Widgee

Last updated

Widgee
Queensland
Widgee Memorial Hall.JPG
Soldiers' Memorial hall
Australia Queensland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Widgee
Coordinates 26°12′59″S152°25′12″E / 26.2163°S 152.42°E / -26.2163; 152.42 (Widgee (centre of locality))
Population862 (SAL 2021) [1]
Postcode(s) 4570
Area197.8 km2 (76.4 sq mi)
Time zone AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s) Gympie Region
State electorate(s) Gympie
Federal division(s) Wide Bay
Suburbs around Widgee:
Oakview Lower Wonga Bells Bridge
Black Snake Widgee Glastonbury
Wrattens Forest Wrattens Forest Upper Glastonbury

Widgee is a rural locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. [2] In the 2021 census, Widgee had a population of 862 people. [3]

Contents

History

The name is believed to have originated from the Aboriginal words Witchee Witchee meaning listen or hark. [4]

In 1887, 43,000 acres (17,000 ha) of land were resumed from the Widgee Widgee pastoral run. The land was offered for selection for the establishment of small farms on 17 April 1887. [5]

Widgee Provisional School opened on 11 July 1892, presumably in temporary premises, [6] [7] as tenders to erect a building were not called until April 1893. [8] It became Widgee State School on 1 January 1909. A new school building was built in 1913. [9] It was closed in 1921. It was near Station Creek (approx 26°11′52″S152°25′01″E / 26.19787°S 152.41702°E / -26.19787; 152.41702 (Widgee State School (first site)) ). [10] [11] [12]

On 10 August 1912 at the Lands Office at Gympie, the Queensland Government offered for selection 48 agricultural lots in the Widgee Repurchased Estate. The lots ranged in size from 160 to 758 acres (65 to 307 ha), in total 20,266 acres (8,201 ha). 17 blocks were situated around Waroonga Creek to the north-west of Widgee Mountain ( 26°14′34″S152°22′23″E / 26.2428°S 152.3731°E / -26.2428; 152.3731 (Widgee Mountain) ) while 31 blocks were situated to south around Widgee Creek and Little Widgee Creek. The blocks were described as suitable for dairying and general farming with an average annual rainfall of 40 inches (1,000 mm). [13] [14]

The Widgee Soldiers' Memorial Hall was officially opened in the presence of 300 people on Saturday 31 March 1923 by Harry Clayton, the Member for the local electoral district of Wide Bay in the Queensland Legislative Assembly. [15] The opening of the hall enabled the school to re-open using the hall until 1938 when a new school was built beside the hall. [11]

On Sunday 27 March 1938, a stump-capping ceremony was performed for a Catholic church on land donated by Mrs W. Power of Widgee. [16] The church was officially opened and dedicated to St Vincent de Paul on Sunday 25 September 1938 by Archbishop James Duhig in the presence of 500 residents. The timber church was 60 by 30 feet (18.3 by 9.1 m) and could seat 100 people; it cost £674. [17]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Widgee had a population of 788 people. [18]

In the 2016 census, Widgee had a population of 794 people. [19]

In the 2021 census, Widgee had a population of 862 people. [3]

Heritage listings

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

Education

Widgee State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 2156 Gympie-Woolooga Road ( 26°12′14″S152°26′35″E / 26.2038°S 152.4431°E / -26.2038; 152.4431 (Widgee State School) ). [21] [22] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 52 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent). [23]

There are no secondary schools in Widgee; the nearest one is James Nash State High School in Gympie. [24]

Amenities

St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 2010 Widgee Church.JPG
St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 2010

St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church is on the south-west corner of Gympie Woolooga Road and Little Widgee Road ( 26°12′15″S152°26′33″E / 26.20419°S 152.44243°E / -26.20419; 152.44243 (St Vincent de Paul's Catholic Church) ). [25] [26] [27]

The Soldiers' Memorial Hall is at 2148 Gympie Woolooga Road ( 26°12′14″S152°26′38″E / 26.20391°S 152.44380°E / -26.20391; 152.44380 (Widgee Soldiers' Memorial Hall) ). [28] [29] Inside the hall, an honour board commemorates those who served in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War. [30] Outside the hall, a war memorial also commemorates those who served in the conflicts. [31] [32]

Widgee Showgrounds are at 22 Upper Widgee Road ( 26°12′07″S152°26′13″E / 26.20197°S 152.43687°E / -26.20197; 152.43687 (Widgee Showgrounds) ). [33] The Widgee & District Pony Club is located there. [34]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gympie</span> City in Queensland, Australia

