Dirranbandi, Queensland

Dirranbandi is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] The locality is on the border of Queensland with New South Wales.[4] In the 2016 census, Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people.[1]

Dirranbandi
Queensland
Dirranbandi
Dirranbandi
Coordinates28.5833°S 148.2277°E / -28.5833; 148.2277 (Dirranbandi (town centre))
Population640 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density0.0776/km2 (0.2009/sq mi)
Established1885
Postcode(s)4486
Elevation173 m (568 ft)
Area8,250.4 km2 (3,185.5 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Balonne Shire
State electorate(s)Warrego
Federal Division(s)Maranoa
Localities around Dirranbandi:
Bollon St George Thallon
Hebel Dirranbandi Mungindi
Angledool (NSW) Lightning Ridge (NSW) Collarenebri (NSW)

Geography

Dirranbandi is on the Castlereagh Highway and the Balonne River. It is notable for the population variations each year as seasonal workers come to work on the extensive cotton fields. Due to the low annual rainfall, irrigation is used extensively. Cubbie Station, the largest cotton producing property in the southern hemisphere, is close to Dirranbandi.

History

Gamilaraay (also known as Gamilaroi, Kamilaroi, Comilroy) is a language from South-West Queensland and North-West New South Wales. The Gamilaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Balonne Shire Council, including the towns of Dirranbandi, Thallon, Talwood and Bungunya as well as the border towns of Mungindi and Boomi extending to Moree, Tamworth and Coonabarabran in NSW.[5]

Yuwaalaraay (also known as Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. The Yuwaalaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Hebel extending to Walgett and Collarenebri in New South Wales.[6]

Yuwaalayaay (also known as Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalayaay country. It is closely related to the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. The Yuwaalayaay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Goodooga extending to Walgett and the Narran Lakes in New South Wales.[7]

Dirranbandi is located on the traditional lands of the Kooma people. However people in Dirranbandi recognise themselves as Gamilaroi.

The town reserve was surveyed in March 1885 by surveyor Claudius Buchanan Whish. He is believed to have named the town using an Aboriginal word, meaning either broken forest country or chorus of frogs at night.[2][8] The name may be derived from a Yuwaaliyaay dialect placename, Dhurrunbandaay, relating to dhurrun.gal ("hairy caterpillars") and baanda-y ("move in single file"). There is also a Yuwaalaraay noun, dhirrinbaa, meaning "bad weather camp, on high ground", possibly from dhirrin ("high ground") and -baa ("place of, time of").

One hundred housing allotments were first set aside, followed by land for a police station, a state school, and post office.[9]

Dirranbandi Provisional School opened on 9 June 1902,[10] but closed in April 1905. It reopened on 20 January 1908 and became Dirranbandi State School on 1 January 1909. On 29 January 1963, a secondary department to Year 10 was added.[11]

The South Western railway reached Dirranbandi on 22 May 1913.[12] The town was served by the Dirranbandi railway station in Railway Street (28.5864°S 148.2272°E / -28.5864; 148.2272 (Dirranbandi railway station)).[13] Kundilam railway station served the rural areas 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the east of the town (28.5981°S 148.3264°E / -28.5981; 148.3264 (Bonathorne railway station)). The name Kundilam is an Aboriginal word meaning scrub berry. On 28 June 1917 Kundilam railway renamed Bonathorne railway station, named after the adjacent Bonathorne pastoral station of Alfred Allen Moore (the Bonathorne pastoral station still exists as at 8 May 2020[4]).[14][15] Noondoo railway station was approx 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of the town (28.6097°S 148.4297°E / -28.6097; 148.4297 (Noondoo railway station)); it was named by the Queensland Railways Department on 29 October eafter the Noondoo pastoral station which in turn is an Aboriginal name either for the spring near the homestead or the shrub growing near the spring.[16] Hawkston railway station was located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of the town (28.6214°S 148.5333°E / -28.6214; 148.5333 (Hawkston railway station)).[17]

Dirranbandi had the honour of being the destination for the last mail train to operate in Australia.[12] The Thallon-to-Dirranbandi section of the line was closed on 2 September 2010.[18]

The Culgoa Floodplain National Park lies 130 kilometres (81 mi) to the south-west.[19] The town experienced serious flooding in February–March 2010 and January 2011.[20]

