Forty years after Yeppoon bombing that stunned the nation, Capricorn Resort’s future still shaky

On November 29, 1980 — state election day — Queenslanders awoke to news of a bombing at the construction site of the Iwasaki Sangyo resort, north of Yeppoon.

Tensions were high in the central Queensland community, with some strongly opposing Japanese ownership and development of the 9,000-hectare property.

But Queensland premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen had dismissed opposing views and supported wealthy businessman Yohachiro Iwasaki’s vision to develop a major tourism destination.

Forty years later, state and local governments have come and gone, but the resort is still ruffling feathers as uncertainty remains about the future of the site.