The Capricorn Coast is naturally reeling with beauty and fame for many of its iconic landmarks and localities.
But did you know that it is, or has been home to many famous faces?
From Olympic superstars, ballerinas and sensational songwriters, here are five homegrown heroes that we are proud to call locals…
Jeremy Marou
He’s toured across the country as one half of the popular and talented Busby Marou, but Jeremy will always have a soft spot for his hometown.
As a musician, youth worker and grandnephew of land rights advocate, Eddie ‘Koiki’ Mabo, this famous guitar-strumming character is passionate about injecting the local land and culture into his music, with many of the songs produced by the award-winning duo (Jeremy and Tom) demonstrating their lyrical love of the Tropic of Capricorn.
Karni Liddell
Born to two loving parents in the town of Rockhampton, Karni Liddell was always set to become a champion. Despite arriving in the world with limited use of her legs and told she wouldn’t live past her teens, the local family had other ideas.
Spending her childhood walking, cycling, and swimming as a means of keeping mobile, it was no wonder then, that determined Karni represented Australia at the Paralympic games in swimming during 1996, then again in 2000 in Sydney – this time as team captain.
With sport now behind her, Karni is now a proud mother, speaker, and advocate for causes close to her heart.
Anna Meares
2 x Olympic Champion, 11 x World Champion, 5 x Commonwealth Games Champion and 37 x National Champion, Anna Meares OAM is an exceptional athlete who has worked hard over a 22-year career achieving success at every level of international sport.
Dubbed as one of Australia’s greatest and most popular Olympians, Anna and her sister Kerrie spent their childhood gracing Central Queensland’s velodromes.
Coached by another Rockhampton identity, Ken Tucker, the peddling powerhouse now lives in Adelaide, but will always be a CQ girl at heart.
Rod Laver
Born in Rockhampton in 1938, tennis great Rod Laver won a record 200 tournaments throughout his colourful 23-year career, naming Rod ‘The Rocket’ Laver the greatest player in history.
The son of a cattleman, Rod was a precocious kid who made up for his lack of height and raw muscle by working harder than anyone in his age group.
Laver’s influence on the sport has been so great that several landmark venues and events have been named in his honour. In 2001, the Centre Court at the Australian Open was renamed as ‘Rod Laver Arena’, and more recently, the multi-nation tournament being promoted by Roger Federer has been christened the ‘Laver Cup’.
Leanne Benjamin
Three years after her retirement, Rockhampton born ballerina Leanne Benjamin has been recognized as one of the greatest ballerinas to ever grace the stage.
Dancing all over the world, the former Range Convent schoolgirl was accepted into the Royal Ballet School in 1980 at the young age of 16 and this began her leap into stardom.
Now a wife, mother, interior designer and coach, Benjamin now lives in London, but never forgets her roots and the Saturday morning lessons in a one-room studio underneath a Rockhampton house.
