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North Queensland Queensland
Queensland's regions
Population:	231,628
Area:	80041.5 km² (30,904.2 sq mi)
LGA:	Burdekin, Charters Towers, Hinchinbrook, Mackay, Palm Island, Townsville
State electorate:	Whitsunday, Burdekin, Hinchinbrook, Mackay
Federal Division:	Dawson, Kennedy

North Queensland or the Northern Region is the northern part of the state of Queensland in Australia. Queensland is a massive state, larger than many countries, and the tropical northern part of it has been historically remote and undeveloped, resulting in a distinctive regional character and identity.

Townsville is the largest urban centre in North Queensland, leading it to be regarded as an unofficial capital^{[citation needed]}. The region has a population of 231,628 and covers 80,041.5 km².^[1]

Geography[link]

There is no official boundary that separates North Queensland from the rest of the state. Unofficially it is usually considered to have a southern border beginning south of the Mackay Region southern boundary, but historically it has been as far south as Rockhampton. To the north is the Far North Queensland region, centred around Cairns and out west is the Gulf Country.

Suburbs of Townsville around Castle Hill

A coastal region centred around its largest settlement is the city of Townsville. The city is the location of a major seaport handling exports from mines in Mount Isa and cattle exports from coastal and inland areas. The region also contains a bulk sugar exporting terminal at Lucinda in the region's north. Mackay is Australia's sugar capital and produces the most sugar in Australia and is shipped at Mackay Harbour. Mackay is also one of Australia's biggest coal exporters as it is close to Queensland's major mines. Dalrymple Bay, south of Mackay is another port where coal and sugar is exported. It also contains the inland city of Charters Towers and the coastal towns of Ayr and Ingham.

There a number of sugar mills in the region, like this one at Proserpine

Other Communities in North Queensland include Home Hill, Sarina, Bowen, Airlie Beach and Proserpine.

State of North Queensland[link]

Throughout the years, there have been many calls for the formation of a new state. Many proposals have been drawn up, regarding the borders, name and the debate over which city will become the capital.^[2]

See also[link]

Queensland portal

• Regions of Queensland

References[link]

v t e Queensland Topics Economy · Energy · Flag · Geography · Geology · Government · History · Local Government · Parliament · Police · Politics · Queenslanders · Rail transport · Regions · Sport Regions South East · Darling Downs · Wide Bay-Burnett · South West · Central West · Central · North · Gulf Country · Far North Cities and towns Brisbane · Bundaberg · Cairns · Gladstone · Gold Coast · Gympie · Hervey Bay · Mackay · Rockhampton · Sunshine Coast · Toowoomba · Townsville Queensland portal

Coordinates: 20°15′40″S 146°01′12″E / 20.26111°S 146.02°E / -20.26111; 146.02

This Queensland location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This North Queensland related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Queensland
Flag Coat of arms
Slogan or nickname: Sunshine State
Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful)
Other Australian states and territories
Capital	Brisbane
Demonym	Queenslander
Government	Constitutional monarchy
- Governor	Penelope Wensley
- Premier	Campbell Newman (LNP)
Australian State
- Established as Self-Governing Colony	6 June 1859
- Became State	1901
- Australia Act	3 March 1986
Area
- Total	1,852,642 km2 (2nd largest) 715,309 sq mi
- Land	1,730,648 km2 668,207 sq mi
- Water	121,994 km2 (6.58%) 47,102 sq mi
Population (June 2010)
- Population	4,580,700[1] (3rd)
- Density	2.61/km2 (5th) 6.8 /sq mi
Elevation
- Highest	Mount Bartle Frere +1,622 m (5,321 ft)
Gross State Product (2009–10)
- Product ($m)	$254,550[2] (3rd)
- Product per capita	$56,362 (4th)
Time zone	AEST UTC+10 does not observe DST
Federal representation
- House seats	30
- Senate seats	12
Abbreviations
- Postal	QLD
- ISO 3166-2	AU-QLD
Emblems
- Floral	Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium phalaenopsis)
- Animal	Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
- Bird	Brolga (Grus rubicunda)
- Fish	Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos)
- Gem	Sapphire
- Colours	Maroon
Web site	www.qld.gov.au

