St George, Queensland
| St George Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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 Australian Hotel, 2021 | |||||||||||||||
  St George | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 28°02′11″S 148°34′47″E / 28.0363°S 148.5797°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 3,130 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.2835/km2 (0.7341/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1862 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4487 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 200.8 m (659 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 11,042.5 km2 (4,263.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Balonne | ||||||||||||||
| Region | South West Queensland | ||||||||||||||
| County | Belmore | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Warrego | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
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St George is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Balonne. In the 2021 census, St George had a population of 3,130 people.[1]
Geography[edit]
The town is 513 kilometres (319 mi) due west of Brisbane and the Gold Coast and sits just inside the region of South West Queensland, Australia.
St George is on the Balonne River which is reputedly an excellent fishing site for fish such as Yellowbelly and Murray Cod.
It sits at the junction of several highways including the Castlereagh Highway, the Moonie Highway, the Carnarvon Highway and the Balonne Highway. The only crossing of the Balonne River is the Andrew Nixon Bridge on the Balonne Highway.
History[edit]
Aboriginal people[edit]
The present township of St George was founded on the boundaries of three Aboriginal cultural groups, the Mandandanji to the north, the Kooma to the south-west and the Bigambul to the south-east.[4][5][6]
These people of the Balonne River fished with hoop nets and hunted ducks and marsupials for meat. They supplemented their diet with the small native melons that grew in abundance in the area, and with yams dug out from the flats along the riverbanks. Their funeral rites consisted of constructing an elevated bark platform on which the deceased would be placed, with fires lit underneath to smoke and preserve the corpse. The mummified remains would then be wrapped in bark and possum cloaks and carried with care by the relatives until they were deposited in a hollow of a tree. Surrounding trees were marked and decorated.[6][7][8]
British colonisation[edit]
In 1845, pastoralist squatters John Gordon Town and Christopher Bagot entered the vicinity looking for land to take up for cattle. The local Commissioner for Crown Lands, Roderick Mitchell conducted an expedition along the Balonne River later that year, taking the name for the river from the Aboriginal residents.[7]
In 1846, the site where the town of St George now stands was Major Thomas Mitchell's Camp VIII of his expedition into northern Australia. He noticed the natural rocky ford across the Balonne River on St George's Day, 23 April, thereby naming the site St George's Bridge. He directed his second-in-charge Edmund Kennedy to construct a cattle depot there while he explored further north. Kennedy and his stockmen remained at St George's Bridge for around a month.[9][8]
In 1847, the first cattle stations were established: Burgorah (also known as Warroo, owned by Robert Fitzgerald and managed by Patrick Brennan); Boombah (owned by Henry Dangar and managed by George Hazard); Gulnarbar (owned by George and Anthony Loder, and managed by William Clay); and Wagoo (also known as Wachoo or Culpa, owned by William Ogilvie Jnr, and managed by Robert Hazard).[6][10]
Conflict with the local Aborigines over land and the killing of cattle ensued with around 40 Aboriginal people and up to nine whites being killed on Burgorah in 1849, Patrick Brennan being wounded in the leg by a spear. Aboriginal men later counter-attacked the stockmen on Burgorah, forcing them to flee to the nearby Boombah property, where Dangar's men were able to reinforce and arm both the stockmen and members of a rival Aboriginal clan. Upon returning to Burgorah, they slaughtered the resident Aboriginal people, burying around 70 of their corpses in a large pit.[6][11][12]
In 1852, sweeps by the paramilitary Native Police began in the area. Sergeant Richard Dempster with property managers Patrick Brennan and others, shot at least five Aboriginal people on Wagoo. Later that year, a detachment under Lieutenant George Fulford drove the free Aborigines into the "back country". Some Aboriginal people were allowed to remain on the properties to be utilised as labourers and prostitutes. These were called "station blacks" and by 1855 there were around 40 remaining on Burgorah and 200 at Boombah.[6]
By 1862, Burgorah and Gulnarbar were being utilised as a temporary Native Police barracks where Aboriginal prisoners were tied to trees and flogged, and occasionally shot dead. Lieutenant John Marlow and his troopers made a final sweep of the region in 1862, destroying Aboriginal camps and pursuing them as far as Angellala Creek where he "dispersed" them after a brief battle.[6][13][14][15]
Township of St George[edit]
The township of St George was gazetted upon a portion of the Burgorah run in March 1864 with the first 59 parcels of land offered for sale a month later.[16][10]
Andrew Nixon was contracted in 1890 by the Queensland government to build a timber bridge across the Balonne River at St George's Bridge. This was completed in 1892 and later replaced by the current Andrew Nixon bridge and Jack Taylor Weir in 1953.[17][18]
The first St Patrick's Catholic Church was built in 1874; it is now known as the old parish hall.[19]
On 3 May 1959 the new St Patrick's Catholic Church was blessed and opened.[19]
The Balonne Beacon newspaper was published in St George from 2 January 1909 to 29 December 1954.[20] The St. George Standard and Balonne Advertiser newspaper was published from 1878 - 1879 and 1902 - 1904.[21]
Floods[edit]
The town was severely affected by flooding in March 2010,[22] which peaked at 13.5 metres,[23] and again in December 2010 - January 2011.
