Map of Emerald, QLD 4720

Emerald is a rural town and locality in the Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia. The town is the headquarters for the Central Highlands Regional Council.

In the 2021 census, the locality of Emerald had a population of 14,904 people.



Emerald lies on the Nogoa River, a tributary of the Fitzroy River. The town lies approximately 270 kilometres (170 mi) from the Coral Sea coast and approximately 270 kilometres (170 mi) west of the city of Rockhampton by road at the junction of the Capricorn and Gregory highways. Emerald sits approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of the Tropic of Capricorn.



The traditional owners include the Gayiri people who occupied the area for tens of thousands of years before European colonisation began in the nineteenth century. The Gayiri (Kairi, Khararya) language region takes in the landscape of the Central Highlands Region, including Emerald and the Nogoa River.

The first European to explore the area was Ludwig Leichhardt between 1843 and 1845. The British Colony of Queensland was established in 1859.

The town takes its name from the pastoral run Emerald Downs, a name chosen circa 1860 by pastoralist Peter Fitzallan Macdonald. It has been claimed that the origin of that name relates to the finding of the emerald gemstone, but another claim is that it was named for the lush green pastures in the area.

Emerald was established in 1879 as a base for the Central line railway from Rockhampton. Emerald Post Office opened on 5 June 1879.

Emerald State School opened on 3 November 1879.