Coordinates: 23°0′S 143°0′E / 23°S 143°E / -23; 143 Queensland is the second-largest and third-most populous state of Australia, located in the northeast of the country. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, southwest and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. Queensland has a population of 4,580,700, concentrated along the coast and particularly in the state's South East. The state is the world's sixth largest subnational entity, with an area of 1,852,642 km2. The capital and largest city in the state is Brisbane, Australia's third largest city. Referred to as the 'Sunshine State', Queensland is home to 10 of Australia's 30 largest cities and is the nation's third largest economy.

Queensland was first occupied by Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, who arrived at least 40,000 years ago.^[3] The first European to land in Queensland was Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in 1607. In 1770, Lieutenant James Cook claimed the east coast of Australia for the Kingdom of Great Britain. The colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 by Governor Arthur Phillip at Sydney; New South Wales at that time included all of what is now Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania. Queensland was explored in subsequent decades until the establishment of a penal colony at Brisbane in 1824 by John Oxley. Penal transportation ceased in 1839 and free settlement permitted in 1842. Queensland was separated from New South Wales, forming a self-governing colony, on 6 June 1859, a date now celebrated state-wide as Queensland Day. Queensland achieved statehood with the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901.

Queensland's Governor is Penelope Wensley, and the Premier is Campbell Newman of the Liberal National Party.

Etymology[link]

The state was named in honour of Queen Victoria,^[4] who on 6 June 1859 signed Letters Patent separating the colony from New South Wales. Queen Victoria, who went on to become Britain's longest reigning monarch, chose an eponymous name for the colony over Cooksland, which had been suggested by the influential local Presbyterian minister John Dunmore Lang in honour of navigator James Cook.^[5][6]

History[link]

The history of Queensland spans thousands of years, encompassing both a lengthy indigenous presence, as well as the eventful times of post-European settlement. Estimated to have been settled by Indigenous Australians approximately 40,000 years ago, the northeastern Australian region was explored by Dutch, Portuguese and French navigators before being encountered by Captain James Cook in 1770. The Australian Labor Party has its origin as a formal organisation in Queensland and the town of Barcaldine is the symbolic birthplace of the party.^[7] The state has witnessed frontier warfare between European settlers and Indigenous inhabitants, as well as the employment of cheap Kanaka labour sourced from the South Pacific. June 2009 marked the 150th anniversary of its creation as a separate colony from New South Wales.^[8] A rare record of early settler life in north Queensland can be seen in a set of ten photographic glass plates taken in the 1860s by Richard Daintree, in the collection of the National Museum of Australia.^[9]

Geography[link]

Commonly-designated regions of Queensland

The Great Barrier Reef, which extends along Queensland's northern coastline

A coral garden in Osprey Reef

Queensland is bordered to the north by the Torres Strait with Boigu Island off the coast of New Guinea representing the absolute northern extreme of the territory. The triangular Cape York Peninsula, which points toward New Guinea is the northernmost part of the state's mainland. West of the peninsula's tip, northern Queensland is bordered by the Gulf of Carpentaria, while the Coral Sea— an arm of the Pacific Ocean— borders Queensland to the east. To the west, Queensland is bordered by the Northern Territory, at the 138°E longitude, and to the southwest by the northeastern corner of South Australia.

In the south, there are three sections that comprise its border: the watershed from Point Danger to the Dumaresq River; the river section involving the Dumaresq, the MacIntyre and the Barwon; and 29°S latitude (including some minor historical encroachments below the 29th parallel) over to the South Australian border.

