Rockhampton, city and region (2016 pop. 79,726), Queensland, E Australia, on the Fitzroy River. It is a rail center and, with its port at Port Alma, the principal trade center for the pastoral and mining regions of central Queensland. The chief exports are wool, meat, and other farm products; copper and gold are also exported. There are cotton gins in the city and, in winter, a tourist trade. Rockhampton was founded in 1858. In 2008 the city was amalgamated with three neighboring shires to form the region of Rockhampton; one of the shires was later (2014) separated.
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