Charleville, Queensland

Charleville
Queensland
The Royal Flying Doctor Service visitor centre at Charleville
Charleville
Coordinates 26°24′06″S 146°14′18″E / 26.4016°S 146.2383°E / -26.4016; 146.2383Coordinates: 26°24′06″S 146°14′18″E / 26.4016°S 146.2383°E / -26.4016; 146.2383
Population 3,335 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density 4.8481/km2 (12.5565/sq mi)
Established 1865
Postcode(s) 4470
Elevation 293.5 m (963 ft)
Area 687.9 km2 (265.6 sq mi)
Location
LGA(s) Shire of Murweh
State electorate(s) Warrego
Federal Division(s) Maranoa
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
28.0 °C
82 °F		 13.9 °C
57 °F		 497.4 mm
19.6 in
Localities around Charleville:
Ward Gowrie Station Gowrie Station
Ward Charleville Sommariva
Bakers Bend Bakers Bend Riversleigh

Charleville /ˈtʃɑːrlɛvɪl/ is a town and a locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census, Charleville had a population of 3,335 people.[1]

Geography

Located in south western Queensland, Australia, Charleville is 683 kilometres (424 mi) west of Brisbane (the Queensland capital). It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Shire of Murweh, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres. Charleville is situated on the banks of the Warrego River, and is the terminus for the Warrego Highway.

History

Architectural drawing of the court house, 1885

The first European exploration of the area, which was Kunja tribal land, was conducted by Edmund Kennedy in 1847. A hotel was built in 1865, and a town began to grow to service the region. It was situated near Gowrie's Crossing, a permanent waterhole, now on the outskirts of the modern town. Gowrie Station had been established around the crossing along a natural stock route, for the grazing of sheep and cattle. The town was gazetted on 11 January 1865.[4] It was planned with very wide streets to enable bullock teams of up to 14 pairs to turn with their wagons.[5] It was William Alcock Tully, who was Commissioner of Crown Lands in the Warrego District from 1863 to 1864, who laid out the town's streets. An Irishman, Tully probably named the town after the town of Charleville, County Cork, Ireland.[2][6] Members of the Roma-based Skinner family established a store in the town in 1872 that became known as the Warrego Stores.[7]

Charleville Post Office opened on 1 August 1865.[8]

In September 1875, the Queensland Government called for tenders to erect a courthouse in Charleville.[9] The foundation stone (actually a bloodwood block) was laid on 23 November 1875.[10] By January 1876, the courthouse was almost finished.[11]

Architectural drawing of the Charleville Hospital, 1884
First Charleville Hospital, circa 1911

In December 1884, the Queensland Government called for tenders to erect a hospital in Charleville.[12] In March 1885 the contract was awarded to Richards and King for £2,265 10s.[13] In November 1885, a hospital ball was held in the new hospital building, suggesting it was completed and opened around that time.[14]

Cobb and Co, the legendary Australian stagecoach company, established a coach building business in the town in 1886, however, the railway arrived in 1888, beginning the long demise of coach transport in the area. Charleville station was the terminus for the Western railway line for more than a decade. Facilities included a locomotive depot, cattle and sheep yards, a 50-ton weighbridge, a booking and telegraph offices, goods shed, stationmaster's house, and guards, enginemen and firemen's cottages.[15]

In 1902 Charleville was the location of an unsuccessful attempt by Clement Lindley Wragge to fire cannons into the clouds in order to break a drought. The cannons used remain on display in Charleville today.

Aerial view of Charleville in 1947

In 1922, Qantas established an airmail service between Charleville and Cloncurry. At the same time, this was Qantas's first regularly scheduled route and the second scheduled air route in Australia.

On 9 October 1924, the Charleville War Memorial was unveiled by Sir Matthew Nathan, the Governor of Queensland.[16]

Charleville was also one of the compulsory stop over/check points during the London to Melbourne MacRobertson Air Race in 1934. The winners of the great race were Tom Campbell Black and C. W. A. Scott. Their triumph was reported in Time magazine as:

"Scott and Black, keeping up their sensational pace, flashed into Charleville, refueled, sped toward the finish where waiting thousands cheered their progress, reported over loudspeakers. With one motor dead, with only two hours sleep since leaving England, the Britons triumphantly set their scarlet torpedo down in Melbourne at 3:34 p.m. In 71 hr. 1 min. 3 sec. – Just under three days – they had flown halfway around the world."[17]

Proximity to the Warrego River has been problematic. In April 1990, major floods hit western Queensland, with Charleville being badly affected. Floodwaters peaked at 8.54 metres, over 1,000 homes were inundated, and almost 3,000 people evacuated. More recently, the district suffered flooding again in 1997, 2008 and March 2010.[18][19] Flooding also occurred in February 2012.[20]

There is a children's book called The Flood Grungies; it is written by Michelle Sheehan and illustrated by Donna Reynolds. It is about the notorious Charleville floods and features the Cosmos centre, the water tower and other famous landmarks.

