Shute Harbour
Located in Giya Country within the Whitsunday Region, approximately 7 kilometres east-southeast of Airlie Beach, 23 kilometres east-northeast of Proserpine and 102 kilometres north-northwest of Mackay, Shute Harbour is one of the departure points for visitors seeking to access holiday destinations in the Whitsunday Islands.
The locality and port take their name from Shute Island, possibly named after a crew member aboard HMS Alert by Captain John Fiot Lee Pearse Maclear in May 1881. Gunn Island, Repair Island and Tancred Island also lie within the harbour.
Tourist activity dates back to the Proserpine Shire Council's decision to develop tourist facilities in a town they named Shutehavem in October 1960. The town of Shutehaven was amalgamated into the larger town of Whitsunday on 31 January 1987.
Following Cyclone Debbie's damage to the existing facilities in March 2017, a complete rebuild was completed in late 2021. However, the four-year interval, along with criticisms about the rebuilt facilities and the development of competing facilities, has led to Airlie Beach becoming increasingly dominant in the tourist trade.