At the 2011 census, Dirranbandi had a population of 711.[21]

In the 2016 census, Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people.[1]

Population

In the 2016 Census, there were 640 people in Dirranbandi. 79.9% of people were born in Australia and 85.2% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 29.3%, Anglican 26.5% No Religion 14.8%.[1]

Facilities

Dirranbandi has a hospital, civic centre, swimming pool, park and showground.[22]

Balonne Shire Council operates a library on the Castlereagh Highway inside the Rural Transaction Centre.[23][24]

The Dirranbandi branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 22 Kirby Street (28.5832°S 148.2281°E / -28.5832; 148.2281 (Queensland Country Women's Association)).[25]

St Therese's Catholic Church is at 42 Kirby Street (28.5812°S 148.2283°E / -28.5812; 148.2283 (St Therese's Catholic Church)); it is part of the parish of St Patrick's Parish headquartered in St George.[26]

Dirranbandi Aerodrome is located at the western end of Moore Street (28.5839°S 148.2221°E / -28.5839; 148.2221 (Dirranbandi Aerodrome)).[4] It is operated by the Balonne Shire Council. It has a 1,000-metre (3,300 ft) sealed runway with lights.[27]

Education

Dirranbandi P-10 State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at Jane Street (28.5770°S 148.2300°E / -28.5770; 148.2300 (Dirranbandi P-10 State School)).[28][29] In 2015, the school had 73 students with 12 teachers (11 full-time equivalent).[30] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 65 students with 13 teachers (11 full-time equivalent) and 13 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent).[31]

Australian author Robert G Barrett's main character Les Norton hails from Dirranbandi.

Slim Dusty sang about being the Dirranbandi Dandy in the song Cunnamulla Fella, which he co-wrote with Stan Coster.[32]

Notable residents

Actor Ray Meagher grew up near Dirranbandi. He is best known for playing Alf Stewart on soap opera Home and Away, and credits one of his character's catchphrases "Stone the flamin' crows!" to Dick Backhouse who was a stock and station agent in town.[33]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Dirranbandi (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Dirranbandi – town in Shire of Balonne (entry 10182)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  3. "Dirranbandi – locality in Shire of Balonne (entry 42680)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  4. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  5. "Indigenous Language map of Queensland". State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  6. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yuwaalaraay". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  7. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Yuwaalayaay". Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  8. Centre for the Government of Queensland, Dirranbandi, Archived 7 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 9 June 2011.
  9. Reader's Digest Illustrated Guide to Australian Places. Sydney, NSW: Reader's Digest. 1993. p. 492. ISBN 0-86438-399-1.
  10. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  11. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  12. Winney, Ken (July 1990). "The Last of the Mail Trains". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin: 155–166.
  13. "Dirranbandi – railway station in Shire of Balonne (entry 10183)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  14. "Bonathorne – railway station in the Shire of Balonne (entry 3529)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  15. "Name of Station Changed". The Brisbane Courier. Queensland, Australia. 29 June 1917. p. 9. Retrieved 8 May 2020 – via Trove.
  16. "Noondoo – railway station in the Shire of Balonne (entry 24485)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  17. "Hawkston – railway station in Shire of Balonne (entry 15534)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  18. "End of an era at Thallon". Balonne Beacon. 22 July 2010. p. 1 – via Back on Track.
  19. "Culgoa Floodplain National Park". Department of Environment and Resource Management. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  20. Nancarrow, Dan (4 January 2011). "From inland town to island town". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  21. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Dirranbandi (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  22. "Dirranbandi". Balonne Shire Council. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  23. "Library location and hours". Balonne Shire Council. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
  24. "Dirranbandi Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  25. "Branch locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  26. "St Therese's Church, Dirranbandi". Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  27. "Aerodromes". Balonne Shire Council. Archived from the original on 8 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  28. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  29. "Dirranbandi P-10 State School". Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  30. "2015 School Annual Report" (PDF). Dirranbandi State School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  31. "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  32. "Slim Dusty - Cunnamulla Feller". TotalTabs Aussie. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  33. Crothers, Andrea (22 February 2016). "Little Ray of Sunshine". Queensland Country Life. Retrieved 8 May 2020.

Further reading
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