The state capital is Brisbane, located on the coast 100 kilometres (60 mi) by road north of the New South Wales border. The state is divided into several officially recognised regions. Other smaller geographical regions of note include the Atherton Tablelands, the Granite Belt, and the Channel Country in the far southwest.

Queensland has many places of natural beauty, including: the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast having some of the state's most popular beaches; the Bunya Mountains and the Great Dividing Range with numerous lookouts, waterfalls and picnic areas; Carnarvon Gorge; Whitsunday Islands and Hinchinbrook Island.

The state contains six World Heritage listed preservation areas: Australian Fossil Mammal Sites at Riversleigh in the Gulf Country, Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, Fraser Island, Great Barrier Reef, Lamington National Park and the Wet Tropics of Queensland.

Climate[link]

Because of its size, there is significant variation in climate across the state. Low rainfall and hot summers are typical for the inland west, a monsoonal 'wet' season in the far north, and warm temperate conditions along the coastal strip. Inland and in southern ranges low minimum temperatures are experienced. The climate of the coastal strip is influenced by warm ocean waters, keeping the region free from extremes of temperature and providing moisture for rainfall.^[10]

There are five predominate climatic zones in Queensland,^[11] based on temperature and humidity:

• hot humid summer (far north and coastal)
• warm humid summer (coastal elevated hinterlands and coastal southeast)
• hot dry summer, mild winter (central west)
• hot dry summer, cold winter (southern west)
• temperate – warm summer, cold winter (inland southeast, e.g. Granite Belt)

However, most of the Queensland populace experience two weather seasons: a "winter" period of rather warm temperatures and minimal rainfall and a sultry summer period of hot, sticky temperatures and higher levels of rainfall.

The annual mean statistics^[12] for some Queensland centres is shown below:

The highest maximum temperature observed in the state is 49.5 °C (121 °F) at Birdsville on 24 December 1972 (The temperature of 53.1 °C (128 °F) at Cloncurry on 16 January 1889 is not considered reliable; the figure quoted from Birdsville is the next highest, so that record is considered as being official).

The lowest minimum temperature is −10.6 °C (13 °F) at Stanthorpe on 23 June 1961 and at The Hermitage on 12 July 1965.^[17]

Demographics[link]

State capital and most populous city, Brisbane, located in southeast Queensland.

Queensland has a less centralised population than other states, with significant populations in regional cities such as Townsville (above).

A smaller proportion of Queensland's population lives in the capital city than any other mainland state. As of June 2004 the capital city represented 45.7% of the population; for the whole country, capital cities represented 63.8% of the total population.

• Christian: 70.9%:
  • Roman Catholic: 24.9%
  • Anglican: 22.3%
  • Uniting: 8.4%
  • Lutheran: 2.1%
  • Other: 13.2%
• Non-Christian: 2.3%
  • Buddhism: 1.1%
  • Islam: 0.4%
  • Hinduism: 0.3%
  • Judaism: 0.1%
  • Other: 0.4%
• No Religion: 14.8%
• Not Stated: 12.0%

On 9 December 2005, the population of Queensland officially reached 4 million. According to Queensland's Office of Economic and Statistical Research the estimated population of the state at the end of 2007 was 4,228,290 which is almost 20% of Australia's total. For many years until 2008, Queensland was the fastest growing state in Australia. At its peak growth in 2007, it was estimated that over 1,500 people moved to the state per week including 1,000 to the southern part of the state alone and the state recorded a TFR of 2.1, the highest since 1977.^[20] Queensland's growth rate has since been surpassed by Western Australia^[21]).

