Toogoolawah (/tˈɡləwə/ too-GOO-lə-wə) is a rural town and locality in the Somerset Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census, Toogoolawah had a population of 1,279 people.[1]

Toogoolawah
Queensland
Post office
Toogoolawah is located in Queensland
Toogoolawah
Toogoolawah
Coordinates27°05′07″S 152°22′33″E / 27.0852°S 152.3758°E / -27.0852; 152.3758 (Toogoolawah (town centre))
Population1,279 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density29.47/km2 (76.33/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4313
Area43.4 km2 (16.8 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Somerset Region
CountyCavendish
ParishBiarra
State electorate(s)Nanango
Federal division(s)Blair
Localities around Toogoolawah:
Ivory Creek Braemore Cressbrook
Ivory Creek Toogoolawah Mount Beppo
Biarra Ottaba Mount Beppo

Geography edit

Toogoolawah is in South East Queensland. Toogoolawah is a centre for gliding and parachuting and in the past the centre of a dairying industry. Cressbrook Creek, a tributary of the Brisbane River, passes through the town as does the Brisbane Valley Highway.

Naming edit

The district was originally known as Cressbrook after the Cressbrook Station operated by James Henry McConnel. The town took its present name Toogoolawah from its former railway station, which was named in November 1903 using the name Tugulawah proposed by McConnel, the name of the McConnel's residence at Bulimba, Brisbane (now known as Bulimba House).[2] McConnel had originally suggested the name Bakewell after a village in Derbyshire, for the new town and railway station, but the Queensland Railways Department wanted to use an Aboriginal name.[citation needed]

Toogoolawah is derived from the Aboriginal words "dhoo" (a generic term for tree) and "goo/lawa", meaning "crescent shaped" or "bent like a crescent moon". The name probably referred to a tree with a deformed trunk which stood on the site in Bulimba, rather than to the supposed shape outlined by the Brisbane River as it rounds Bulimba Point, as has been alleged.[citation needed]

History edit

Cressbrook Provisional School was operating in 1881 but closed in 1882 due to low student numbers; its opening date is unknown.[4][5]

What is now Toogoolawah town was surveyed privately when Cressbrook estate was subdivided and sold as dairy farms in 1904. The town plan was not registered with the survey office until 1 June 1909. The extension of the Brisbane Valley railway line from Esk to the new town (18.69 kilometres or 11.61 miles) was opened on 8 February 1904.

A Toogoolawah receiving office was opened in June 1904 and was elevated to post office status in July 1905.

Toogoolawah Provisional School opened on 30 May 1905. On 1 January 1909, it became Toogoolawah State School. A secondary department was added on 28 January 1975 until a separate high school opened on 25 January 1988.[5]

On Monday 10 September 1906, St Andrew's Anglican Church Hall was opened in Toogoolwah by Archbishop St Clair Donaldson.[6] On Sunday 12 May 1912, St Andrew's Anglican Church was dedicated by Archbishop St Clair Donaldson.[7]

A condensed milk factory was built shortly after the railway station was opened. The factory was closed in 1929, after Nestlé moved all its condensed milk production to Victoria, resulting in the town's population decreasing by half.[8]

 
Toogoolawah War Memorial, 2010

The Toogoolawah War Memorial commemorates those who served in World War I. Unlike most war memorials that were erected after the war, the Toogoolawah memorial was unveiled during the war on 31 March 1917 by the Rev. Chaplain Merrington.[9][10]

 
Cornerstone Lutheran Church, 2005

On 20 October 1940, a church building was relocated to Toogoolawah to reopen in Gardner Street North as the Cornerstone Lutheran Church (27°05′17″S 152°22′45″E / 27.08794°S 152.37923°E / -27.08794; 152.37923 (Cornerstone Lutheran Church)).[11] It was formerly the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jeebropilly, which opened on 20 April 1898, closing circa 1938.[12][13]

Toogoolawah State High School opened on 25 January 1988, replacing the secondary department attached to Toogoolawah State School.[5]

Toogoolawah Library had a major refurbishment in 2006.[14]

Toogoolawah was partially cut off by flooding as a result of the 2010–2011 Queensland floods.[15]

At the 2011 census, Toogoolawah had a population of 1,162.[16]

In the 2016 census, Toogoolawah had a population of 1,279 people.[1]

Heritage listings edit

 
St Andrew's Anglican Church, built in 1912 in the Federation Arts and Crafts style
 
St Andrew's Rectory

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

Amenities edit

The Somerset Regional Council operate a public library at Gunyah Street.[22]

There are three pubs in Toogoolawah, all situated on the main road.

