National Park (whose name is derived from an Aboriginal word for "land of the fallen clouds"). Mackay was founded in 1862 by Captain John Mackay, who had explored the region in 1860. It was designated a city in 1918, the same year that cyclones and floods destroyed much of the city. Population (1991) 53,225.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Mackay Information info
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