Gilmour Space Technologies completed the maiden test launch of Australia’s first locally designed and built orbital rocket in August last year. Picture: Gilmour Space
A small town is sitting on a goldmine as the Aussie answer to Elon Musk’s SpaceX lands a massive $217m cash injection from the government and investors that’s set to fire up the whole area.
Bowen, in the stunning Whitsundays region of North Queensland, has cemented its position as ground zero for Australia’s space race after Gilmour Space Technologies secured the huge injection as part of its Series E funding round.
The company is in it for the long haul, having snapped up 94 hectares in Bowen for its expanding spaceport operations, created an estimated 60 jobs already, and already holding funding for three more rocket launches.
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Gilmour Space Technologies tes flight achieved around 14 seconds of flight. Source: X @GilmourSpace
Australia’s sovereign wealth fund and the nation’s biggest super funds are now backing it, with the federal government tipping in $75 million on Tuesday, which was matched by $75 million from industry super fund Hostplus, with other big guns invested including Future Fund, HESTA, Blackbird, Main Sequence, QIC, Funds SA, NGS Super and Brighter Super.
Whitsunday Regional Council mayor Ry Collins told The Courier-Mail the announcement was “incredibly exciting” for the entire region.
“We were already on the bandwagon with Gilmour, obviously we’ve had involvement for over five years now. We had the first launch last year in August, and really this funding announcement solidifies the future of space industry development for Queensland and Australia,” he said.
“It is a sign of confidence that we are on the right track. We have already seen some good job creation, about 60 local jobs created to date. Both James and Adam Gilmour have bought property in the Bowen area, established a business presence, utilised local contractors for engineering and welding work,” he said.
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The sleepy town of Bowen is set to see some major action. Picture: Krystal Hender
Mr Collins said the space firm could grow to as much as 300 people locally alone – around five times its current workforce – all needing somewhere to live in the growing region.
“We see this industry as continuing to develop additional jobs and opportunities for locals,” he said.
“SpaceX is an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars and there’s no reason we can’t see that flow into our region as well”.
Mr Collins has his sights set high for the future.
“This is an area well known for tourism already. We can see the opportunity from the first launch when we had around 10,000 people come in to see it. It got scrubbed a few times, but we had people from Perth and Victoria come to watch,” he said.
His bombshell projection was that visitor numbers could skyrocket.
“I think as we progress and these rocket launches become the norm, there is no reason we couldn’t see a Cape Canaveral type situation where 100,000 visitors come for a launch.”
For a sleepy coastal town, that would be a major transformation.
The area is renowned for its tourism offering.
“We would love to see people frequently come up to watch these, and there are local benefits going to engineering, fabrication, arts and new housing to accommodate workers,” he said.
He said the region could handle the influx, given its tourism and air transport offerings.
The Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics named the Whitsunday Coast Airport the fastest-growing airport in Australia late last year – after an outstanding 15.1 per cent year-on-year passenger increase for August 2025.
“Every new passenger through Whitsunday Coast Airport means more local jobs, stronger tourism, and greater opportunities for our businesses and communities. This momentum strengthens our case for more government investment, new airline partnerships, and the future expansion needed to keep pace with our region’s growth.”
James Hall of Savills – Brisbane has 1,796 sq m of absolute beachfront land in Bowen listed for sale.
Official airline figures for December confirm 53,915 passengers travelled through the airport which was a 13 per cent increase year-on-year and the third consecutive month exceeding 50,000 passengers – something Mr Collins said “confirms that record-breaking activity is no longer a one-off spike, but part of a sustained trend”.
“We’ve very quietly been punching above our weight for some time. I was passionate coming into this role to make sure we are more than just tourism, we also have a strong resources base, strong agriculture and now a space industry.”
The National Reconstruction Fund Corporation’s $75 million investment will turbocharge the firm’s spaceport and rocket manufacturing hub, fast-tracking development of Gilmour Space’s Eris orbital rocket, ramp up satellite and rocket production and massively expand operations at the Bowen launch site. The firm saw a successful 14-second lift-off of its first launch mid-last year, with the company focusing on small, affordable rockets for satellites.
The Whitsunday Regional Council mayor is excited for the potential space launches can bring to the Bowen area and the region as a whole.
Gold Coaster Adam Gilmour, chief executive of Gilmour Space which he co-founded with his brother James, said the funding marked a major vote of confidence.
“Developing sovereign space capability at home gives Australia greater resilience, choice and control. This investment allows us to scale manufacturing and launch capability to meet growing market demand,” he said.
Australian minister for science Senator Tim Ayres said Queensland has “a bright future in cutting-edge space and rocket technologies and advanced manufacturing”.
“Making things in Australia is about more than just good ideas – it takes real commitment, skilled workers, unity of purpose and strong collaboration between the public and private sectors,” he said.
Looking towards the water from 51 Golf Links Road, Bowen – a four bedroom Queenslander on a 1,012 sq m block listed for sale with Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty agents Lynn Milsom and Wayne Singleton.
NRFC chief executive David Gall said the expansion would underpin everyday services Australians rely on — from communications to national security — while transforming regional economies.
“This will strengthen advanced manufacturing and create highly skilled jobs and opportunities in the region,” he said.
Cashed-up aerospace engineers, rocket scientists and technicians may soon flood into town, along with visitors keen to see launches – and they’ll need somewhere to live.
Mr Collins said “we see it as a really good initiative not just for our region, but something pioneering for Australia generally.”
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