Portal:Queensland

The Coral Sea is a marginal sea off the northeast coast of Australia. It is bounded in the west by the east coast of Queensland, thereby including the Great Barrier Reef, in the east by Vanuatu (formerly the New Hebrides) and by New Caledonia, and in the north approximately by the southern extremity of the Solomon Islands. It merges with the Tasman Sea in the south, with the Solomon Sea in the north and with the Pacific Ocean in the east. On the west, it connects with the Arafura Sea through the Torres Strait.

The sea is characterised by its warm and stable climate, with frequent rains and tropical cyclones. It contains numerous islands and reefs, as well as the world's largest reef system, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1981. All previous oil exploration projects were terminated at the GBR in 1975, and fishing is restricted in many areas. The reefs and islands of the Coral Sea are particularly rich in birds and aquatic life and are a popular tourist destination, both nationally and internationally.

NightOwl Convenience Stores is a franchised system of stores based in Brisbane, Australia. The first store opened in 1975 and was located in the Auchenflower suburb of Brisbane. The store pre-dated Seven Eleven opening in Australia by 12 months. The store traded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Established by a former Woolworth's Store Manager, the Auchenflower branch offered an extensive range of traditional supermarket grocery items-together with fresh fruit, vegetables and hot BBQ Chickens. Popular with the growing Student and Yuppy community in the district. The business concept was franchised in 1987.

In 1995, NightOwl was floated on the stock exchange and was bought out by Retail Services Limited in 1996. RSL is a diversified holdings group mainly based in the retail sector, this helped take NightOwl nationwide. In 2011, the group had 63 stores including three of the new format 'NightOwl Super Stores'. (Full article...)

• ... that despite being described in 1840, the chestnut-backed buttonquail was only confirmed in Queensland in 2020?
• ... that the founder of the Australian Flying Arts School took flying lessons so that he could travel throughout the Queensland Outback providing art lessons to its inhabitants?
• ... that George Poynter Heath, the first portmaster of Queensland, Australia, was responsible for establishing 33 lighthouses, Booby Island Light being the last one?

• ...that the Australian lamington cake is believed to have been named after Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington (pictured), the then-Governor of Queensland?
• ...that despite not being released as a single, Brisbane band Powderfinger's "These Days" topped the Triple J Hottest 100 in 1999?
• ...that Graham Perrett, the Australian House of Representatives member for Moreton, was accused of calling rival Gary Hardgrave a "racist" during the 2007 election campaign?
• ...that the Solomon Islander Peter Ambuofa, who had converted to Christianity while working on a sugar plantation in Queensland, was left to starve by his own relatives when he returned home?

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