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Tolga, Queensland

Coordinates: 17°13′23″S 145°28′44″E / 17.2230°S 145.4788°E / -17.2230; 145.4788 (Tolga (town centre))
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Tolga
Queensland
Kennedy Highway near the intersection with Main Street, Tolga
Tolga is located in Queensland
Tolga
Tolga
Coordinates17°13′23″S 145°28′44″E / 17.2230°S 145.4788°E / -17.2230; 145.4788 (Tolga (town centre))
Population3,177 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density37.245/km2 (96.46/sq mi)
Established1885
Postcode(s)4882
Elevation760 m (2,493 ft)
Area85.3 km2 (32.9 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Tablelands Region
State electorate(s)Hill
Federal division(s)Kennedy
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
25.6 °C
78 °F		 15.3 °C
60 °F		 1,400 mm
55.1 in
Localities around Tolga:
Walkamin Mareeba Tinaroo
Arriga Tolga Kairi
Mutchilba Watsonville Atherton

Tolga is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Tolga had a population of 3,177 people.[1]

It is the centre of the region's peanut industry and is home to the Big Peanut (17°12′12″S 145°28′34″E / 17.2032°S 145.4760°E / -17.2032; 145.4760 (The Big Peanut)).[4]

Geography

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Tolga is located on the Atherton Tableland. The Kennedy Highway traverses the locality from the north-west to the south of the locality, passing through the town which is in the southern part of the locality.[5] To the north-west of the town is a large residential development which is marketed under the names of Tandara, Rangeview and Panorama Views.[6]

Mapee is a neighbourhood within the centre of the locality (17°11′24″S 145°28′04″E / 17.1901°S 145.4677°E / -17.1901; 145.4677 (Mapee)).[7] Yadjin is a neighbourhood in the south-east of the locality (17°13′00″S 145°30′00″E / 17.2166°S 145.5°E / -17.2166; 145.5 (Yadjin)).[8]

The Barron River forms the north-east boundary of the locality. The south-western boundary of the locality is the Great Dividing Range which creates the drainage divide that separates the drainage basin of the Barron River (which flows to the Coral Sea) from that of the Mitchell River (which flows to the Gulf of Carpentaria).[5]

The northern and eastern parts of Tolga are relatively flat land used for growing crops. The western parts are more mountainous (creating the drainage divide) and are mostly undeveloped.[5] Bones Knob is a peak to the west of the town (17°13′00″S 145°26′39″E / 17.2166°S 145.4441°E / -17.2166; 145.4441 (Bones Knob)) at 962 metres (3,156 ft) above sea level.[9]

The Tolga Scrub on the southern side of town (within the locality of Atherton, 17°14′12″S 145°28′46″E / 17.2367°S 145.4794°E / -17.2367; 145.4794 (Tolga Scrub)) is one of the last remaining areas of Mabi rainforest on the Atherton Tableland. It is the most drought resistant type of rainforest in Australia. The Tolga Scrub is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long and 100 metres wide.[10]

History

[edit]

Bones Knob is thought to be named after a young Aboriginal man known as "Bones", mention in a letter written in February 1879 by Alexander Douglas of the Native Mounted Police to Inspector Stuart of the Queensland Police.[9]

The town was originally called Martin Town after sawmillers George and Robert Martin,[2] and grew out of a Cobb and Co staging post at Rocky Creek.[11]

Martintown Provisional School opened on 10 October 1895. It was renamed Tolga Provisional School in 1905. On 1 January 1909, it became Tolga State School.[12] The school celebrated its centenary in 1995.[13]

The town's name was changed to Tolga in 1903 when Tablelands railway line was extended from Mareeba to Atherton and the local railway station was to be called Tolga, a name thought to be derived from the Aboriginal word for either place where the scrub begins or red volcanic soil.[2] The line opened on 10 August 1903.[14] A branch line from Tolga to Yungaburra was built, opening on 15 March 1910, which was subsequently extended in stages to Millaa Millaa by 19 December 1921.[14] The line between Atherton and Mareeba became non-operational on 1 July 2011 and was officially closed on 15 March 2013.[15] Tolga railway station was between the Kennedy Highway and Lawson Street (17°13′15″S 145°28′47″E / 17.2208°S 145.4797°E / -17.2208; 145.4797 (Tolga railway station)).[16]

Mapee takes its name from its railway station, assigned by the Queensland Railways Department on 11 January 1915. It is an Aboriginal word meaning tree kangaroo.[7]

