Smithlea Queensland | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coordinates | 28°48′24″S151°05′05″E / 28.8066°S 151.0847°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 41 (2021 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 0.485/km2 (1.255/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 4385 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 84.6 km2 (32.7 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
Location |
| ||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | Goondiwindi Region | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Southern Downs | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
|
Smithlea is a rural locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia. [2] It is on the Queensland border with New South Wales. [3] In the 2021 census, Smithlea had a population of 41 people. [1]
The Dumaresq River forms the southern and western boundary of the locality and is the border between Queensland and New South Wales. [4]
Texas–Yelarbon Road enters the locality from the south-east (Texas) and runs through the south and then west of the locality loosely parallel to the river before exiting to the north-west (Beebo). [5]
The land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation with some crop growing in areas close to the river. [6]
A branch railway line from Inglewood to Texas via the Smithlea area was approved in1914. [7] Howvever, construction did not begin until February 1929 with the jobs created being sought by many hundreds of men out of work due to the Great Depression. [8] [9] The 55-kilometre (34 mi) Texas railway line was officially opened on Monday 10 November 1930 by Godfrey Morgan, the Queensland Minister for Railways. [10]
The Smithlea area was served by the Mundoey railway siding ( 28°47′37″S151°05′01″E / 28.79355°S 151.08348°E ), which opened in September 1930. [11] It takes its name from the nearby Waddy Mundoey Creek, which is an Aboriginal name describing a European man with a wooden leg. [12] [13]
By 1963, passenger services on the railway line had ceased. [14] Regular services were withdrawn in 1985 being replaced by motor truck. The line closed on 1 January 1994 and is retained by Queensland Rail as a non-operational corridor. The track was left in place but other facilities were removed. [15]
In the 2016 census, Smithlea had a population of 47 people. [16]
In the 2021 census, Smithlea had a population of 41 people. [1]
There are no schools in Smithlea. The nearest government primary and secondary school is Texas State School (Prep to Year 10) in neighbouring Texas to the south-east. There are no secondary schools providing education to Year 12 neaby; the alternatives are distance education and boarding school. [17]