Meandarra is a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Meandarra had a population of 244 people.[1]

Meandarra
Queensland
Meandarra ANZAC Memorial Museum, 2010
Meandarra is located in Queensland
Meandarra
Meandarra
Coordinates27°19′26″S 149°52′50″E / 27.3238°S 149.8805°E / -27.3238; 149.8805 (Meandarra (town centre))
Population244 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density0.3026/km2 (0.7837/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4422
Area806.4 km2 (311.4 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Western Downs Region
State electorate(s)Warrego
Federal division(s)Maranoa
Localities around Meandarra:
Glenmorgan Yulabilla Condamine
Glenmorgan Meandarra Hannaford
Coomrith Inglestone Hannaford

Geography

edit

The town is located on Brigalow Creek, 361 kilometres (224 mi) west of the state capital, Brisbane.[4] Meandarra contains the neighbourhood of Undulla at 27°10′59″S 149°57′0″E / 27.18306°S 149.95000°E / -27.18306; 149.95000 (Undulla, Queensland=).[5]

The Glenmorgan railway line enters the locality from the east and terminates at the Meandarra railway station immediately north of the town (27°19′19″S 149°53′10″E / 27.3219°S 149.8861°E / -27.3219; 149.8861 (Meandarra railway station)).[4]

History

edit

First surveyed in 1912 by surveyor John Daveney Steele, the town derived its name from a pastoral run first used by pastoralist Archibald Meston on 16 October 1867.[2][3]

Cooroorah Provisional School opened in 1913 and closed on 1919. After a temporary closure in 1915, it closed permanently 1919. Its location was "via Meandarra".[6]

Meandarra State School opened on 27 September 1915.[6][7]

Kinkabilla Provisional School opened on 1921 and closed circa 1934. Its location was "via Meandarra".[6]

Meandarra Post Office opened on 1 January 1928 (a receiving office was open from 1910 until 1918).[8]

On 21 June 1953, St Margaret Mary Catholic Church was officially opened and dedicated by the Vicar Capitular of Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba Michael Morrissey McKenna. It was the first church in Meandarra.[9][10]

St Augustine's Anglican Church opened in 1955.[11]

The Meandarra Public Library building opened in 1993.[12]

Meandarra Assembly of God Church was established in 1995. It later renamed itself as the Country Hope Church.[13]

The Meandarra ANZAC Memorial Museum was opened in 2009.[14]

The Glenmorgan railway line was closed beyond Meandarra to Block Trains on 26 June 2013, making Meandarra the terminus.[15] the line beyond Meandarra is "booked out of use" as of 2022

Demographics

edit

In the 2006 census, the locality of Meandarra and the surrounding area had a population of 341 people.[16]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Meandarra had a population of 262 people.[17]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Meandarra had a population of 244 people.[1]

Education

edit

Meandarra State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Sara Street (27°19′26″S 149°52′56″E / 27.3240°S 149.8822°E / -27.3240; 149.8822 (Meandarra State School)).[18][19] In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 37 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[20] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 41 students with 5 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[21]

There is no secondary school in Meandarra. The nearest secondary school is Tara State College in Tara to the east, but it is a considerable distance for a daily commute and other options would be distance education or boarding school.[4]

Amenities

edit

The Western Downs Regional Council operates the Meandarra Library on Sara Street.[22]

St Augustine's Anglican Church is on the north-west corner of Sara Street and Maude Street (27°19′31″S 149°52′53″E / 27.3254°S 149.8814°E / -27.3254; 149.8814 (St Augustine's Anglican Church)).[23][11]

St Margaret Mary Catholic Church is at 16 Walton Street (27°19′23″S 149°52′44″E / 27.3230°S 149.8790°E / -27.3230; 149.8790 (St Margaret Mary Catholic Church)).[9] It is part of the St Mary of the Angels' Parish of Tara.[24]

The Country Hope Church (also known as the Meandarra Assembly of God Church) is on the north-west corner of Sara Street and Gibson Street (27°19′34″S 149°52′51″E / 27.3262°S 149.8808°E / -27.3262; 149.8808 (Country Hope Church)).[25][13]

The Meandarra/Glenmorgan Lutheran congregation holds their services in the Glenmorgan Community Church.[26]

The Royal Hotel operates on Sara Street.[27]

Attractions

edit

Meandarra ANZAC Memorial Museum is in Sara Street (27°19′22″S 149°52′58″E / 27.3229°S 149.8827°E / -27.3229; 149.8827 (Meandarra ANZAC Memorial Museum)). It contains a large collection of ANZAC memorabilia including a Canberra bomber and a German U-boat engine.[14]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Meandarra (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  2. ^ a b "Meandarra – town in Western Downs Region (entry 21484)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Meandarra – locality in Western Downs Region (entry 47726)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Undulla – unbounded locality in Western Downs Region (entry 35794)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  7. ^ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  8. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  9. ^ a b "St Margaret Mary Catholic Church". Churches Australia. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  10. ^ "MEANDARRA CHURCH OPENING". The Dalby Herald. Queensland, Australia. 3 July 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 28 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ a b "St Augustine's Anglican Church, Meandarra (1955-)". National Redress Scheme. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 16. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Country Hope Church, Meandarra (1995-)". National Redress Scheme. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  14. ^ a b Casey, Scott (24 July 2009). "Little Meandarra's big bang in world of war craft". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 27 July 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  15. ^ "Southern Queensland line diagrams" (PDF). Queensland Rail. November 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  16. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Meandarra (Tara Shire) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  17. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Meandarra (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  18. ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  19. ^ "Meandarra State School". Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  20. ^ "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Meandarra State School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  21. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  22. ^ "Meandarra Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 30 August 2016. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  23. ^ "St Augustine's Anglican Church". Churches Australia. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  24. ^ "St Margaret Mary Church, Meandarra". Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  25. ^ "Meandarra Assembly of God Church". Churches Australia. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  26. ^ "Meandarra Glenmorgan Lutheran Church Services". South Western Queensland Lutheran Parish. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  27. ^ "The Royal Hotel Meandarra". The Royal Hotel Meandarra. 14 November 2018. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
edit