Cooranga, Queensland

For the locality in the Burnett Region, see Old Cooranga, Queensland.

Cooranga Queensland
Cooranga North Presbyterian Church, 2017
Cooranga
Coordinates	26°48′01″S151°19′19″E / 26.8002°S 151.3219°E / -26.8002; 151.3219 (Cooranga (centre of locality))
Population	119 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	0.3302/km2 (0.855/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4408
Area	360.4 km2 (139.2 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	53.8 km (33 mi) NNE of Dalby 129 km (80 mi) NNW of Toowoomba 256 km (159 mi) NW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Western Downs Region
State electorate(s)	Callide
Federal division(s)	Maranoa
Suburbs around Cooranga: Jandowae Diamondy Boyneside Jimbour West Cooranga Bunya Mountains Jimbour East Bell Bunya Mountains

Cooranga is a rural locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Cooranga had a population of 119 people. ^[1]

Geography

The Dalby–Jandowae Road runs along the western boundary. ^[3]

History

The locality was named and bounded on 14 September 2001, having been previously the neighbourhood of Cooranga North. The name Cooranga comes from a pastoral run name, which was probably taken from a creek name, reportedly a Kabi language word meaning war spear. ^[2]

Cooranga North State School, 2008

An extension of the Bell Branch railway line from Bell to Mount Mahen through Cooranga North was proposed by government in 1915 but never built. ^[4]

Cooranga North State School opened on 2 February 1914 and closed on 14 July 2003. ^{[5] [6]} It was at 14 Cooranga North Niagara Road ( 26°46′05″S151°24′27″E / 26.7681°S 151.4074°E / -26.7681; 151.4074 (Cooranga North State School (former)) ). ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Nearby Mount Mahen Provisional School opened in 1925 and closed in 1929. Children from the Hunter family formed most of the small enrolments recorded. ^[10]

Our Lady of Sacred Heart Catholic Church opened on Sunday 11 September 1938 on land donated by Mrs Mary Gertrude O'Brien. ^{[11] [12]} It was at 152 Cooranga North Niagara Road ( 26°45′24″S151°24′20″E / 26.7566°S 151.4056°E / -26.7566; 151.4056 (Our Lady of Sacred Heart Catholic Church (former)) ). ^{[13] [14]} On 28 June 2017 in the middle of the night, the church building was relocated to St Thomas More College in Sunnybank, Brisbane, where it is used as the school's chapel. ^{[15] [16]} The relocation required two trucks, one for the church body and another for the roof, and the journey was 380 kilometres (240 mi). ^{[13] [17] [18]}

Cooranga North Presbyterian Church opened on Saturday 20 June 1953; however, Presbyterian services had been held in private homes and other local venues since 1914. ^[19]

The Mahen hall was the first community hall in the district, opened in 1922 at an initial cost of £150, with several extensions and improvements made in the years which followed. ^[20] The Dalby Herald reported in 1952 some details of the history of the Mahen hall, including "The first wedding in the Cooranga North district was celebrated in the hall on November 27, 1924, being that of Miss Gladys Hopper. Johnson’s showed their first pictures in Cooranga North in the hall on May 21, 1927, the programme including North of Moonbi*. On April 20, 1950, The trustees agreed to the transfer of the Mahen Rifle Club Hall to the committee" and, "... before a piano was procured for the Mahen Hall, Mr. McQuaker invented, and made, a dulcimer, and this was used for many years. ^[20] *Note- the film title is probably a misprint, as Queensland's first feature length film, released in 1926, was a silent film called The Moth of Moonbi. The Mahen Hall was sold by auction on the day of the new Memorial Hall opening in late 1952, for £400 to Mr. Hugh O'Brien. ^[21]

The Mahen Rifle Club commenced c.1918, boasting a significant membership base and participation in competitions across a wide area. A hall was built at their local rifle range c.1921, ^[22] and regular events included quarterly 'picnic' shoots. ^{[23] [24]}

The first telephone services in the district were made available on Friday 18 August 1922 with the installation and opening of the Cooranga North telephone exchange, located within the home of Mr. N. Hopper, with his wife fulfilling management duties free of charge as a community service. ^[25] The exchange already had a subscriber base of 23 at the time of the opening.

