Owens Creek, Queensland

Owens Creek Queensland
Sugarcane fields at Owens Creek, 1976
Owens Creek
Coordinates	21°05′56″S148°42′50″E / 21.0988°S 148.7138°E / -21.0988; 148.7138 (Owens Creek (centre of locality))
Population	193 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	4.617/km2 (11.96/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4741
Area	41.8 km2 (16.1 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	23.0 km (14 mi) NW of Mirani 60.1 km (37 mi) W of Mackay 1,027 km (638 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Mackay Region
State electorate(s)	Mirani
Federal division(s)	Capricornia Dawson
Suburbs around Owens Creek: Finch Hatton Eungella Hinterland Dows Creek Finch Hatton Owens Creek Dows Creek Finch Hatton Pinnacle Gargett

Owens Creek is a rural locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Owens Creek had a population of 193 people. ^[1]

Geography

Mount Castor is in the south-east of the locality ( 21°07′07″S148°44′28″E / 21.1185°S 148.7410°E / -21.1185; 148.7410 (Mount Castor) ), rising to 360 metres (1,180 ft) above sea level. ^{[3] [4]}

History

The locality takes its name from the former Owens Creek railway station, assigned by the Queensland Railways Department on 16 March 1922. ^[2]

The Mackay Railway was extended from Gargett to Owens Creek on 28 August 1922, ^{[5] [6]} with the locality being served by the following railway stations (from north to south):

• Owens Creek railway station ( 21°05′02″S148°42′50″E / 21.0840°S 148.7140°E / -21.0840; 148.7140 (Owens Creek railway station (former)) ) ^[7]
• Pakula railway station ( 21°05′16″S148°43′18″E / 21.0877°S 148.7216°E / -21.0877; 148.7216 (Pakula railway station (former)) ) ^[8]
• Abbottville railway station ( 21°05′55″S148°43′40″E / 21.0986°S 148.7277°E / -21.0986; 148.7277 (Abbottville railway station (former)) ) ^[9]

• Mount Castor railway station ( 21°07′S148°44′E / 21.12°S 148.73°E / -21.12; 148.73 (Mount Castor railway station (former)) ) ^[10]

The railway line to Owen Creek closed on 23 March 1970, to be replaced initially by road haulage and then by an extension of the Marian sugar mill's local cane tramway network. ^[5]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Owens Creek had a population of 156 people. ^[11]

In the 2021 census, Owens Creek had a population of 193 people. ^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Owens Creek. The nearest government primary schools are Gargett State School in neighbouring Gargett to the south-east and Finch Hatton State School in neighbouring Finch Hatton to the south-west. The nearest government secondary school is Mirani State High School in Mirani to the south-east. ^[12]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Owens Creek (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Owens Creek – locality in Mackay Region (entry 46822)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 27 December 2020.
3. "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.
4. "Mount Castor – mountain in Mackay Region (entry 6476)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
5. Kerr, John (1990). Triumph of narrow gauge : a history of Queensland Railways. Boolarong Publications. pp. 140–142, 189. ISBN   978-0-86439-102-5.
6. "Owens Creek Railway". The Brisbane Courier . No. 20, 148. Queensland, Australia. 18 August 1922. p. 4. Archived from the original on 28 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024– via National Library of Australia.
7. "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
8. "Pakula – rail station - feature no longer exists in Mackay Regional (entry 25825)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
9. "Abbottville – rail station - feature no longer exists in Mackay Regional (entry 20)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
10. "Mount Castor – rail station - feature no longer exists in Mackay Regional (entry 22987)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
11. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Owens Creek (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
12. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2024.