Economy[link]

Sugar canefields south of Childers

Queensland's economy has enjoyed a boom in the tourism and mining industries over the past 20 years. A sizeable influx of interstate and overseas migrants, large amounts of federal government investment, increased mining of vast mineral deposits and an expanding aerospace sector have contributed to the state's economic growth. The 2008–09 saw the expansion slow to just 0.8% the state's worst performance in 18 years.^[22]

Between 1992 and 2002, the growth in the Gross State Product of Queensland outperformed that of all the other states and territories. In that period Queensland's GSP grew 5.0% each year, while growth in Australia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose on average 3.9% each year. Queensland's contribution to the Australian GDP increased by 10.4% in that period, one of only three states to do so.^[23]

In 2003 Brisbane had the lowest cost of living of all Australia's capital cities. In late 2005 Brisbane was the third most expensive capital for housing after Sydney and Canberra and just ahead of Melbourne by $15,000.

Primary industries include: bananas, pineapples, peanuts, a wide variety of other tropical and temperate fruit and vegetables, grain crops, wineries, cattle raising, cotton, sugar cane, wool and a mining industry including bauxite, coal, silver, lead, zinc, gold, and copper. Secondary industries are mostly further processing of the above-mentioned primary produce. For example, bauxite is shipped by sea from Weipa and converted to alumina at Gladstone.^[24] There is also copper refining and the refining of sugar cane to sugar at a number of mills along the eastern coastline. Major tertiary industries are the retail trade and tourism.

Tourism[link]

Tourism is Queensland's leading tertiary industry with millions of interstate and overseas visitors flocking to the Sunshine State each year. The industry generates $4.0 billion annually, accounting for 4.5% of Queensland's GSP.^[25] Queensland is a state of many landscapes that range from sunny tropical coastal areas, lush rainforests to dry inland areas.

The main tourist destinations of Queensland include, Brisbane, Cairns, Port Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest, Gold Coast, the Great Barrier Reef, Hervey Bay and nearby Fraser Island, Townsville, Magnetic Island, North Stradbroke Island and South Stradbroke Island, Sunshine Coast, Hamilton Island, Daydream Island and the Whitsundays known for Airlie Beach and Whitehaven Beach.

The Gold Coast of Queensland is also sometimes referred to as "Australia's Theme Park Capital", with five major amusement parks. These are Dreamworld, Movie World, Sea World, Wet 'n' Wild and WhiteWater World.

There are numerous wildlife parks in Queensland. On the Gold Coast there is Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary at Currumbin and David Fleay Wildlife Park at Burleigh Heads. On the Sunshine Coast there is UnderWater World at Mooloolaba and Australia Zoo near Beerwah/Glass House Mountains, home of Steve Irwin until his death in 2006.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary at Fig Tree Pocket and Brisbane Forest Park at The Gap are located in Brisbane. North of Brisbane is Alma Park Zoo which is relocating to Logan City and Kumbartcho Wildlife Sanctuary which was originally called Bunya Park Wildlife Sanctuary.

Accommodation in Queensland caters for nearly 22% of the total expenditure, followed by restaurants/meals (15%), airfares (11%), fuel (11%) and shopping/gifts (11%).^[26]

Transport[link]

Cairns International Airport

Queensland is served by a number of National Highways and, particularly in South East Queensland, high quality motorways such as the M1. The Queensland government Department of Transport & Main Roads oversees the development and operation of main roads and public transport, including taxis and local aviation.

Principal rail services are provided by Queensland Rail and Pacific National, predominantly between the major towns along the coastal strip east of the Great Dividing Range.

Major seaports include the Port of Brisbane and subsidiary ports at Gladstone, Townsville and Bundaberg. There are large coal export facilities at Hay Point / Dalrymple Bay, Gladstone and Abbot Point. Sugar is another major export, with facilities at Lucinda and Mackay.

Brisbane Airport is the main international and domestic gateway serving the state. Gold Coast Airport, Cairns International Airport and Townsville Airport are the next most prominent airports, all with scheduled international flights. Other regional airports, with scheduled domestic flights, include Great Barrier Reef Airport, Hervey Bay Airport, Mackay Airport, Mount Isa Airport, Proserpine / Whitsunday Coast Airport, Rockhampton Airport, and Sunshine Coast Airport.