Yadjin takes its name from its railway station name, assigned by the Queensland Railways Department on 26 June 1922, an Aboriginal word meaning grass pocket.[8]

During World War II in 1943 the Australian Army established their largest storage and repair centre to the west of the town centred on Griffin Road and Tate Road to support the War in the Pacific. It was known as the 13 Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot and was operated by the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps under the command of lieutenant colonel LW Gale with a staff of about 1000 including 200 from the Australian Women's Army Service. The complex had about 150 buildings, including 18 large igloo storage shed. The complex stored, repaired and maintained Army vehicles and vehicle parts, weapons and ammunition, and clothing.[17]

Most buildings on the site were removed in 1946 after the war had ended with one building being relocated to the Atherton Hospital for the use of the Queensland Country Women's Association. On Friday 29 November 1946, three Army personnel were working to remove cordite from the shells in the ammunition dump when the cordite ignited in a blinding flash. The three men were severely burned in the explosion but managed to crawl over a mile to their headquarters. Although they were rushed to the Atheron hospital, the three men died and were buried at the Atherton War Cemetery.[17][18]

Demographics

[edit]

In the 2006 census, the town of Tolga had a population of 843 people.[19]

In the 2011 census, the locality of Tolga had a population of 2,426 people.[20]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Tolga had a population of 2,718 people.[21]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Tolga had a population of 3,177 people.[1]

Heritage listings

[edit]

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

Education

[edit]

Tolga State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Main Street (17°13′24″S 145°28′39″E / 17.2232°S 145.4775°E / -17.2232; 145.4775 (Tolga State School)).[24][25] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 328 students with 24 teachers (20 full-time equivalent) and 17 non-teaching staff (10 full-time equivalent).[26] In 2023, the school had an enrolment of 316 students with 24 teachers (21 full-time equivalent) and 15 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent).[27]

There is no government secondary school in Tolga. The nearest government secondary school is Atherton State High School in neighbouring Atherton to the south.[28]

There are also non-government schools in Atherton.[28]

Community groups

[edit]

The Tolga branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the QCWA Hall at 60 Main Street.[29]

Events

[edit]

Tolga Markets are held at the Tolga Racecourse from 7am to 12pm on the first Sunday of each month. Local produce, hand crafted items, clothing, tools and food are commonly found for sale. It is considered the second most popular market held on the Atherton Tableland, only slightly smaller than the Yungaburra Markets.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Tolga (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b c "Tolga – town in Tablelands Region (entry 34741)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Tolga – locality in Tablelands Region (entry 48903)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  4. ^ Morris, Katherine (27 February 2017). "Tolga's big peanut a drawcard for tourism". Queensland Times. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Panorama Views, Atherton Tableland". Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Mapee – locality unbounded in Tablelands Regional (entry 39192)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Yadjin – locality unbounded in Tablelands Regional (entry 38346)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Bones Knob – peak in Tablelands Regional (entry 3545)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  10. ^ "The Tolga Scrub". Tolga Bat Hospital. Archived from the original on 6 June 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  11. ^ "My Heritage Australia, family tree, Genealogy – Family Search". Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
  12. ^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  13. ^ Snelling, Judy (1995), Tolga State School centenary 1895-1995, The School, archived from the original on 10 July 2024, retrieved 3 February 2018
  14. ^ a b Kerr, John (1990). Triumph of narrow gauge : a history of Queensland Railways. Boolarong Publications. p. 225. ISBN 978-0-86439-102-5.
  15. ^ "Northern Queensland Diagrams" (PDF). Queensland Rail. p. 15. Archived from the original on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ "Tolga – railway station in the Tablelands Region (entry 34742)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  17. ^ a b "13 Australian Advanced Ordnance Depot: Tolga Advanced Ordnance Depot". Queensland World War II historic places. Queensland Government. 30 June 2014. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Three Deaths Follow Cordite Blast". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 33, 991. New South Wales, Australia. 2 December 1946. p. 1. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Tolga (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  20. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Tolga (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 8 June 2016. Edit this at Wikidata
  21. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Tolga (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018. Edit this at Wikidata
  22. ^ "WWII RAAF 220 Radar Station (entry 602741)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  23. ^ "Rocky Creek World War Two Hospital Complex (former) (entry 601815)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  24. ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  25. ^ "Tolga State School". Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  26. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  27. ^ "Tolga State School: Annual Report 2023" (PDF). pp. 2, 6. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Branch Locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
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