Baffle Creek, Queensland

For the nearby creek of the same name, see Baffle Creek.

Baffle Creek Queensland
Baffle Creek
Coordinates	24°29′20″S151°55′30″E / 24.4888°S 151.9250°E / -24.4888; 151.9250 (Baffle Creek (centre of locality))
Population	155 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	3.298/km2 (8.54/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4674
Area	47.0 km2 (18.1 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)	Gladstone Region
State electorate(s)	Burnett
Federal division(s)	Division of Flynn
Suburbs around Baffle Creek: Oyster Creek Deepwater Rules Beach Euleilah Baffle Creek Rules Beach Euleilah Rosedale Winfield

Baffle Creek is a rural locality in the Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Baffle Creek had a population of 155 people. ^[1]

The neighbourhood of Wartburg is within the locality ( 24°30′07″S151°55′52″E / 24.50194°S 151.93111°E / -24.50194; 151.93111 (Wartburg, Queensland) ). ^[3]

Geography

Baffle Creek (the watercourse) forms the southern and south-western boundaries. ^[4]

History

The area on Baffle Creek was first settled in 1908 by Prussian and German immigrants who were recruited by Apostle. H. F. Niemeyer of the Apostolic Church of Queensland in Hatton Vale near Ipswich. The government land orders they had expected to receive were not available, so they had to wait for six months living on a hill that they called Wartburg meaning waiting place. ^[5]

In 1911, a sugar mill was built by Albert Kleinschmidt (who had another sugar mill in Bundaberg). The mill produced brown sugar which was taken elsewhere for further refining. The mill was closed in 1919 as it was not a successful venture. ^[5]

Wartburg State School opened on 11 August 1913. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

In 1921, a shop storeroom off the Coast Road was remodelled to become St Paul's Lutheran Church. It was officially opened on Sunday 17 July 1921. It was 10 miles (16 km) from Rosedale near the Baffle Creek. It is on the south-western corner of the Coast Road and Bayfield Road leading to the creek ( 24°30′16″S151°55′48″E / 24.5045°S 151.9299°E / -24.5045; 151.9299 (St Paul's Lutheran Church) ). ^{[9] [10] [11]} The church bell was installed in 1923. The church was enlarged and the bell tower was remodelled in 1947. ^[12]

On 26 November 2018, the Queensland Government ordered the evacuation of Baffle Creek, Deepwater and Rules Beach due to a "dangerous and unpredictable" bushfire 50-kilometre (31 mi) wide and covering 5,000 hectares (12,000 acres) with flames of 10 to 12 metres (33 to 39 ft) high during an extreme heatwave. ^[13]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Baffle Creek had a population too low to separately report and was aggregated with the neighbouring locality of Deepwater which had a combined population of 548 people. ^[14]

In the 2016 census, Baffle Creek had a population of 156 people. ^[15]

In the 2021 census, Baffle Creek had a population of 155 people. ^[1]

Heritage listings

Baffle Creek has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Baffle Creek Sugar Mill (remains), Coast Road ^[5]
• St Pauls's Lutheran Church, Coast Road ^[12]

Education

Wartburg State School is a government primary (Early Childhood - Year 6) school for boys and girls at 585 Coast Road in Baffle Creek ( 24°30′09″S151°55′51″E / 24.5024°S 151.9309°E / -24.5024; 151.9309 (Wartburg State School) ). ^{[16] [17]} In 2013, the school had 55 students and 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent). ^[18] In 2023, the school had 19 students. ^[19]

There are no secondary schools in Baffle Creek. The nearest government secondary school is Rosedale State School (to Year 12) in neighbouring Rosedale to the south. ^[20]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Baffle Creek (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Baffle Creek – locality in Gladstone Region (entry 46587)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 27 December 2020.
3. "Wartburg (entry 36637)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 4 July 2014.
4. "Baffle Creek, Queensland" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 20 August 2021.
5. "Baffle Creek Sugar Mill". Local Heritage Register. Gladstone Regional Council. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
6. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government . Retrieved 3 July 2014.
7. "Wartburg State School". Wartburg State School. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
8. "Baffle Creek" (PDF). Gladstone Regional Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
9. "BAFFLE CREEK". The Bundaberg Mail . Vol. 51, no. 7, 330. Queensland, Australia. 20 July 1921. p. 5. Retrieved 30 November 2021– via National Library of Australia.
10. "St Paul's Lutheran Church". Churches Australia. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
11. "Coast Rd, Baffle Creek QLD 4674" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 30 November 2021.
12. "St Paul's Lutheran Church". Local Heritage Register. Gladstone Regional Council. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
13. Williams, Patrick (26 November 2018). "Queensland bushfire sparks warning for people in Deepwater and Baffle Creek to 'evacuate immediately'". ABC News . Retrieved 26 November 2018.
14. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Deepwater (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Baffle Creek (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
16. "Wartburg State School". Wartburg State School. 29 November 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
17. "Wartburg State School". Google Street View . November 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
18. "2013 School Annual Reporr" (PDF). Wartburg State School. Wartburg State School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
19. "Wartburg State School: Annual Report: 2023" (PDF). Wartburg State School. p. 2. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
20. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 15 September 2024.

Further reading

• Wartburg State School (1963), Jubilee of the Wartburg State School : an historical account of the pioneers and of the Baffle Creek district of Queensland, Bundaberg and District Historical Museum Society
• O'Neill, B. W. (Brian W. ); Mulholland, L. M. (Lynne M. ) (1988), Education on the Baffle : Wartburg State School 75th anniversary 1913-1988, Wartburg State School 75th Anniversary Committee
• Graham, Diane; Jodvalkis, Christeen; Cunningham, Amy; Lemire, Carolyn; Todd, Gloria (1996), Parish of Baffle : Gosen : 'the promised land' : Parish of Baffle and Surrounds, The Congregation of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, ISBN   978-0-646-28419-4