Sarina lies just inland of the east coast of Queensland, 34 kilometres (21 mi) south of the city of Mackay, and approximately 300 kilometres (190 mi) north of the city of Rockhampton. The Bruce Highway passes through the locality from south to north, as does the North Coast railway line.
The town of Sarina is located on Plane Creek, which flows into the Coral Sea, but most of the urban development is on the northern side of the creek. The Bruce Highway and the railway line pass through the town, which is served by the Sarina railway station.
Mount Chelona (204 metres (669 ft) above sea level) is located in the north of the locality near where the Bruce Highway exits the locality north to Alligator Creek.
Sarina was originally known as Plane Creek, but took its present name from the Sarina Inlet which was in turn named after Sarina, the Greek mythological enchantress, by William Charles Borlase Wilson, a surveyor, some time before 1882.
Plane Creek Provisional School opened on 5 August 1897. In 1907 it became Plane Creek State School. In 1912 it was renamed Sarina State School. On 31 January 1956 a secondary department was added to the school, which operated until January 1964, when Sarina State High School opened.
Plane Creek Upper Provisional School opened on 1900 and closed on 1969. On 1 January 1909 it became Plane Creek Upper State School. In 1928 it was renamed Plane Creek West State School. It closed in 1969.
On Sunday 29 March 1908, the foundation block was laid for an Anglican church, adjacent to the court house. On Sunday 18 October 1908, the church was officially opened by Reverend T. Hely-Wilson. The church was dedicated to St Luke the Evangelist.
Hillside State School opened in 1909 and closed on circa 1926.
Middle Creek Provisional School opened in 1915. In 1916 it was renamed Laburnum Grove Provisional School. It closed circa 1941.
St Anne's Catholic Primary School was officially opened on 23 May 1925 by the Sisters of Mercy.
Mount Chelona State School opened on 4 September 1933 and closed circa 1941.
Swayneville State School opened on 26 August 1935.
Sarina State High School opened on 28 January 1964. In 2014, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary.
At the 2006 census, Sarina had a population of 3,285.
In the 2011 census, Sarina had a population of 5,730 people.
On 24 October 2014 the former Mount Pelion State School building was moved to Sarina from the Northview State School in Mount Pleasant (where it was relocated in 1987) to be restored as part of the Sarina Art and Craft Centre in Railway Square.
In the 2016 census, the locality of Sarina had a population of 5,522 people.
In the 2021 census, the locality of Sarina had a population of 5,619 people.
Approximately 15 kilometres (9 mi) north is the second largest export coal terminal in Australia, and one of the biggest coal distribution terminals in the world, Hay Point.
Swayneville State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 952 Sarina Marlborough Road (21°28′21″S149°08′38″E / 21.4726°S 149.1440°E / -21.4726; 149.1440 (Swayneville State School)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 112 students with 12 teachers (10 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (6 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.
Sarina State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Anzac Street (21°25′15″S149°12′49″E / 21.4208°S 149.2136°E / -21.4208; 149.2136 (Sarina State High School)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 743 students with 64 teachers (61 full-time equivalent) and 43 non-teaching staff (27 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.
A large cane toad statue, called Buffy, is situated in the town centre on the Bruce Highway (21°25′21″S149°13′02″E / 21.4226°S 149.2173°E / -21.4226; 149.2173 (Buffy the Cane Toad)) in honour of Sarina's cane farming history. Buffy was made from fibreglass in the early 1980s for a parade float for the Apex Sugar Festival. The name Buffy comes from the species name bufo marinus. Buffy has been painted for the "state of origin" football game multiple times and has even been stolen. To try and deter further theft, buffy has been chained to the concrete slab on broad street where he resides, though this hasn't stopped people from decorating Buffy with "Queenslander" flags and state of origin banners.
^"OPENING OF PLANE CREEK CHURCH". Daily Mercury. No. 964. Queensland, Australia. 20 October 1908. p. 3. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"OPENING OF PLANE CREEK CHURCH". Daily Mercury. No. 964. Queensland, Australia. 20 October 1908. p. 3. Archived from the original on 28 December 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Our History". St Anne's Catholic Primary School, Sarina. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
^Council, Mackay Regional (24 January 2011). "Overview". www.mackay.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
^"Mills - Wilmar Sugar". www.wilmarsugar-anz.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
^"Sarina Art & Craft". Sarina Field of Dreams Parklands, Mackay Region, Queensland. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2021.