town and port, northeastern Queensland, Australia. It lies along Port Denison, an inlet of the Coral Sea. In 1859 Captain H.D. Sinclair was commissioned by the government of New South Wales to locate a new harbour in the area. Before a settlement could be established there, an independent Queensland was created, and the town was named for the first governor, Sir George Ferguson Bowen. Proclaimed a shire in 1863, it remained the region's principal port until overshadowed by Townsville, 100 miles (160 km) northwest. Bowen lies on the Bruce Highway and a rail line to Brisbane (600 miles southeast) and serves a hinterland growing tomatoes and tropical fruits (especially mangoes) and possessing deposits of copper, silver, and graphite. The town's industries include coke and salt manufacture. Meat from works at Merinda (west) and coal from Collinsville (60 miles south) are shipped from the port. Pop. (2006) local government area, 12,377.