South East Queensland has an integrated public transport system operated by the TransLink Transit Authority, which provides services bus, rail and ferry services through contracted bus and ferry operators and Queensland Rail. The TransLink network operates a fare system which allows a single ticket to be used across all modes for the same price irrespective of the number of transfers made on the trip. Regional bus and long-distance rail services are also provided throughout the State. Local bus services are also available in most regional centres.

Governance[link]

The Parliament House in Brisbane.

Executive authority is vested in the Governor, who represents and is appointed by Elizabeth II on the advice of the Premier. The current governor is Ms. Penelope Wensley, AO. The head of government is the Premier, who is appointed by the Governor but must have the support of the Legislative Assembly. The current Premier is Campbell Newman of the Liberal National Party. Other ministers, forming the Executive Council, are appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Assembly on the Premier's recommendation.

The Queensland Parliament or the Legislative Assembly, is unicameral. It is the only Australian state with a unicameral legislature. A bicameral system existed until 1922, when the Legislative Council was abolished by the Labor members' "suicide squad" so called because they were appointed for the purpose of voting to abolish their own offices.^[27] The Parliament is housed in the 19th century Parliament House and 20th century Parliamentary Annexe in Brisbane. The state's politics are traditionally regarded as being conservative relative to other states.^{[28][29][30][31][32]}

The judicial system of Queensland consists of the Supreme Court and the District Court, established by the Queensland Constitution, and various other courts and tribunals established by ordinary Acts of the Queensland Parliament.

In 2001 Queensland adopted a new codified constitution, repealing most of the assorted Acts of Parliament that had previously made up the constitution. The new constitution took effect on 6 June 2002, the anniversary of the formation of the colony of Queensland by the signing of Letters Patent by Queen Victoria in 1859.

Local government[link]

Local government is the mechanism by which towns and districts can manage their own affairs to the extent permitted by the Local Government Act 1993–2007. Queensland is divided into 73 local government areas which may be called Cities, Towns, Shires or Regions.^[33]

Each area has a council which is responsible for providing a range of public services and utilities, and derives its income from both rates and charges on resident ratepayers, and grants and subsidies from the State and Commonwealth governments.^[34]

Universities[link]

Bond University in Robina

The state's first university, the University of Queensland was established in 1909. It was moved to St Lucia in 1945, where it remains today. The University of Queensland ranks amongst the top 100 universities in several global rankings.

James Cook University was setup in 1970 to become the first tertiary education institution in North Queensland. Griffith University was established in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan in 1971. Bond University was established in 1987 as a not-for-profit university, the first of its type in Queensland and is located at Robina on the Gold Coast. In the Brisbane central business district at Gardens Point the Queensland University of Technology was opened in 1989.

In the following decades the Central Queensland University, University of Southern Queensland and the University of the Sunshine Coast were established. The Australian Catholic University also operates a campus in Brisbane.

Sports[link]

The Brisbane Broncos are one of the most successful teams in the National Rugby League competition

The Queensland Bulls take part in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments

The state of Queensland is represented in all of Australia's national sporting competitions and is also host to a number of domestic and international sporting events. The most popular winter and summer team sports are Rugby league, Rugby union and cricket, respectively. Rugby league football's annual State of Origin series is a major event in the Queensland sporting calendar, with the Queensland Maroons in 2011 winning a record sixth series in a row. The Brisbane Broncos are the state's most successful team of any sport, having won 3 premierships in the NRL rugby league era and 6 in total during their 23 year existence.

Queensland's dominance is not restricted to rugby league. The early part of this decade saw the AFL's Brisbane Lions claim a hat-trick of premierships between 2001–2003 inclusive, and coming so close to a record-equalling fourth, whilst recently Brisbane Roar FC won its first A-League title in March 2011, the culmination of a season of long dominance in which it has not lost since September last year. Just four years after being branded "the joke of rugby", the Queensland Reds won its first Super Rugby title in July 2011. The Queensland Firebirds were also an outstanding team in 2011, going undefeated in the Netball ANZ Championship to win the Grand Final.