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Cooranga had a population of 133 people. ^[26]

In the 2021 census, Cooranga had a population of 119 people. ^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Cooranga. The nearest primary schools are in Bell, Jandowae, and Jimbour. The nearest secondary schools are in Bell and Jandowae but these provide schooling only to Year 10. For Years 11 and 12, the nearest secondary school is Dalby State High School. ^[9]

Amenities

Cooranga North Memorial Hall, 2017

The Cooranga North branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the Cooranga North Memorial Hall at 41 Cooranga North Niagara Road ( 26°45′59″S151°24′21″E / 26.7663°S 151.4057°E / -26.7663; 151.4057 (Cooranga North Memorial Hall) ). ^[27]

Cooranga North Presbyterian Church is at 112 Cooranga North Niagara Road ( 26°45′36″S151°24′26″E / 26.7599°S 151.4072°E / -26.7599; 151.4072 (Cooranga North Presbyterian Church) ). ^[28]

The Cooranga North Memorial Hall opened in late 1952, at a cost to the community of £4000, most of which had been raised prior and at the opening day festivities. ^{[21] [29]} It contains a memorial honour board listing men from the district who gave their lives in both world wars. ^[30] This hall replaced the original hall in Cooranga, which was known as the Mahen Hall. It operated from 1922-1952. ^[20]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cooranga (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Cooranga – locality in Western Downs Region (entry 47685)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 7 March 2022.
3. Cooranga, Queensland (Map). OpenStreetMap. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
4. "BELL-MOUNT MAHEN LINE". Brisbane Courier. 11 February 1915. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
5. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN   978-1-921171-26-0
6. "Queensland state school - centre closures" (PDF). Queensland Government . 20 August 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
7. "Parish of Mahen" (Map). Queensland Government. 1972. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
8. "Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m78" (Map). Queensland Government. 1954. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
9. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 24 April 2022.
10. "ArchivesSearch | Queensland State Archives | Queensland Government".
11. "DISTRICT NEWS". The Dalby Herald . Queensland, Australia. 14 January 1938. p. 5. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022– via National Library of Australia.
12. "OBITUARY". The Dalby Herald . Queensland, Australia. 20 January 1939. p. 3. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022– via National Library of Australia.
13. "Our Lady of Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Former". Churches Australia. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
14. "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church (former)" (Map). Google Maps . January 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
15. "St Thomas More College chapel" (Map). Google Maps . February 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
16. "Our Chapels Journey - from Cooranga to Sunnybank". St Thomas More College, Sunnybank . Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
17. Blake, Thom. "Our Lady of Sacred Heart". Queensland religious places database. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
18. "Cooranga North church that closed in 2013 brought back to life at Brisbane school". The Catholic Leader. 26 July 2017. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
19. "COORANGA N. PRESBY. CHURCH DEDICATED". The Dalby Herald . Queensland, Australia. 26 June 1953. p. 6. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022– via National Library of Australia.
20. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/216810321?searchTerm=mahen%20hall
21. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/216812200?searchTerm=mahen%20hall%20sold
22. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214762029?searchTerm=mahen%20hall
23. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/214761725?searchTerm=mahen%20hall
24. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215445820?searchTerm=mahen%20rifle%20club
25. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/215444635?searchTerm=cooranga%20north%20telephone%20exchange
26. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Cooranga (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
27. "Branch Locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
28. "Cooranga North Presbyterian Church". Churches Australia. Archived from the original on 23 April 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
29. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/216809788?searchTerm=cooranga%20north%20hall%20opening
30. https://www.anzacsquare.qld.gov.au/memorials/cooranga-north-memorial-hall-honour-board

External links

Media related to Cooranga, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons