Hervey Bay- pronounced Harvey Bay, was originally founded by Captain James Cook in 1770. At that present time, James Cook did not realize that Fraser Island was a separate piece of land to that of Australia. With the Hervey Bay waters being shallow, he did not travel far enough South to realize that these two pieces of land were in fact not joined. The name Hervey Bay comes from Lord Augustus Hervey, who was an admiral of The Blue, the Earl of Bristol and Captain Cook's boss at the time.

In the mid 80's Hervey Bay was serviced by the rail link from the North Coast line that passed from Aldershot and went through Takura, Nikenbah and then towards Pialba and Urangan. This rail line was a major transportation point for the Port of Maryborough and the sugar cane industry assumed the role via transport. Hervey Bay is neighbored by towns such as Maryborough, Bundaberg, Woodgate and Childrers- all within no more than one and a half hours away at maximum. The land in the Fraser Coast region has been well loved for not only living beside the seaside, but also as a growth for sugar cane harvesting. Hervey Bay, Maryborough and Bundaberg harvest their own sugar cane year in, year out during season times. This becomes a massive growth for not only the Fraser Coast economy, but also for employment to be obtained in these industries. Bundaberg boasts it's very own Bundaberg Sugar production line, which has been popular for many years.

In 1984, Hervey Bay became known as the 'City of Hervey Bay' after many years of growth in not only population, but also in business, tourism and the industry itself. Ironically, even though this place which was once a small seaside village was now being known as a City, it still remained a fisherman's haven in the eyes of many locals and tourists who would continue to visit this great area. Shopping Centres were created, and more well known businesses branched out to Hervey Bay due to the popularity of the place. More people from the cooler States were now relocating to Hervey Bay and making it 'home' after many years of visiting the area annually. Hervey Bay was even recognized as one of the most attractive places to move to, with statuses showing that the rate people were relocating to Hervey Bay was climbing at an astonishing rate.

With World Heritage Fraser Island and Hervey Bay being the 'capital' for Whale Watching in Australia, it is not hard to see why so many people continue to return to the area for annual holidays, and whom eventually decided to move here and enjoy the lifestyle that all the locals rave about. With fishing, and Whale sightings as well as 127 kilometers of unspoilt beaches on Fraser Island nearby - Hervey Bay was bound to be the 'pot of gold' that Captain Cook discovered all those years ago.