Swimming is also a popular sport in Queensland, with a majority of Australian team members and international medalists hailing from the state. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Queensland swimmers won all six of Australia's gold medals, all swimmers on Australia's three female (finals) relays teams were from Queensland, two of which won gold.

Major professional teams include:

• Australian Football: Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns
• Basketball: Townsville Crocodiles, Cairns Taipans and the Gold Coast Blaze
• Cricket: Queensland Bulls, Brisbane Heat
• Football (soccer): Brisbane Roar, North Queensland Fury (no longer in the A-League) and Gold Coast United
• Netball: Queensland Firebirds
• Rugby League:
  • Representative: Queensland Maroons
  • Clubs: Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Titans and the North Queensland Cowboys
  • State Competition: Queensland Cup
• Rugby Union: Queensland Reds

Events include:

• Gold Coast Indy 300
• State of Origin
• Queensland 400
• Quicksilver Pro and Roxy Pro

See also[link]

	Geography portal
	Oceania portal
	Commonwealth realms portal
	Australia portal
	Queensland portal

• Queensland Council of Unions
• Queensland Day
• Queensland Expatriate Awards
• Queensland State Archives
• 2010–2011 Queensland floods
• United Nations Association of Australia (Queensland) Community Award

Lists:

• Governor of Queensland
• Premier of Queensland
• List of highways in Queensland
• List of schools in Queensland
• Protected areas of Queensland
• Category:People from Queensland

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Queensland

• Government of Queensland
• Queensland State Archives
• [1]

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William "Willie" Marshall Mason (born 15 April 1980) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer currently playing in the National Rugby League as a forward for the Newcastle Knights. He has previously played for NRL clubs, the Canterbury Bulldogs, with whom he won the 2004 NRL Premiership and Clive Churchill Medal, the Sydney Roosters and the North Queensland Cowboys, in the English Super League with the Hull Kingston Rovers and more recently in the Top 14 rugby union competition for Toulon.^[2]

He is an Australian and Tongan international and New South Wales State of Origin representative forward. He is also eligible to represent the United States and Samoa.

Biography[link]

Willie Mason was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and grew up in Toronto, New South Wales. He played junior rugby league for the Toronto (Macquarie) Scorpions in the Newcastle Knights junior competition,^[3] as well as Lakes United. He played in the junior ranks of the Hunter Mariners during their only season in 1997.^[4]

Professional playing career[link]

Canterbury Bulldogs[link]

Mason joined the Canterbury Bulldogs at 19 years of age in 1998 and played in the junior U-18 Jersey Flegg competition. After a year with the club Mason was again a regular member of the Flegg team in 1999 but unfortunately suffered a leg fracture in the game before the Bulldogs' Flegg Grand Final win. The following year, Mason moved into the NSWRL Premier League and mid-season received an opportunity to make his debut in the National Rugby League following an injury to first-grader Darren Britt. Mason made his debut on 30 April during the 2000 NRL season against the Penrith Panthers. He impressed early and became a regular member of the NRL team for the rest of the season.

In late 2000, Mason represented Tonga, the country of origin of his mother, in the Rugby League World Cup played in Great Britain and Ireland.

Mason cemented a starting position at the Dogs during the 2001 NRL season but was involved in the 2002 Bulldogs salary cap dramas. In mid-2002, the Bulldogs were found guilty of serious and systemic breaches of the salary cap. The club was stripped of all 37 competition points. The latter action was particularly harmful, as the club were poised to take the Minor Premiership and had won 17 consecutive matches (the second highest in Australian club rugby league history at the time). Mason therefore missed out on the opportunity to take a Minor-Premiership and quite realistically a shot at the 2002 Grand Final. On a positive note during the year Mason was selected to make his debut for Australia against Great Britain, scoring a try. Since then Mason has played a total of 29 Tests for his country and was at one point the Bulldogs' most-capped current test player.

