Dirranbandi Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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Coordinates | 28°35′00″S148°13′40″E / 28.5833°S 148.2277°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 610 (2021 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 0.0739/km2 (0.1915/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Established | 1885 | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 4486 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 173 m (568 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Area | 8,250.4 km2 (3,185.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
Location | |||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | Balonne Shire | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Warrego | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
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Dirranbandi is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. [2] [3] The locality is on the border of Queensland with New South Wales. [4] In the 2021 census, the locality of Dirranbandi had a population of 610 people. [1]
Dirranbandi is on the Castlereagh Highway and the Balonne River. It is notable for the population variations each year as seasonal workers come to work on the extensive cotton fields. Due to the low annual rainfall, irrigation is used extensively.
Gamilaraay (also known as Gamilaroi, Kamilaroi, Comilroy) is an Aboriginal language from south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales. The Gamilaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Balonne Shire Council, including the towns of Dirranbandi, Thallon, Talwood and Bungunya as well as the border towns of Mungindi and Boomi extending to Moree, Tamworth and Coonabarabran in NSW. [5]
Yuwaalaraay (also known as Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. The Yuwaalaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Hebel extending to Walgett and Collarenebri in New South Wales. [6]
Yuwaalayaay (also known as Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalayaay country. It is closely related to the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. The Yuwaalayaay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Goodooga extending to Walgett and the Narran Lakes in New South Wales. [7]
The town reserve was surveyed in March 1885 by surveyor Claudius Buchanan Whish. He is believed to have named the town using an Aboriginal word, meaning either broken forest country or chorus of frogs at night. [2] [8] The name may be derived from a Yuwaaliyaay dialect placename, Dhurrunbandaay, relating to dhurrun.gal ("hairy caterpillars") and baanda-y ("move in single file").
One hundred housing allotments were first set aside, followed by land for a police station, a state school, and post office. [9]
Dirranbandi Provisional School opened on 9 June 1902, [10] but closed in April 1905. It reopened on 20 January 1908 and became Dirranbandi State School on 1 January 1909. On 29 January 1963, a secondary department to Year 10 was added. [11]
The South Western railway reached Dirranbandi on 22 May 1913. [12] The town was served by the Dirranbandi railway station in Railway Street ( 28°35′11″S148°13′38″E / 28.5864°S 148.2272°E ). [13] Kundilam railway station served the rural areas 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the east of the town ( 28°35′53″S148°19′35″E / 28.5981°S 148.3264°E ). The name Kundilam is an Aboriginal word meaning scrub berry. On 28 June 1917 Kundilam railway renamed Bonathorne railway station, named after the adjacent Bonathorne pastoral station of Alfred Allen Moore (the Bonathorne pastoral station still exists as at 8 May 2020 [4] ). [14] [15] Noondoo railway station was approx 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of the town ( 28°36′35″S148°25′47″E / 28.6097°S 148.4297°E ); it was named by the Queensland Railways Department on 29 October eafter the Noondoo pastoral station which in turn is an Aboriginal name either for the spring near the homestead or the shrub growing near the spring. [16] Hawkston railway station was located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of the town ( 28°37′17″S148°32′00″E / 28.6214°S 148.5333°E ). [17]
The Catholic church in Dirranbandi was expected to be opened by Archbishop James Duhig on Sunday 25 April 1926, [18] but it was not until 13 May 1928 that he was able to officially open St. Therese's Catholic Church. [19]
In September 1934 Mr. A. Clayton was contracted to build an Anglican church in Dirranbandi to the design of Brisbane architect, S. W. Prior. It was intended to be serviced by the Bush Brotherhood. [20] [21] By February 1935 it was open for services, [22] but it was not until Saturday 15 February 1936 that Bishop Horace Dixon was able to come to Dirranbandi dedicate the church as St Mark's Anglican Church. [23] [24]
Dirranbandi had the honour of being the destination for the last mail train to operate in Australia.[ when? ] [12] The Thallon-to-Dirranbandi section of the line was closed on 2 September 2010. [25]
The Culgoa Floodplain National Park lies 130 kilometres (81 mi) to the south-west. [26] The town experienced serious flooding in February–March 2010 and January 2011. [27]
During 2020 and 2021, the Queensland borders were closed to most people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Border crossing points were either closed or had a Queensland Police checkpoint to allow entry to only those people with an appropriate permit. The border crossing point on the Koomalah Road at Dirranbandi was closed. [28] [29]
At the 2011 census, Dirranbandi had a population of 711. [30]
In the 2016 census, Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people. 79.9% of people were born in Australia and 85.2% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 29.3%, Anglican 26.5%, and No Religion 14.8%. [31]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Dirranbandi had a population of 610 people. [1]
Dirranbandi P-10 State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at Jane Street ( 28°34′37″S148°13′48″E / 28.5770°S 148.2300°E ). [32] [33] In 2015, the school had 73 students with 12 teachers (11 full-time equivalent). [34] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 65 students with 13 teachers (11 full-time equivalent) and 13 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent). [35]
For secondary education to Year 12, the nearest government school is St George State High School in neighbouring St George to the north-west, but, given the distance, distance education and boarding school would be other options. [4]
Dirranbandi has a hospital, civic centre, swimming pool, park and showground. [36]
Balonne Shire Council operates a library on the Castlereagh Highway inside the Rural Transaction Centre. [37] [38]
The Dirranbandi branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 22 Kirby Street ( 28°35′00″S148°13′41″E / 28.5832°S 148.2281°E ). [39]
St Therese's Catholic Church is at 42 Kirby Street ( 28°34′52″S148°13′42″E / 28.5812°S 148.2283°E ); it is part of the parish of St Patrick's Parish headquartered in St George. [40] [41]
St Mark's Anglican Church is at 55 Moore Street ( 28°35′06″S148°13′44″E / 28.5851°S 148.2288°E ). [42]
Dirranbandi Uniting Church meet at the Anglican Church in Moore Street. It is part of the Uniting Church in Australia. [43]
Dirranbandi Aerodrome is located at the western end of Moore Street ( 28°35′02″S148°13′20″E / 28.5839°S 148.2221°E ). [4] It is operated by the Balonne Shire Council. It has a 1,000-metre (3,300 ft) sealed runway with lights. [44]
Slim Dusty sang about being the Dirranbandi Dandy in the song "Cunnamulla Fella", which he co-wrote with Stan Coster. [45]
Roger G. Barrett's popular "You Wouldn't be Dead for Quids" book series featured Les Norton as the lead character, who was born and bred in Dirranbandi.
