Apart from the harbour services, the only other land use is a small residential area on the Coral Point peninsula.[6]
History
Shute Harbour takes its name from Shute Island which is about 500 metres (1,600 ft) south-east of the headland of Shute Harbour.[3] The island was named by in May 1881 by Captain John Fiot Lee Pearse Maclear of HMS Alert, possibly after a crew-member of that ship.[10]
When the Proserpine Shire Council decided to construct tourist facilities in the area in October 1960, they created a town called Shutehaven.[11] On 31 January 1987, the town of Shutehaven was amalgamated into the larger town of Whitsunday.[12]
Whitsunday Regional Council opened the renovated Shute Harbour Marine Terminal in mid December 2021.[13] However, there were criticisms about the safety of the public boat ramp facilities, particularly that the jetty did not float but became submerged at high tide, forcing boat users to wade through water that might contain crocodiles or the dangerous Irukandji jellyfish.[14] In August 2023, it was announced that a review of the boat ramp would be undertaken.[15]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Shute Harbour had a population of 122 people.[16]
In the 2021 census, Shute Harbour had a population of 113 people.[1]
Education
There are no schools in Shute Harbour. The nearest government primary school is Cannonvale State School in Cannonvale to the west. The nearest government secondary school is Proserpine State High School in Proserpine to the south-west.[17]
Harbour facilities
View of vessels in Shute Harbour, 2000
The harbour is busy with many small boats. Commercial operators provide a range of services including bareboats and charter yachts, day tours, scheduled ferries, and water taxi and seaplane services.[4]
There are regular bus services available to and from the port which take the winding road through Conway National Park towards the harbour from Proserpine, Cannonvale and Airlie Beach.[19]