Flooding once again occurred in February 2012, and about 2000 residents were mandatorily evacuated on 4 and 5 February to evacuation centres in Dalby and Brisbane.[24] A temporary levee was built in St George on the morning of 5 February (Sunday).[23] The Balonne River reached a height of 13.85 metres on Tuesday 7 February.[24]
Demographics[edit]
In the 2016 census, the locality of St George had a population of 3,048 people.[25]
In the 2021 census, the locality of St George had a population of 3,130 people.[1]
Climate[edit]
| St George, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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St George, experiences a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh, Trewartha: BShl); with very hot summers; warm to hot springs and autumns; and mild winters. Precipitation is moderately low throughout the year due to its distance from the coast. Climate data for St George was collected at the St George Post Office from 1881 to 1997.[26]
| Climate data for St George Airport, Queensland, Australia (1997–present normals and extremes); 199 m AMSL | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 47.2 (117.0) |
46.8 (116.2) |
42.0 (107.6) |
36.1 (97.0) |
32.5 (90.5) |
29.2 (84.6) |
28.7 (83.7) |
37.6 (99.7) |
40.4 (104.7) |
42.6 (108.7) |
45.1 (113.2) |
45.9 (114.6) |
47.2 (117.0) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 39.9 (103.8) |
39.0 (102.2) |
36.0 (96.8) |
32.0 (89.6) |
27.4 (81.3) |
23.8 (74.8) |
23.6 (74.5) |
26.7 (80.1) |
32.5 (90.5) |
35.5 (95.9) |
38.9 (102.0) |
39.0 (102.2) |
39.9 (103.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 35.3 (95.5) |
33.8 (92.8) |
32.9 (91.2) |
28.0 (82.4) |
23.3 (73.9) |
19.9 (67.8) |
19.7 (67.5) |
22.2 (72.0) |
26.6 (79.9) |
29.9 (85.8) |
32.4 (90.3) |
34.3 (93.7) |
28.2 (82.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 28.8 (83.8) |
27.5 (81.5) |
25.4 (77.7) |
21.0 (69.8) |
16.2 (61.2) |
13.2 (55.8) |
12.5 (54.5) |
14.2 (57.6) |
18.6 (65.5) |
22.3 (72.1) |
25.3 (77.5) |
27.5 (81.5) |
21.0 (69.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22.3 (72.1) |
21.2 (70.2) |
18.9 (66.0) |
14.0 (57.2) |
9.0 (48.2) |
6.5 (43.7) |
5.2 (41.4) |
6.1 (43.0) |
10.6 (51.1) |
14.6 (58.3) |
18.2 (64.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
13.9 (57.1) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | 18.2 (64.8) |
17.2 (63.0) |
14.2 (57.6) |
8.7 (47.7) |
3.7 (38.7) |
1.1 (34.0) |
0.1 (32.2) |
0.9 (33.6) |
4.9 (40.8) |
8.2 (46.8) |
12.8 (55.0) |
16.2 (61.2) |
0.1 (32.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 11.4 (52.5) |
10.2 (50.4) |
6.2 (43.2) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
4.5 (40.1) |
6.1 (43.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 48.2 (1.90) |
65.2 (2.57) |
49.3 (1.94) |
21.5 (0.85) |
25.3 (1.00) |
31.0 (1.22) |
24.5 (0.96) |
20.6 (0.81) |
24.9 (0.98) |
41.1 (1.62) |
58.5 (2.30) |
62.4 (2.46) |
472.5 (18.61) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 44.8 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 41.5 | 45.0 | 43.0 | 43.5 | 49.0 | 52.0 | 52.5 | 43.0 | 36.5 | 34.5 | 38.0 | 37.5 | 43.0 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) |
14.6 (58.3) |
12.6 (54.7) |
9.3 (48.7) |
7.0 (44.6) |
6.2 (43.2) |
4.1 (39.4) |
3.5 (38.3) |
4.7 (40.5) |
6.4 (43.5) |
9.9 (49.8) |
11.7 (53.1) |
8.7 (47.6) |
| Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology (1997–present normals and extremes)[27] | |||||||||||||
Heritage listings[edit]
St George has the following heritage-listed sites:
Economy[edit]
The town is a centre for cotton growing, as well as sheep, wheat, onions, garlic, corn, carrots and grapes.
