Fairy Bower, Queensland

The Bruce Highway is the eastern boundary of the locality with the North Coast railway line immediately parallel to the east of the highway; however, there is no railway station in the suburb but Yeppen railway station is just north of the suburb in Allenstown/Port Curtis. The Capricorn Highway enters the suburb from the south and joins the Bruce Highway at a large roundabout on the north-east corner of the suburb and then proceed north into Allenstown.{{Queensland Globe|accessdate=5 August 2017}} The proposed Rockhampton Ring Road will have its south-western entry on the Capricorn Highway in Fairy Bower.

Neerkol Creek is the south-western boundary of the suburb.

Fairy Bower is low-lying land, less than 10 metres above sea level, and contains a number of lagoons, including the Yeppen Yeppen Lagoon, the Crescent Lagoon, Nelson Lagoon and Deadmans Lagoon.{{Cite QPN|38657|Yeppen Yeppen Lagoon|billabong in Rockhampton Region|accessdate=5 August 2017}}{{Cite QPN|8736|Crescent Lagoon|billabong in Rockhampton Region|accessdate=5 August 2017}}{{Cite QPN|24034|Nelson Lagoon|waterhole in Rockhampton Region|accessdate=5 August 2017}}{{Cite QPN|9543|Deadmans Lagoon|billabong in Rockhampton Region|accessdate=5 August 2017}}

Despite its official designation as a suburb, as at 2024, the land use remains rural in character, being predominantly grazing on native vegetation with some crop growing and some rural residential housing.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Land parcel |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=21 December 2024 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}

File:Queensland State Archives 2259 Three men and a buggy at Fairy Bower Rockhampton c 1897.png

A duplication project at Fairy Bower between 2019 and 2021 saw the Capricorn Highway between Gracemere and Rockhampton widened to a four lane separated highway to enable better traffic flow into the city, particularly during peak times.{{cite news |last=Smith|first=Leighton|date=7 November 2019|title=Fairy Bower residents' Cap Highway outrage |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/rockhampton/fairy-bower-residents-cap-highway-outrage/news-story/99e190e2053e403a102f75637f8dfc59|work=The Morning Bulletin |location= |access-date=1 July 2022}} The project included the installation of new traffic signals on the highway at Fairy Bower, at the intersection of Fairy Bower Road, Old Gracemere Road and the Capricorn Highway.{{cite news |last=Houley|first=Jann|date=26 July 2021|title=Inbound traffic slows as police wait for Main Roads to come fix the Fairy Bower lights |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/rockhampton/inbound-traffic-slows-as-police-wait-for-main-roads-to-come-fix-the-fairy-bower-lights/news-story/6bd23debcbb53c3013c0835d1bdd3ee6|work=The Morning Bulletin|location= |access-date=1 July 2022}} Construction commenced in October 2019 and was completed by July 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/capricorn-highway-rockhampton-to-gracemere-duplication|title=Capricorn Highway—Rockhampton to Gracemere Duplication|author=|date=|website=Department of Transport and Main Roads|publisher=Queensland Government|access-date=1 July 2022|quote=|archive-date=1 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701014425/https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/capricorn-highway-rockhampton-to-gracemere-duplication|url-status=live}}

Fairy Bower is destined to become the southern access to the new Rockhampton Ring Road which will take the Bruce Highway around the western outskirts of Rockhampton instead of through the city.{{cite web|url=https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/rockhampton-ring-road|title=Capricorn Highway connection|author=|date=2021|website=Department of Transport and Main Roads|publisher=Queensland Government|access-date=1 July 2022|quote=A new roundabout and high-level connection to the Capricorn Highway at Fairy Bower, which will maintain access during times of flooding|archive-date=16 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516082829/https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/rockhampton-ring-road|url-status=live}} A new roundabout and high-level slip lane is expected to be constructed at Fairy Bower as part of the Rockhampton Ring Road.

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Fairy Bower had a population of 97 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC31027|name=Fairy Bower (SSC)|accessdate=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Fairy Bower had a population of 99 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL31016|name=Fairy Bower (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

There are no schools in Fairy Bower. The nearest government primary schools are Gracemere State School in neighbouring Gracemere to the south and Port Curtis Road State School in Port Curtis to the south-east. The nearest government secondary school is Rockhampton State High School in Wandal to the north. There are numerous non-government school in neighbouring The Range to the north-east and in other Rockhampton suburbs.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=21 December 2024 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}

The roundabout (often called the Yeppen roundabout presumably taking its name from the nearby Yeppen Yeppen Lagoon) where the highways meet is well known for the large statue of a Brahman bull that stands in the middle of the roundabout, being one of seven Big Bulls that decorate Rockhampton, which regards itself as the Beef Capital of Australia.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rockhamptonartgallery.com.au/Programs/Archived_programs/Wheres_The_Beef|title=Where's the Beef?|website=Rockhampton Art Gallery|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805085731/http://www.rockhamptonartgallery.com.au/Programs/Archived_programs/Wheres_The_Beef|archive-date=5 August 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=5 August 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-17/beef-capital-fight/5397492|title=An ownership row has erupted over who holds Australia's Beef Capital title|last=Robinson|first=Paul|date=17 April 2014|work=ABC News|access-date=5 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805092025/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-17/beef-capital-fight/5397492|archive-date=5 August 2017|url-status=live|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|last2=Farrow-Smith|first2=Elloise|last3=Saunders|first3=Miranda}} The group of bull statues is listed as one of Australia's big things.{{cite book|title=Big Things: Australia's Amazing Roadside Attractions|last=Clark|first=David|publisher=Penguin Books|year=2004|isbn=0-14-300200-7|pages=10–13}}

This particular bull attracts some criticism for facing towards the city so approaching motorists are welcomed to the city by a view of its rear end which includes its large testicles. The theft of the testicles from the bulls is a common prank and they frequently have to be replaced. Some residents also feel that the bull statues over-emphasise one aspect of the city and should be relocated to less prominent locations. However, there is strong public support for the retention of the bulls.{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-18/tourism-group-rears-up-over-rockhampton-bull-statues/5098872|title=Tourism group rears up over Rockhampton bull statues|last=Whop|first=Marlina|date=20 November 2013|work=ABC News|access-date=6 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806002118/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-18/tourism-group-rears-up-over-rockhampton-bull-statues/5098872|archive-date=6 August 2017|url-status=live}}

{{commons category|Fairy Bower, Queensland}}

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{{Rockhampton suburbs}}

{{Rockhampton Region}}