Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar.There is controversy about the geographic location of the region, with most people referring to it as a part of either central Queensland or North Queensland, though much confusion still lies within the Queensland Government, with government services being provided through both Townsville (north Queensland) and Rockhampton (central Queensland). Generally, the area is known as the Mackay–Whitsunday Region. Equally, there has always been much contention over the pronunciation of the name Mackay. Correspondence received by Mackay City Library in 2007, from descendants of John Mackay, confirms that the correct pronunciation is (rhyming with sky), from the Gaelic name "MacAoidh" which is pronounced "i" not "ay".

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