Sister Cities

The Sister City movement commenced shortly after World War II in an effort to promote international understanding and friendship. Today, there are more than 470 Sister City agreements between Australia and cities all over the world.

Mackay has three established sister city relationships:

  • Kailua Kona, Hawaii (established on 4 January, 1966)
  • Matsuura, Japan (established on 22 July 1989)
  • Honiara, Solomon Islands (established on 5 July, 1995)
  • Yantai, China (established on 15 November, 2012)

The purpose of sister city relationships is to:

  • Promote mutual friendship and goodwill between citizens of both cities
  • Cultivate better understanding and knowledge between both countries
  • Contribute to world peace and prosperity

The most active sister city relationship is with Matsuura, Japan. For information on sister-city exchange programs with Matsuura, please visit our Community Support page.

Matsuura

The Mackay-Matsuura sister city relationship was formed in 1989.

This is a very active relationship with annual exchanges between students, and biennial citizen visits. More than 350 students from Matsuura have visited Mackay since the relationship commenced.

The relationship is a cultural one but was mainly founded on the common interest in coal - with ships coming from Matsuura to our region in the early days of the relationship with coal from the Bowen Basin being exported to Matsuura and processed at their local power plant.

Matsuura facts and figures:
  • Population: Approximately 25,600.
  • Location: In the Nagasaki prefecture on the Japanese island of Kyushu.
  • Area: 130.37 km2
  • Industries: Matsuura has one of Japan's largest coal-fired power stations, an international trade port, a successful agriculture industry and a huge local fish market.
  • Religion: Buddhism and Shinto
  • City's flower: Rhododendron

 

 

Yantai

A Sister Region Agreement was signed between the Mayors of Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday Regional Councils and the city of Yantai in China on November 15, 2012. The idea for the partnership had developed earlier, following a trade mission from Mackay to Yantai in 2010, leading up to the formal signing in 2012.

Yantai is a major coastal city located on the eastern tip of the Shandong Peninsula in northern China, facing the Bohai Strait and the Yellow Sea.

Yantai facts and figures:

Population: Approximately 7.1 million (prefecture-level) 
Location: Shandong Province, eastern China
 Area: 13,739.9 km² 
 Industries: 

  • Major international port and logistics hub
  • Strong manufacturing and petrochemical sector
  • Leading marine economy and fishing industry
  • Famous wine production region (including China’s oldest winery) 

Religion: Predominantly Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese folk religions
City's flower: Rose (commonly recognised as the city flower)

 

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