History
The site was originally settled in the 1860s with the name "Forest Grove" (and possibly "Hopkins' Camp" before that), [3] but the name was changed to Arrilalah, [4] a word with an uncertain origin, in 1885. One source suggests a First Nations word meaning for good feeding ground for galahs and cockatoos. [5] Near to former Forest Grove was also a sheep property, Bandon Grove. [6]
- Growth
The Commercial Hotel was built in 1884; the nearest telegraph station and court house were at Isisford, 75 miles (121 km) away. [7]
The November 1885 sale of government lands for the township occurred, [8] enhanced with a proposed Central Railway line coming to the town "crawling out West very vigorously" from Barcaldine. [9] This resulted in the change in ownership of the Forest Grove Hotel, being renamed as the Club Hotel (constructed of pise, later replaced by wood and iron), [7] and more shops planned. [10]
Land prices increased and buildings increased with the Royal Hotel and billiard room, two bakers, two saddlers, two butchers, two blacksmiths, and bootmakers. [7] In its heyday, Arrilalah was given to have four or five hotels, two stores, a chemist's shop, police station, school, and blacksmith's shop. [5] It was reported a footrace was used to determine who would keep a blacksmith's store, between later-politician John Payne (1860–1928) and his partner – Payne won. [3]
District properties included Bimbah, Bimerah, Evesham, Maneroo, Oorona, Silaoe, Strath Darr, Tocal, Vergemont, and Westland. [11] Eight miles from the town, the 92 by 48 feet (28 m × 15 m) Rosabel station woolshed burned down in February 1927, [12] and the station homestead itself in November 1933. [13]
At one time competing, both Arrilalah and Stonehenge to the south stated they had "the prettiest racecourse on the river". [14] The Arrilalah Race Club was operating to 1929, before restarting in 1936. [15] [16]
Petitions were submitted by 1887 championing for an overland telegraph line. [11]
January 1887 saw the local police constable F. Moran get lost travelling from Arrilalah to Isisford on transfer. [17] He was located fourteen days later, emaciated, naked and bleeding; the officer later claiming his packhorse took off, and later, intense rains and flooding. (It is unknown if this was a case of potentially being "murdered by the government", where immigrants from England were sent out as new police officers into the foreign west of the State unprepared. [18] Moran later returned to police the town in February 1889. [19] ) A police station and court house were constructed by December 1889 with a sergeant in charge. [20] At one point there were three officers stationed in the town. [21] The police station closed in 1926. [7] [22] The police buildings became part of a government sale in April 1938. [23]
Arrilalah Provisional School opened c. 1889 and closed in 1906 due to low attendances. [24]
The town also had involvement in the 1891 Australian shearers' strike. [7]
- Decline
The town began a long decline when the railway bypassed it, [2] instead connecting to the nearby and younger town of Longreach to the north in 1892. [7] [25] By 1928, the area surrounding the town was resumed by the grazing homesteads. [7] Without being a rail terminus, and the transport evolution from horses to motor vehicle, buildings in Arrilalah were removed, with just one public hotel remaining by the 1930s. [15] Two surveys for railway extensions to Jundah did not eventuate. [7]
After past requests, [26] [27] by 1936 the town became the main link in the Longreach–Windorah telephone line. [5] [28]
By March 1950, during a widespread district flooding event, Arrilalah was referred to as "a one-house town 32 miles south of Longreach". [29] [30]