Facilities[edit]
St George has a visitor information centre, cultural centre, swimming pool, showground, bowling and the St George Golf Club. The address of the golf club is Wagoo Road.[29][30] It was opened in 1948.[31]
The town also has an airport, St George Airport.
Balonne Shire Council operates a library in Victoria Street.[32][33]
The St George branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 73 Victoria Street.[34]
Christ Church Anglican is at 133 Victoria Street (28°02′16″S 148°34′42″E / 28.0378°S 148.5784°E).[35] The St George Lutheran congregation hold their services at the Anglican Church.[36]
Education[edit]
St George State School opened on 2 February 1874. In 1960 a secondary department was added which operated until St George State High School was opened in 1978.[37][38] St George State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at Grey Street (28°02′16″S 148°34′51″E / 28.0377°S 148.5807°E).[39][40] In 2015, the school had an enrolment of 217 students with 24 teachers (22 full-time equivalent) and 15 non-teaching staff (12 full-time equivalent).[41] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 246 students with 25 teachers (24 full-time equivalent) and 17 non-teaching staff (13 full-time equivalent).[42] It includes a special education (Early Childhood to Year 12) program.[39]
St George State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 2 Victoria Street (28°01′49″S 148°35′34″E / 28.0304°S 148.5927°E).[39][43] In 2015, the school had an enrolment of 221 students with 25 teachers (22 full-time equivalent) and 24 non-teaching staff (17 full-time equivalent).[44] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 205 students with 28 teachers (23 full-time equivalent) and 20 non-teaching staff (16 full-time equivalent).[42]
Burgorah South Provisional School opened in 1902. On 1 January 1909 it became Burgorah South State School. It closed on circa 1917.[37] Myrtlemount Provisional School, Warrie Provisional School and Hollymount Provisional School (all named after local pastoral stations) opened on 29 September 1919 as a group of part-time schools (sharing a teacher between them). All three schools closed in 1922 due to low student numbers.[37] Tow Towri State School opened circa 1931. It closed circa 1945.[37] Towtowri is a local pastoral property.[45] Rocky Crossing State School opened on 25 January 1988 and closed on 31 December 2003.[37][46] It was 90 kilometres (56 mi) from St George.[47]
St Patrick's Catholic School was established by the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. The school opened on 19 February 1933.[19][37] However, rain caused the official opening and blessing by Bishop James Byrne to be postponed to Sunday 28 May 1933.[48][49] In 1988 the Sisters withdrew from the operation of the school and it is now under lay leadership.[19] St Patrick's School is a Catholic primary (Preparatory to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 36–44 Balonne Street (28°02′07″S 148°35′11″E / 28.0353°S 148.5865°E).[39][50] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 180 students with 14 teachers (12 full-time equivalent) and 12 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent).[42]
Events[edit]
The St George show is celebrated every year over the Labour Day long weekend (weekend of the first Monday in May). Everyone is encouraged to go and locals have a great time sharing stories at the bar and watching the rodeo.
Sport[edit]
The St George Dragons (named after the much more famous NRL team) play in the Roma District Rugby League competition.
Notable residents[edit]
St George gained national attention with the election of local accountant Barnaby Joyce to the Australian Senate following the 2004 federal election. It is also the hometown of National Rugby League player Dale Shearer.
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith's father was also a resident being the Bank of New South Wales manager during the 1930s.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "St George (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "St George – town in Shire of Balonne (entry 32064)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ "St George – locality in Shire of Balonne (entry 49752)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
- ^ "Mandandanji". State Library of Queensland. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
- ^
This Wikipedia article incorporates text from Spoken published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 15 January 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f Collins, Patrick (2002). Goodbye Bussamarai. St Lucia: UQP. ISBN 0702232939.