In 2003 Mason's consistent performance was rewarded as he made his debut for New South Wales in Game 3 of the 2003 State of Origin Series. After the 2003 Kangaroo tour Mason suffered a fractured ankle during Australia's 36–24 win over USA in an international rugby league friendly match at Philadelphia's Franklin Field in December 2004.

The next season the Dogs reached the 2004 NRL Grand Final and triumphed 16–13 over the Sydney Roosters. Mason was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for Man of the Match. He went on to play for Australia in the 2004 Tri-Nations tournament.

Mason was out of action during the first half of the 2005 NRL season and did not play in the NRL until Round 18 where the Bulldogs were experiencing a Grand-Final hangover and already stuck in the bottom-eight of the competition. He played in the 2005 Tri-nations tournament.

In 2006, Willie returned to become a regular member of the Bulldogs team where he managed to play 20 club matches, all three Origin games for NSW – in which he was named Man of the Match in the opening game and three Tests for Australia in the 2006 Tri-Nations series. He was a firm figure in the clubs return to finals football as the Bulldogs finished second on the ladder, the Dogs were beaten by eventual Premiers the Brisbane Broncos one game shy of the Grand Final.

Mason was televised appearing to swear during the New Zealand haka, before game 1 of the 2006 Gillette Tri-nations Series. Later in the match Mason suffered a swollen black eye and suspected broken eye socket from a shoulder charge by David Kidwell.[3] Mason explained that his swearing was in response to the traditional Māori dance being performed by Brent Webb, an Indigenous Australian of Torres Strait Islander origin who became a New Zealand citizen.

Mason was banned for one game and fined $5,000 following an altercation with Stuart Fielden during Great Britain's defeat of Australia in November 2006.^[5]

In June 2006, news speculation surfaced that Mason was considering joining the United States' National Football League (NFL), a childhood dream. He was said to be courted by several teams, including the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.^[6] In July it was confirmed the New York Giants had offered him the opportunity to trial with them after the Rugby League Tri-Nations series finished in November.^[7] However, the Canterbury club had dismissed the deal, and Mason remained with the club beyond 2006.^[8]

In December 2006 Mason took part in a trial with the New York Jets, but still maintained he would fulfil his contract with the Bulldogs until the end of the 2009 season.^[9] Mason said "I'm probably at the time in my career now where maybe it is time for a change. New York City is the capital of the world. I'm pretty sure I could settle in there if given the opportunity,..."[4]. However a Jets representative stated that Mason even being offered a contract was very unlikely, "I don't think they were even football drills, it was more of a visit. We just had a look at him and that is where we left it." The Jets coach Eric Mangini was impressed with Mason, saying "Willie is a guy that came to our attention, he is a pretty good rugby player, and it was just one of those opportunities we had, where we have to take a look at him. What we're doing is taking a look at him, seeing what potential there is for him. He seems to have been a pretty dynamic guy in that league for a long time. He seemed relatively feisty when I spoke to him."

The Bulldogs never anticipated any move, saying "Willie has given us his guarantee he will be with us." [5]

In 2007, Mason was selected for all three Origin games for NSW and represented Australia in the ANZAC Test match.

At the conclusion of the 2007 NRL season, the media began reporting that Mason was unhappy at the Bulldogs. On 31 October 2007 The Daily Telegraph reported that Mason wanted to leave the Bulldogs after an altercation with the club's CEO, Malcolm Noad.^[10] A day later it was reported that Mason was to be released from the final two years of his contract after the club rejected his chance to fight in a professional boxing match worth up to A$100,000 and because the club claimed to be fining Mason $50,000 for failure to attend an end of season function, although this was denied by the Bulldogs.^[11]