The locality of Burnett Heads is on the southern side of the Burnett River at its mouth into the Coral Sea.The river forms the western and northern boundaries, while the ocean forms most of the eastern boundary.[4][5]
The land use is a mixture of residential (mostly with proximity to the coast), industrial (mostly the Port of Bundaberg) and some agricultural use (growing sugarcane). There is a network of cane tramways to transport the harvested sugarcane to the Millaquin sugar mill for processing.[5]
Burnett Heads Provisional School opened on 3 April 1878. On 17 September 1888, it became Burnett Heads State School.[6]
In February 1883, land surveyed by Charlton and Gardiner, licensed surveyors, in the township of New Bundaberg was offered for sale in the Victoria Hall, Bundaberg. The locality map advertising the sale also shows land in the Barolin Marine Township Estate to be offered for sale on the same day.[7][8] The Maryborough Chronicle later reported that the Bundaberg town allotments sold well, recording the buyers and prices paid while the Barolin estate did not sell so well on the day.[9] In February 1883 and Barolin Estate was auctioned by three auctioneers: Bryant and Co., John Cameron and W. E. Curtis. A map advertising the estate shows the estate to be close to Burnett River.[10][11]
Methodist services were held at the Burnett Heads State School, until a Methodist Church was opened in 1903.[12]
Burnett Heads Post Office opened by 1919 (areceiving office had been open from 1888), closed in 1924 and reopened around 1942.[13]
On Sunday 3 May 1931, ArchbishopJames Duhig consecrated a new Roman Catholic Church in Burnett Heads. It was entirely funded by the Zunker family in memory of their dead parents. Over 1000 people attended the ceremony.[14]
ArchbishopWilliam Wand laid the foundation stone for St John the Divine Anglican Church on Sunday 6 August 1939.[15] The land for the church had been donated by Christian Mittleheuser.[16][17][18]
In 1958, the Port of Bundaberg was established at Burnett Heads to better support the sugar industry and the larger ships being employed. The port of Bundaberg originally operated from the town reach of the Burnett River at Bundaberg with the Bundaberg Harbour Board being established in 1895. A major dredging project was undertaken in 2001 to cater for even larger vessels.[19][20][better source needed]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Burnett Heads had a population of 2,656 people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.8% of the population. 80.5% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was England at 4.0. 91.9% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 31.0%, Anglican 22.5%, Catholic 16.3% and Uniting Church 7.7%.[21]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Burnett Heads had a population of 2,908 people.[1]
The town's most notable feature is its historic timber lighthouse, the Old Burnett Heads Light, dating from 1873. The structure, originally sited on South Head (the southern entrance to the Burnett River), was replaced by a modern structure in 1971; the original lighthouse was restored and moved to a local park off Mittelheuser Street. It includes the original Fresnel lens.[22]
Sir Thomas Hiley Wharf for sugar, gypsum, wood pellets, bulk liquids, molasses and formerly silica sand.
John T. Fisher Wharf for molasses imports, but is no longer in use due to aged wooden wharf needing major works, all imports and exports are handled by the Sir Thomas Hiley Wharf, there is however plans to repurpose the John T Fisher Wharf so it can be used to load items such as woodchip etc.
There is no government secondary school in Burnett Heads. The nearest government secondary school is Kepnock State High School in Kepnock to the south-east.[5]
^"Classified Advertising". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XXXVII, no. 7, 818. Queensland, Australia. 1 February 1883. p. 8. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^Methodist Church of Australasia. Bundaberg Circuit (1925), Jubilee souvenir 1875-1925, The Church, archived from the original on 30 August 2021, retrieved 30 August 2021
^Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
^"CHURCH CONSECRATED". The Brisbane Courier. No. 22, 858. Queensland, Australia. 4 May 1931. p. 15. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
