Vascular Surgical Practice in North Queensland, Australia

Abstract

North Queensland, for the purpose of this chapter encompasses a wide area of the state of Queensland, north of Rockhampton and extends west up to Mt Isa. This region is much bigger than many countries. The population according to 2010 data is around 720,000. Within Australia, the indigenous population comprises of mainly aboriginal Australians (approximately 500,000) and Torres Strait Islander (approximately 35,000). Nearly two-thirds (64 %) of Australia’ Torres Strait Islander population and about a quarter (24.8 %) of Australia’s Aboriginal population were living in Queensland at the time of the 2011 Census. 41.5 % of these people were in the three Indigenous regions of North Queensland, mainly Cairns-Atherton, Townsville-Mackay and Rockhampton (Fig. 45.1).