Guluguba is a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census, the locality of Guluguba had a population of 109 people.[1]

Guluguba
Queensland
Cafe at Guluguba on the Leichhardt Highway, 2014
Guluguba is located in Queensland
Guluguba
Guluguba
Coordinates26°15′25″S 150°02′40″E / 26.2569°S 150.0444°E / -26.2569; 150.0444 (Guluguba (town centre))
Population109 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density0.2812/km2 (0.728/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4418
Area387.6 km2 (149.7 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
  • 18.8 km (12 mi) SE of Wandoan
  • 50.0 km (31 mi) NNW of Miles
  • 177 km (110 mi) NW of Dalby
  • 387 km (240 mi) NW of Brisbane
LGA(s)Western Downs Region
State electorate(s)Callide
Federal division(s)Maranoa
Localities around Guluguba:
Wandoan Wandoan Roche Creek
Woleebee Guluguba Pelham
Woleebee Gurulmundi Pelham

Geography edit

Guluguba is located on the Leichhardt Highway, north of Miles and south of Wandoan.[4]

The now-closed Wandoan railway line traversed the locality with the town being served by the Guluguba railway station (26°15′24″S 150°02′42″E / 26.2567°S 150.0451°E / -26.2567; 150.0451 (Guluguba railway station)) with the Giligulgul railway station (26°21′12″S 150°02′59″E / 26.3532°S 150.0496°E / -26.3532; 150.0496 (Giligulgul railway station)) at the south of the locality.[5]

History edit

The name Guluguba is thought to be an Aboriginal word meaning squatter pigeon.[2][3]

Guluguba Post Office opened by 1916 (a receiving office had been open from 1915).[6]

Guluguba Provisional School opened on 1 February 1917 on a half-time basis (meaning shared a single teacher) with Downfall Creek Provisional School which opened in March 1917. When the Downfall Creek school closed in 1918, Guluguba became a full-time school.[7]

The first stage of the Wandoan railway line opened from Miles to Giligulgul railway station on 20 December 1913. The second stage from Giligulgul to Juandah, including Guluguba railway station, opened on 16 December 1914.[8]

In 1931, St John's Lutheran church was opened by a group of German settlers who had moved from South Australia.[9]

In 1940 at Downfall Creek, the local Lutheran community established a Lutheran Day School. Meanwhile, Guluguba State School had two temporary closures in 1942 and 1944 due to a lack of teacher accommodation.[7]

In 1957, the Queensland Education Department was willing to provide a teacher to Downfall Creek so the Lutheran Church school became Downfall Creek Provisional School once again. It finally closed in 1962.[7]

In the 2011 census, Guluguba was counted together with neighbouring Wandoan and had a combined population of 655.[10]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Guluguba had a population of 109 people.[1]

Education edit

Guluguba State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Fosters Road (26°15′24″S 150°02′39″E / 26.2567°S 150.0441°E / -26.2567; 150.0441 (Guluguba State School)).[11][12] In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 6 students with 2 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (2 equivalent full-time).[13] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 13 students with 2 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[14]

There are no secondary schools in Guluguba. The nearest government secondary schools are Wandoan State School (to Year 10) in neighbouring Wandoan to the north and Miles State High School (to Year 12) in Miles to the south.[4]

Amenities edit

St John's Lutheran Church (also known as the Downfall Creek Lutheran Church) is at 654 Upper Downfall Creek Road (26°15′20″S 150°08′58″E / 26.2555°S 150.1494°E / -26.2555; 150.1494 (St John's Lutheran Church)).[15][9]

Notable people edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Guluguba (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  2. ^ a b "Guluguba – town in Western Downs Region (entry 14951)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Guluguba – locality in Western Downs Region (entry 47706)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  6. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  7. ^ 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
  8. ^ Kerr, John (1990). Triumph of narrow gauge : a history of Queensland Railways. Boolarong Publications. pp. 224–225. ISBN 978-0-86439-102-5.
  9. ^ a b Blake, Thom. "St John's Lutheran Church". Queensland religious places database. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  10. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Wandoan (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 April 2014.  
  11. ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  12. ^ "Guluguba State School". Guluguba State School. 14 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Guluguba State School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  14. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  15. ^ "Downfall Creek Lutheran Church". South Western Queensland Lutheran Parish. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
  16. ^ "Meet Deb". Deb Frecklington MP. Archived from the original on 30 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.

Further reading edit

  • Bahnisch, Lyn; Stiller, Doris; Guluguba State School. Anniversary Committee (1992), Schools beside the track : 1917-1992 : celebrating the 75th anniversary of Guluguba State School : a history of Guluguba, Gurulmundi, Giligulgul and Downfall Creek Schools, Guluguba State School Anniversary Committee, ISBN 978-0-646-11955-7
  • Partlett, Launa (1986), Guluguba pioneers : stories from a Queensland rural community, ISBN 978-0-9588195-0-3
  • Stiller, Colin (2012), Those were the days, C. H. Stiller, ISBN 978-0-646-57299-4

External links edit