Bowen, town and port, northeastern Queensland, Australia. It
lies along Port Denison, an inlet of the Coral Sea. In 1859
Captain H.D. Sinclair was commissioned by the government of New
South Wales to locate a new harbour in the area. Before a
settlement could be established there, an independent Queensland
was created, and the town was named for the first governor, Sir
George Ferguson Bowen. Proclaimed a shire in 1863, it remained
the region’s principal port until overshadowed by Townsville,
100 miles (160 km) northwest. Bowen lies on the Bruce Highway
and a rail line to Brisbane (600 miles southeast) and serves a
hinterland growing tomatoes and tropical fruits (especially
mangoes) and possessing deposits of copper, silver, and
graphite. The town’s industries include coke and salt
manufacture. Meat from works at Merinda (west) and coal from
Collinsville (60 miles south) are shipped from the port. Pop.
(2006) local government area, 12,377.