ULTIMATE REAL ESTATE :: EMERALD
CALL STUNNING EMERALD HOME Emerald has so much to offer residents and families thanks to an array of lifestlye options and a friendly, community-feel.
BEAUTIFUL SPOT: Fairbairn Dam, a loved spot of locals and tourists travelling to the Emerald region.
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Fairbairn Dam is a holiday destination in itself
EMERALD is a truly stunning part of Queensland and offers the perfect environment in which to rasie a family. Emerald was established in 1879 to providie a base for the Western Railway. A large, modern country town, Emerald was named after ‘Emerald Downs Hill’, which is located just north of the town. Emerald is the hub of the Central Highlands and the gateway to the richest sapphire fields in the southern hemisphere, the Sapphire Gemfields. Agriculture in the region is thriving and this was
due in part to the construction of the Fairbairn Dam and the Emerald Irrigation Scheme in 1972. These developments allowed for the significant growth of agriculture and from there, many more initiatives and developments have stemmed. Coal mining with the Bowen Basin began in 1977 and this was initiated through the dam constructions and its associated Lake Maraboon. Fairbairn Dam is a holiday destination in itself with a selection of cabin, caravan and camping accommodation. The lake is stocked with eight different kinds of
PHOTO: SATIT PUTARAKKIT
fish including barramundi, but is famous for the Red Claw Crayfish. Once famous for its reputation as a major sunflower producer, Emerald is now home to the world's biggest Van Gogh sunflower painting on an easel located in Morton Park at the western end of Clermont Street (Capricorn Highway). The superstructure is 25 metres high with approximately 13.6 tonnes of steel involved in its construction. Emerald is the hub of the Central Highlands and a wonderful place to live and raise a family. Page 3