- ^ a b "MAITLAND MERCURY". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. Vol. IV, no. 165. New South Wales, Australia. 31 January 1846. p. 2. Retrieved 29 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b Mitchell, Thomas (1848). Journal of an expedition into the interior of tropical Australia. London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans.
- ^ "St George – town (entry 32064)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ a b "EARLY DAYS ON THE BALONNE". Balonne Beacon. Vol. 32, no. 9. Queensland, Australia. 20 February 1936. p. 2. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Telfer, William; Milliss, Roger (1980). The Wallabadah Manuscript. Sydney: NSWUP.
- ^ "ST. GEORGE 1846-1946". Balonne Beacon. Vol. 41, no. 44. Queensland, Australia. 1 November 1945. p. 1. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Sketcher". The Queenslander. Vol. LV, no. 1230. Queensland, Australia. 3 June 1899. p. 1023 (Unknown). Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "The Sketcher". The Queenslander. Vol. LV, no. 1231. Queensland, Australia. 10 June 1899. p. 1070 (Unknown). Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "How the Black Police did their Duty". The St. George Standard And Balonne Advertiser. Vol. XXVII, no. 13. Queensland, Australia. 25 March 1904. p. 3. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "EPITOME". The North Australian. Vol. X, no. 729. Queensland, Australia. 17 March 1864. p. 3. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "QUEENSLAND NEWS". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser. No. 4446. Queensland, Australia. 22 November 1890. p. 6. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY". Balonne Beacon. Vol. 49, no. 8. Queensland, Australia. 19 February 1953. p. 8. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b c d "Our School". St Patrick's School, St George. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
- ^ "Balonne Beacon (St. George, Qld. : 1909 - 1954)". Trove. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "The St. George Standard and Balonne Advertiser (Qld. : 1878 - 1879; 1902 - 1904)". Trove. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Locals evacuated ahead of 120-year flood". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 March 2010. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Mandatory evacuations ordered for St George as 15m flood predicted". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ a b Caruana, Patrick; Paull, Nathan (7 February 2012). "Flood-hit Qld resident wait in frustration". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "St George (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ "Summary statistics: St George Post Office". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Australian Bureau of Meteorology. 18 April 2019. Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
- ^ "St George Airport, QLD Climate (1997–present normals and extremes)". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ "The Anchorage, St George (entry 600015)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "St George Golf Club". Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "St George". Centre for the Government of Queensland. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
- ^ "St George Golf Club". Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ "Library location and hours". Balonne Shire Council. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ "St George Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ "Branch locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^ "Christ Church Anglican Church". Churches Australia. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ "St George Lutheran Church Services". South Western Queensland Lutheran Parish. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
- ^ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ a b c d "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- ^ "St George State School". Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "2015 School Annual Report" (PDF). St George State School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ a b c "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ "St George State High School". Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "2015 School Annual Report" (PDF). St George State High School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
- ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Queensland state school - centre closures" (PDF). Queensland Government. 20 August 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Agency ID 3730, Rocky Creek State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
- ^ "LOCAL and GENERAL". Balonne Beacon. Queensland, Australia. 23 February 1933. p. 1. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "Visit of Bishop Byrne". Balonne Beacon. Queensland, Australia. 1 June 1933. p. 4. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2020 – via Trove.
- ^ "St Patrick's School". Archived from the original on 24 October 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
Attribution[edit]
This Wikipedia article incorporates text from BALONNE CAFÉ, ST GEORGE (17 September 2019) published by the State Library of Queensland under CC BY licence, accessed on 15 January 2019.
Further reading[edit]
- St. George centenary souvenir 1846-1946. St. George Centenary Committee. 1946.
- Barbe, Rhonda; Catholic Church. Diocese of Toowoomba (Qld.) (1983). Fifty years in dragon country : history of St. Joseph's Convent and St. Patrick's School, St. George, Queensland, 1933-1983. Diocesan Archives. ISBN 978-0-9593145-2-6.
- Nolan, Carolyn (1996). St. George's Bridge : a sequicentennial history. Balonne Shire Council. ISBN 978-0-646-27859-9.
- The first one hundred years. St. George State School Centenary Committee. 1974. ISBN 978-0-9597138-0-0.
External links[edit]
- "St George". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
- "Town map of St George". Queensland Government. 1974.
- "Climate statistics for St George". Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
- St George's New Website 2006
- Balonne Shire Council
- Fairfax Digital — St. George
- George Community Profile St George Community Profile
- Balonne Shire Internet Exchange
