| Australia |
Gladstone, Australia   Gladstone is an industrial city on the coast of Central Queensland, Australia. It has around 40 000 inhabitants, mostly of European descent. Being a port city, its local commerce is primarily industrial-based and include large-scale industrial plants include alumina refineries, aluminium smelting, heavy chemicals and shale oil. It has several primary schools(clinton state school, Kin Kora state school, South State school, West state school, Central State school, St Johns Private school, Trinity college private, St Stevens private school), three high schools (Gladstone State High, Toolooa State High, and Chanel College (private)), and one university, Central Queensland University. It was once branded "Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef" as it has access to Heron Island and other islands from the marina. Gladstone at present is has insuffcient shopping precincts with a Stocklands Kin Kora (have a number of major national retailers such as woolworths Big W Kmart Target and Coles, Best and Less)Centro Gladstone (also with woolworths and The Warehouse) and Gladstone Central (former nite owl centre with a number of fast food chains including dominos pizza cheese cake shop (comming soon) subway and KFC, Toy world IGA supermarket (under construction) Birch Carol and Coyle (under construction). Peak hour traffic along the dawson highway (the busiest road in town) can be a head ache for commuters with waits of 45 mins at times, Gladstone city council is taking measure by upgrading the only part of the highway that isnt 2 lanes either side between new acukland round about and chapman drive round about. The city of past few years has expeirenced major growth booms with industries setting up and expanding, new services have been provided to cope but are not doing quite well. The city centre is being re developed to attract visitors back to the city instead of outer suburbs malls. Gladstone is serviced by the Gladstone Domestic Airport with daily flights to the states capital City Brisbane and other locations around the state. A train station which is serviced the famous tilt train and other state trains. Much of the city is passionate about sports, especially rugby league, horse racing, touch football and hockey. Notable tennis player Rod Laver is a local. Persons of note from Gladstone 
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