Calliope is a town located in Central Queensland, Australia. It is located near the junction of the Bruce Highway and the Dawson Highway, 20 kilometres south of the port city of Gladstone. Calliope is the administrative centre of the Calliope Shire , which covers an area of 5875 square kilometres, and has a population of 15774 persons (ABS 2003 estimate).

The town is reputedly named after the ship Calliope, which brought the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Charles FitzRoy to Port Curtis in 1854. Industries of the town and surrounds since that time have included gold mining, beef, timber, and more recently, tourism.

Local attractions include the Port Curtis Historical Village, situated on the banks of the Calliope River , and Lake Awoonga, a man-made lake which supplies water to the city of Gladstone.

The total capacity of Lake Awoonga is 777,000 megalitres. The catchment area contributing to the Lake is 2,240 square kilometres and is surrounded by the Boyne, Dawes and Many Peaks Ranges.

Feathered, furry or scaled, Lake Awoonga is home to a thriving array of native animals, several of which are of conservation significance. Two fauna species are listed as vulnerable: the Yellow-bellied Glider and the Grey-headed Flying Fox. For the bird-watching enthusiast, Lake Awoonga is a paradise with around 200 species or approximately 25% of Australia's bird species found in the region. The Southern Squatter Pigeon is listed as vulnerable and of conservation significance, and fifteen species are listed on International Migratory Conservation Agreement lists. Lake Awoonga is arguably one of the most important near-coast bird refuges on the East Coast of Australia.

The Gladstone Area Water Board operates a fish hatchery which breeds barramundi, mullet and mangrove jack for release into Lake Awoonga. Barramundi over 15kg are regularly caught, and the heaviest caught by the end of 2004 weighed in at a hefty 29.8kg. In addition, the mangrove jack breeding program has resulted in Lake Awoonga holding the largest stocks in Australia with over 13,000 released. Since 1996 over two and a half million barramundi fingerlings and 340,000 mullet fingerlings have been released into Lake Awoonga. For further details, please go to the Gladstone Area Water Board's website [1].