Tom Dancey (1888–1957), a local stockman and Indigenous Australian, won Australia's most famous footrace, the Stawell Gift in 1910. [46] It is indicated the £1000 prize money was kept by his handlers and he only got the trophy. [47]
Brigadier General William Grant (1870–1939) post-World War I bought land in the area. He was involved in the Australian Light Horse. Artwork commemorates Dirranbandi's contributions to the Light Horse in terms of men and horses. [48]
Actor Ray Meagher grew up near Dirranbandi. He is best known for playing Alf Stewart on soap opera Home and Away, and credits one of his character's catchphrases "Stone the flamin' crows!" to Dick Backhouse who was a stock and station agent in town. [49]
Cunnamulla is a town and a locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is 206 kilometres (128 mi) south of Charleville, and approximately 750 kilometres (470 mi) west of the state capital, Brisbane. In the 2021 census, the locality of Cunnamulla had a population of 1,233 people.
St George is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Balonne.
Hebel is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. It is on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. In the 2021 census, the locality of Hebel had a population of 62 people.
Lightning Ridge is a small outback town in north-western New South Wales, Australia. Part of Walgett Shire, Lightning Ridge is situated near the southern border of Queensland, about 6 km (4 mi) east of the Castlereagh Highway. The Lightning Ridge area is a centre of the mining of black opal and other opal gemstones.
Mungindi is a town and locality on the border of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, Australia. The town is within Moree Plains Shire in New South Wales. Within Queensland, the locality is split between the Shire of Balonne and the Goondiwindi Region with the town in the Shire of Balonne. It possesses a New South Wales postcode. Mungindi sits on the Carnarvon Highway and straddles the Barwon River which is the border between New South Wales and Queensland. In the 2021 census, the locality of Mungindi had a population of 487 people in New South Wales and 124 people in Queensland, a total of 611 people.
Collarenebri is a town in north western New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Walgett Shire Local Government Area and is situated on the Barwon River approximately 75 kilometres (47 mi) northeast of Walgett and south west of Mungindi on the Gwydir Highway. It is 16 km (9.9 mi) from Pokataroo which was the nearest railway town prior to closure of the rail service there. The town is 150 metres (490 ft) above sea level. Collarenebri is one of three towns ending in 'BRI' in Northern New South Wales.
The Shire of Balonne is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia, over 500 kilometres (310 mi) from the state capital, Brisbane. It covers an area of 31,104 square kilometres (12,009.3 sq mi), and has existed as a local government entity since 1879. It is headquartered in its main town, St George.
Goodooga is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales in Brewarrina Shire on the eastern bank of the Bokhara River. It is near Brewarrina and Lightning Ridge, its closest neighbour. The town lies 20 kilometres (12 mi) south of the Queensland border, and the border town of Hebel.
Bollon is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Bollon had a population of 174 people.
Thallon is a town and a locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Thallon had a population of 231 people.
The South Western line is a narrow gauge railway line in the southern part of the state of Queensland, Australia. It junctions from the Southern line immediately south of Warwick station and proceeded westwards for a distance of 413 km to the town of Dirranbandi. A western extension to Boomie in New South Wales, approved by the Queensland Parliament in 1914, was never constructed. The Thallon-to-Dirranbandi section was closed on 2 September 2010.
Mirani is a rural town and locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Mirani had a population of 1,806 people.
The Moonie River (Mooni River) is a river in Shire of Balonne, Queensland and Walgett Shire, New South Wales, both in Australia. It is a perennial river of the Barwon catchment within the Murray–Darling basin.
Angledool is a locality in upper western New South Wales near the southern border of Queensland, one kilometre east of the Castlereagh Highway and approximately 45 kilometres north of Lightning Ridge. At the 2016 census, Angledool had a population of 58 people.
The Narran Wetlands, also known as the Narran Lakes, contained within the Narran Lake Nature Reserve, comprise a series of protected ephemeral lakes and swamps fed by the Narran River in the north-west of New South Wales, Australia. The 26,480-hectare (65,400-acre) reserve is located approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) east of Brewarrina.
South West Queensland is a remote region in the Australian state of Queensland which covers 319,808 km2 (123,479 sq mi). The region lies to the south of Central West Queensland and west of the Darling Downs and includes the Maranoa district and parts of the Channel Country. The area is noted for its cattle grazing, cotton farming, opal mining and oil and gas deposits.
Amby is a rural town and locality in the Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Amby had a population of 49 people.
Bungunya is a rural town and locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia. The locality is on the border of Queensland and New South Wales. In the 2021 census, the locality of Bungunya had a population of 62 people.
Daymar is a rural town and locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Daymar had a population of 41 people.
Talwood is a rural town and locality in Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia.
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