Rolleston is a rural town and locality in the Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Rolleston had a population of 132 people.[1]

Rolleston
Queensland
The main street of Rolleston
Rolleston is located in Queensland
Rolleston
Rolleston
Coordinates24°27′47″S 148°37′25″E / 24.4630°S 148.6236°E / -24.4630; 148.6236 (Rolleston (town centre))
Population132 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density0.942/km2 (2.440/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4702
Area140.1 km2 (54.1 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Central Highlands Region
State electorate(s)Gregory
Federal division(s)Flynn
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
29.5 °C
85 °F
14.1 °C
57 °F
635 mm
25 in
Localities around Rolleston:
Albinia Lowesby Lowesby
Albinia Rolleston Corrumbene
Consuelo Consuelo Corrumbene

Geography

edit
 
Aerial view of Rolleston, June 2017

Rolleston is located on the Comet River, 335 kilometres (208 mi) west of Gladstone, 263 kilometres (163 mi) north of Roma and 694 kilometres (431 mi) northwest of Brisbane. Springsure, the nearest town, lies 71 kilometres (44 mi) to the north-west. Rolleston is at the junction of the Carnarvon, Gregory and Dawson highways.[citation needed]

There is a large coal mine 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) to the west called the Rolleston coal mine.[4]

History

edit

Rolleston was built on Kanolu land.[citation needed]

Wadja (also known as Wadjigu, Wadia, Wadjainngo, Mandalgu, and Wadjigun) is an Australian Aboriginal language in Central Queensland. The language region includes the local government areas of the Aboriginal Shire of Woorabinda and Central Highlands Region, including the Blackdown Tablelands. the Comet River, and the Expedition Range, and the towns of Woorabinda, Springsure and Rolleston.[5]

The town is named after Christopher Rolleston, a pastoralist who was involved in leasing a number of pastoral runs in the area in the 1860s.[2][3]

Rolleston State School opened on 9 October 1871.[6]

Queensland's last legendary cattle thieves and bushrangers, the notorious Patrick and James Kenniff, frequently lived at Lethbridge Pocket, which is now within Carnarvon National Park. It was here on Easter Sunday, 30 March 1902, that they murdered Constable George Doyle and cattle station manager Albert Dahlke.[7]

All Saints Anglican Church was officially opened on Sunday 10 June 1934 by Bishop Fortescue Ash.[8][9]

Mining began at the Rollestone coal mine in October 2005 and is expected to last more than 20 years.[4]

Demographics

edit

In the 2006 census, the locality of Rolleston had a population of 217 people.[10]

In the 2011 census, the locality of Rolleston had a population of 129 people.[11]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Rolleston had a population of 309 people.[12]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Rolleston had a population of 132 people.[1]

Education

edit
 
Rolleston State School, 2018

Rolleston State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 16 Warrijo Street (24°27′45″S 148°37′26″E / 24.4624°S 148.6240°E / -24.4624; 148.6240 (Rolleston State School)).[13][14] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 63 students with 6 teachers (4 full-time equivalent) and 7 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[15]

There are no secondary schools in Rolleston or nearby. The nearest government schools offering secondary education are Springsure State School (to Year 10) in Springsure to the north-west and Emerald State High School (to Year 12) in Emerald to the north. Distance education and boarding schools are options.[16]

Facilities

edit

Emergency services available in Rolleston include:

Amenities

edit

The Central Highlands Regional Council operates a public library on Planet Street.[18]

 
All Saint's Anglican Church, 2016

There are two churches in Rolleston:

See also

edit
 
Entrance sign

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Rolleston (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  2. ^ a b "Rolleston – town in Central Highlands Region (entry 28948)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Rolleston – locality in Central Highlands Region (entry 46975)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b Department of Infrastructure and Planning. "Rolleston Coal Project". Government of Queensland. Archived from the original on 29 June 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  5. ^   This Wikipedia article incorporates CC BY 4.0 licensed text from: "Wadja". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  6. ^ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  7. ^ "George Doyle". Police Memorial. Queensland Police. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  8. ^ "ALL SAINTS'". Morning Bulletin. No. 21, 183. Queensland, Australia. 15 June 1934. p. 12. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "NEW ROLLESTON CHURCH". The Central Queensland Herald. Vol. 6, no. 234. Queensland, Australia. 21 June 1934. p. 55. Archived from the original on 24 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Rollestone (SSC)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  11. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Rolleston (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 10 March 2017.  
  12. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Rolleston (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  13. ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Rolleston State School". Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  15. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  16. ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  17. ^ a b c "Emergency services facilities - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Rolleston Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 31 March 2017. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  19. ^ "Anglican Parish of Springsure". anglicanchurchcq.org.au. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  20. ^ "Springsure". Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
edit