Education edit

Toogoolawah State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at Gardner Street (27°05′30″S 152°22′45″E / 27.0917°S 152.3792°E / -27.0917; 152.3792 (Toogoolawah State School)).[23][24] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 171 students with 16 teachers (12 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (7 full-time equivalent).[25]

Toogoolawah State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 76 Old Mount Beppo Road (27°06′09″S 152°23′18″E / 27.1026°S 152.3883°E / -27.1026; 152.3883 (Toogoolawah State High School)).[23][26] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 267 students with 33 teachers (29 full-time equivalent) and 22 non-teaching staff (14 full-time equivalent).[25] Brisbane Valley Cluster Special Education Program is a primary and secondary (Early Childhood-12) special education program at Toogoolawah State High School at 76 Old Mount Beppo Road (27°06′09″S 152°23′18″E / 27.1026°S 152.3883°E / -27.1026; 152.3883 (Brisbane Valley Cluster – Special Education Program)).[23][27]

Attractions edit

Toogoolawah is home to a fun-jumping and tandem skydiving centre.[28]

In popular culture edit

Toogoolawah featured on the third season of The Mole in 2002.[29][30]

Notable people edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Toogoolawah (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  2. ^ a b "Toogoolawah – town in Somerset Region (entry 34846)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Toogoolawah – locality in Somerset Region (entry 44926)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  4. ^ "EDUCATION REPORT". Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald And General Advertiser. Vol. XXIII, no. 3293. Queensland, Australia. 1 September 1883. p. 3. Retrieved 26 November 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ "RELIGIOUS". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LXIII, no. 15, 188. Queensland, Australia. 15 September 1906. p. 16. Retrieved 22 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "BELOW THE RANGE". The Brisbane Courier. No. 16, 956. Queensland, Australia. 17 May 1912. p. 4. Retrieved 22 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) (2000). Heritage Trails of the Great South East. State of Queensland. pp. 50–51. ISBN 0-7345-1008-X.
  9. ^ "Toogoolawah War Memorial". Monument Australia. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  10. ^ "Toogoolawah Letter". Queensland Times (Ipswich) (Qld. : 1909 – 1954). Ipswich (Qld.): National Library of Australia. 3 April 1917. p. 7 Edition: DAILY. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  11. ^ Blake, Thom. "Cornerstone Lutheran Church". Queensland religious places database. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  12. ^ Blake, Thom. "Bethlehem Lutheran Church (1898)". Queensland religious places database. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  13. ^ Weiss, Johann Peter (1999), Short, general and statistical history of the Australian Lutheran Church : places, parishes, pastors, J.P. Weiss, pp. 157, 167, ISBN 978-0-9586400-0-8
  14. ^ "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 15. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  15. ^ Floods continue devastating march
  16. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Toogoolawah (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 19 January 2016.  
  17. ^ "McConnell Park & Toogoolawah War Memorial (entry 600499)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  18. ^ "Inverness (entry 600498)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  19. ^ "St Andrew's Church (entry 600502)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  20. ^ "St Andrew's Church Hall (entry 600500)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  21. ^ "St Andrew's Rectory (entry 600501)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  22. ^ "Toogoolawah Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  23. ^ a b c "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  24. ^ "Toogoolawah State School". Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  25. ^ a b "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  26. ^ "Toogoolawah State High School". Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  27. ^ "Brisbane Valley Cluster – Special Education Program". Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  28. ^ Skydiving Lessons | Tandem Skydiving | Learn to Skydive – Ramblers
  29. ^ YouTube – The Mole Aus 3 – Episode # 9 / Part 1
  30. ^ YouTube – The Mole Aus 3 – Episode # 9 / Part 2

External links edit