Monsildale, Queensland

Monsildale
Suburb
Outbuilding, Monsildale Homestead, 2007
Monsildale
Coordinates: 26°46′24″S152°18′34″E / 26.7733°S 152.3094°E / -26.7733; 152.3094 (Monsildale (centre of locality))
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
LGA	Somerset Region
Location	33.1 km (20.6 mi) NNW of Kilcoy 67.3 km (41.8 mi) N of Toogoolawah 84.7 km (52.6 mi) N of Esk 137 km (85 mi) NNW of Brisbane
Government
•  State electorate	Nanango
•  Federal division	Blair
Area
• Total	329.2 km2 (127.1 sq mi)
Population
• Total	18 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	0.0547/km2 (0.142/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+10:00 (AEST)
Postcode	4515
Suburbs around Monsildale Kingaham Kingaham Kingaham Avoca Vale Monsildale Jimna Avoca Vale Linville Sheep Station Creek

Monsildale is a rural locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Monsildale had a population of 18 people. ^[1]

Geography

The Kilcoy Murgon Road forms the eastern boundary of the locality. ^[3]

Monsildale Creek rises in the north-west of the locality and meanders towards the south-western boundary of the locality where it becomes a tributary of the Brisbane River ( 26°47′07″S152°16′09″E / 26.78525°S 152.26928°E / -26.78525; 152.26928 (Monsildale Creek (mouth)) ), which forms a small section of the south-western boundary before exiting south to neighbouring Linville. ^{[4] [5]}

There are a number of protected areas in the locality: ^[6]

• Squirrel Creek National Park, in the west of the locality, extending into neighbouring Avoca Vale ^[7]
• Squirrel Creek State Forest, in the west of the locality ^[8]
• Wrattens National Park, in the north of the locality ^[9]
• Jimna State Forest, in the north-east of the locality, extending into neighbouring Kingaham and Jimna ^[10]
• Sunday Creek State Forest, in the east of the locality, extending into neighbouring Jimna
• Conondale National Park, in the south-east of the locality, extending into neighbouring Jimna ^[11]

Monsildale has the following mountains:

• Mount Monsildale in the west of the locality ( 26°41′15″S152°20′43″E / 26.6874°S 152.3454°E / -26.6874; 152.3454 (Mount Monsildale) ) 726 metres (2,382 ft) ^{[12] [13]}
• Mount Pascoe in the south-west of the locality ( 26°46′02″S152°18′00″E / 26.7672°S 152.3000°E / -26.7672; 152.3000 (Mount Pascoe) ) 395 metres (1,296 ft) ^{[12] [14]}

Apart from the protected areas, the land use is grazing on native vegetation. ^[6]

History

The name Monsildale comes from the name of pastoral run used by David Cannon McConnel  [ Wikidata ] (1818–1885), which was named after the Derbyshire valley which contained Cressbrook, his home town. ^[2]

Monsildale Provisional School opened on 2 June 1913. In 1923, the school was relocated and renamed Foxlowe Provisional School. Then on 25 June 1926, it was renamed Jimna Provisional School and on 1 October 1934 became Jimna State School. It was mothballed in 2006 and officially closed on 31 December 2009. ^{[15] [16]}

Louisavale Provisional School opened on 11 November 1915. It closed on closed on 1 February 1934 due to low student numbers, but reopened on 25 July 1934. It closed permanently on 9 September 1940. ^[17]

In about 1941, a separate Monsildale State School was opened but closed about 1961. ^{[15] [16]}

Squirrel Creek National Park was officially gazetted in 2024 to protect endangered riverine wetlands and vulnerable species including the plumed frogmouth and black-breasted buttonquail. ^{[18] [19] [20] [21] [22]}

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Monsildale had a population of 21 people. ^[23]

In the 2021 census, Monsildale had a population of 18 people. ^[1]

Heritage listings

Monsildale Homestead, 2007

Monsildale has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Monsildale Homestead, 2532 Monsildale Road ( 26°42′19″S152°23′52″E / 26.705216°S 152.397667°E / -26.705216; 152.397667 (Monsildale Homestead) ) ^[24]

Education

There are no schools in Monsildale. The nearest government primary schools are Mary Valley State College in Imbil to the north-east, Kilcoy State School in Kilcoy to the south-east, and Linville State School in neighbouring Linville to the south. The nearest government secondary schools are Mary Valley State College (to Year 10) in Imbil, Kilcoy State High School (to Year 12) in Kilcoy, and Toogoolawah State High School (to Year 12) in Toogoolawah to the south. Some parts of Monsildale are too distant to attend any of these secondary schools with the alternatives being distance education and boarding school. ^[25]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Monsildale (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Monsildale – locality in Somerset Region (entry 47623)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 27 January 2020.
3. "Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Railways; Railway stations". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 June 2025.
4. "Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 June 2025.
5. "Monsildale Creek – watercourse in the Somerset Region (entry 22529)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 22 June 2025.
6. "Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Sugarcane areas". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 22 June 2025.
7. "Squirrel Creek National Park – national park in the Somerset Region (entry 52478)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 22 June 2025.
8. "Squirrel Creek State Forest – state forest in the Somerset Region (entry 32041)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 22 June 2025.
9. "Wrattens National Park – national park in the Gympie Region (entry 52435)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 22 June 2025.
10. "Jimna State Forest – state forest in the Somerset Region (entry 17234)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 22 June 2025.
11. "Conondale National Park – national park in the Sunshine Coast Region (entry 39413)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 22 June 2025.
12. "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
13. "Mount Monsildale – mountain in Somerset Region (entry 22530)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
14. "Mount Pascoe – mountain in Somerset Region (entry 26148)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
15. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government . Retrieved 7 June 2014.
16. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN   978-1-921171-26-0
17. "Agency ID 9108, Louisavale Provisional School". Queensland State Archives . Retrieved 23 September 2020.
18. Linard, Leanne (14 June 2024). "A further 12,000 hectares to be added to protected area estate". Media statements. Queensland Government. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
19. Linard, Leanne (30 September 2024). "Miles Government further expands protected areas". Media statements. Queensland Government. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
20. "New national parks welcomed as logging winds up in south east Queensland". Protect Beautiful Queensland. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
21. Moffat, Nicky (30 September 2024). "Endangered quoll, native forests to benefit from two new national parks". Queensland Conservation Council. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
22. Moffat, Nicky (25 June 2024). "Locals 'overjoyed' as 12,000 hectares of new SEQ national parks announced". Queensland Conservation Council. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
23. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Monsildale (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
24. "Monsildale Homestead (entry 602704)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
25. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 June 2025.