About Proserpine/Airlie Beach

Proserpine (pron.: /ˈprɒsərpaɪn/, locally [ˈpɹɔsəpɑen]) is a town situated on the Bruce Highway in the state of Queensland, Australia. It was founded in the 1890s. At the 2011 census, Proserpine had a population of 3,390. Proserpine is an anchor for the Whitsundays region, providing some key infrastructure, including the rail station, the mainland airport for scheduled jet services, two high schools, the hospital and other vital services. It lies around 26 km inland from Airlie Beach on the Bruce Highway and has grown from its 19th-century foundations on the success of the sugar and cattle industries.[4] The demonym of Proserpine is Proserpinian.

The town is located along the banks of the Proserpine River and is surrounded by vast flat areas of land primarily used for cane farming. It prides itself on its friendly atmosphere and in 2007 it won the Tourism Queensland Friendliest town award. In recent years the town has started to grow again after almost 2 decades of stagnation. This growth is being driven by Proserpine's affordability compared to other locations in the region and its strategic position in rel