Gympie is a city and a locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wide Bay-Burnett District, Gympie is about 170.7 kilometres (110 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River, which floods Gympie occasionally. The locality of Gympie is the central business district for the city of Gympie and also the administrative centre for the Gympie Region local government area. As of the 2021 Census, Gympie had an urban population of 22,424.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kandanga, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Kandanga is a town and a locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Kandanga had a population of 665 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilkivan, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Kilkivan is a town and locality in the Gympie Region of Queensland, Australia. At the 2016 census, Kilkivan had a population of 713.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goomeri</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Goomeri is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Goomeri had a population of 664 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eumundi, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Eumundi is a rural town and locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Eumundi had a population of 2,504 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Kilkivan</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Kilkivan was a local government area about 180 kilometres (112 mi) north-northwest of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. The shire covered an area of 3,263.4 square kilometres (1,260.0 sq mi), and existed from 1886 until its merger with several other local government areas to form the Gympie Region on 15 March 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Cooloola</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Cooloola was a local government area located about 170 kilometres (106 mi) north of Brisbane – the state capital of Queensland, Australia. The shire covered an area of 2,968.8 square kilometres (1,146.3 sq mi), and was the product of a merger in 1993 between the City of Gympie and the Shire of Widgee, which had both existed since 1879–1880. It merged with several other LGAs to form the Gympie Region on 15 March 2008.

Southside is a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Southside had a population of 5,737 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imbil</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Imbil is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Imbil had a population of 924 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theebine</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Theebine is a rural town and locality split between the Gympie Region and the Fraser Coast Region, both in Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolooga</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Woolooga is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Woolooga had a population of 247 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinana, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Tinana is a rural town and locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Tinana had a population of 5,872 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kia Ora, Queensland</span> Suburb of Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia

Kia Ora is a rural locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Kia Ora had a population of 218 people.

Cooloola Cove is a coastal locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Cooloola Cove had a population of 2,921 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munna Creek</span> Suburb of Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia

Munna Creek is a locality split between the Fraser Coast Region and the Gympie Region, in Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Munna Creek had a population of 23 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tansey, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Tansey is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Tansey had a population of 144 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teebar, Queensland</span> Suburb of Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia

Teebar is a rural locality in the Fraser Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Teebar had a population of 59 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Widgee Crossing North, Queensland</span> Suburb of Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia

Widgee Crossing North is a rural locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Widgee Crossing North had a population of 20 people.

Widgee Crossing South is a rural locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Widgee Crossing South had a population of 33 people.

Long Flat is a rural locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Long Flat had a population of 98 people.

References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Widgee (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. "Widgee – locality in Gympie Region (entry 46397)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  3. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Widgee (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  4. "NOMENCLATURE OF QUEENSLAND-306". The Courier-Mail . Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 22 September 1936. p. 12. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  5. "Proclamations under the New Land Acts". The Brisbane Courier . Queensland, Australia. 2 March 1877. p. 3. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020 via Trove.
  6. "LOCAL NEWS". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay And Burnett Advertiser . No. 6, 447. Queensland, Australia. 9 June 1893. p. 2. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024 via National Library of Australia.
  7. "NOTES AND NEWS". Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette . Vol. XXVIII, no. 3483. Queensland, Australia. 22 August 1896. p. 5. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024 via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Advertising". Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette . Vol. XXV, no. 3068. Queensland, Australia. 13 April 1893. p. 2. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024 via National Library of Australia.
  9. "WIDGEE". Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette . Vol. XLVI, no. 7128. Queensland, Australia. 20 September 1913. p. 6. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024 via National Library of Australia.
  10. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN   978-1-921171-26-0
  11. 1 2 "A Brief History of Widgee". Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  12. "Parish of Widgee" (Map). Queensland Government. 1903. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  13. "The Widgee Estate". State Library of Queensland (Real estate map). 1912. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  14. "Advertising". The Telegraph . Queensland, Australia. 10 August 1912. p. 11. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2020 via Trove.
  15. "MEMORIAL HALL AT WIDGEE". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay And Burnett Advertiser . No. 14, 862. Queensland, Australia. 4 April 1923. p. 6. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024 via National Library of Australia.
  16. "Augmenting Gladstone's Water Supply". The Courier-mail . No. 1427. Queensland, Australia. 29 March 1938. p. 8 (Second Section.). Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024 via National Library of Australia.
  17. "NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay And Burnett Advertiser . No. 20, 871. Queensland, Australia. 1 October 1938. p. 5. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024 via National Library of Australia.
  18. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Widgee". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 July 2013. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  19. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Widgee (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  20. "Wodonga House (former) (entry 600643)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  21. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  22. "Widgee State School". Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  23. "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  24. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  25. "St Vincent de Paul Church, Widgee". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  26. "St Vincent de Paul's Catholic Church | Widgee". Queensland Religious Places Database. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  27. Google (15 March 2024). "St Vincent de Paul Catholic Church" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  28. Google (15 March 2024). "Widgee Soldiers' Memorial Hall" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  29. "Widgee Memorial Hall". Monument Australia. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  30. "Widgee & District Honour Board". Monument Australia. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  31. "Widgee War Memorial". Monument Australia. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  32. "Widgee Memorial Hall". Gympie Regional Council. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  33. Google (15 March 2024). "Widgee Showgrounds" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  34. "Widgee & District Pony Club". Facebook. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.

Further reading