In the 2006 census, Charleville had a population of 3,278 people.[21]

Climate

Charleville has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) verging on semi-arid (BSk), with maximum temperatures ranging from 35 °C (95 °F) in summer to 20 °C (68 °F) in winter. Summers are hot and sultry, although they can be very dry as well depending on the wind direction. Winters are mild to cool and crisp, with rather high diurnal ranges, which provide some frost. Rainfall is mild and distributed patchily throughout the year, with a peak in summer. Severe flooding events are usually caused by monsoon troughs and the remnants of tropical cyclones dumping large amounts of rain over the area; however rain normally falls in the form of thunderstorms and light showers after hot summer days. Extremes have ranged from 46.4 °C (115.5 °F) to −5.2 °C (22.6 °F). The highest rainfall total recorded for one month was 316.0 millimetres (12.44 in) in March 2010.[22]

Climate data for Charleville (1942–2013)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 46.4
(115.5)		 43.4
(110.1)		 40.7
(105.3)		 36.9
(98.4)		 32.4
(90.3)		 30.7
(87.3)		 30.1
(86.2)		 35.8
(96.4)		 38.5
(101.3)		 41.8
(107.2)		 43.3
(109.9)		 44.1
(111.4)		 46.4
(115.5)
Average high °C (°F) 34.9
(94.8)		 33.8
(92.8)		 32.0
(89.6)		 28.1
(82.6)		 23.2
(73.8)		 19.8
(67.6)		 19.5
(67.1)		 21.9
(71.4)		 26.0
(78.8)		 29.7
(85.5)		 32.7
(90.9)		 34.6
(94.3)		 28.0
(82.4)
Average low °C (°F) 21.7
(71.1)		 21.3
(70.3)		 18.7
(65.7)		 13.8
(56.8)		 8.9
(48)		 5.5
(41.9)		 4.2
(39.6)		 5.9
(42.6)		 9.9
(49.8)		 14.4
(57.9)		 17.9
(64.2)		 20.3
(68.5)		 13.9
(57)
Record low °C (°F) 11.1
(52)		 9.4
(48.9)		 6.2
(43.2)		 0.8
(33.4)		 −3.6
(25.5)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 −5.2
(22.6)		 −4.0
(24.8)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 0.9
(33.6)		 6.0
(42.8)		 6.7
(44.1)		 −5.2
(22.6)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 74.4
(2.929)		 69.7
(2.744)		 60.0
(2.362)		 30.9
(1.217)		 31.5
(1.24)		 24.6
(0.969)		 25.0
(0.984)		 19.5
(0.768)		 23.8
(0.937)		 36.7
(1.445)		 45.1
(1.776)		 56.2
(2.213)		 497.4
(19.584)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2mm) 7.7 6.4 5.3 3.7 3.9 3.9 4.0 3.4 3.6 5.6 6.1 7.4 61
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[22]

Attractions

Charleville has several tourist attractions, including a museum of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, a historical museum,[23] wildlife sanctuary (including a bilby reserve), and the Cosmos Centre.[24]

Facilities

Charleville has a range of facilities for the community including a golf course (located in May Street),[25] swimming pool, bowling green, speedway, racing course, and the Gowrie sporting oval as well as a public library on Alfred Street run by the Murweh Shire Council.[26][27]

The Charleville Golf Course has eighteen sand greens and a licensed clubhouse.[28]

North of the town is VMC, a marine weather transmitter operated by the Bureau of Meteorology.[29]

Transport

Charleville Railway Station in 2007

Aviation is served by the Charleville Airport. The Westlander rail passenger service links the town to Brisbane. Charleville would have been the southern end of the Transcontinental railway proposed in the 1880s, connecting to Point Parker on the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Preceding station   Queensland Rail   Following station
toward Brisbane
The WestlanderTerminus

Heritage listings

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

as well as a number in nearby localities:

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Charleville (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 14 December 2017. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. 1 2 "Charleville - town in Shire of Murweh (entry 6893)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "Charleville - locality in Shire of Murweh (entry 49244)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  4. ↑ "Town reserve of Charleville —2,560 acres — Warrego District". Queensland Government Gazette. 11 January 1865. p. 6:27.
  5. ↑ Finn, J. T., One Hundred Years 1847–1947 Charleville (Charleville, 1947), p. 32
  6. ↑ "Charleville". Centre for the Government of Queensland. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  7. ↑ Wagner, Clair, Frontier Town – Charleville 1865–1901 (Bollarong Publications, Brisbane, 1991) p. 27
  8. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  9. ↑ "Official Notifications". The Brisbane Courier. XXX, (2, 594). Queensland, Australia. 13 September 1875. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "CHARLEVILLE". Western Star And Roma Advertiser. I, (37). Queensland, Australia. 4 December 1875. p. 3. Retrieved 22 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "CHARLEVILLE". The Darling Downs Gazette And General Advertiser. XVII, (2347). Queensland, Australia. 1 January 1876. p. 2 (SUPPLEMENT TO THE GAZETTE.). Retrieved 22 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ↑ "Official Notifications". The Queenslander. XXVI, (483). Queensland, Australia. 27 December 1884. p. 1045. Retrieved 22 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ↑ "Official Notifications". The Queenslander. XXVII, (493). Queensland, Australia. 7 March 1885. p. 390. Retrieved 22 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ↑ "CHARLEVILLE". The Brisbane Courier. XL, (8, 690). Queensland, Australia. 20 November 1885. p. 6. Retrieved 22 October 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. 1 2 "Charleville Railway Station (entry 602368)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  16. ↑ "Charleville War Memorial". Monument Australia. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  17. ↑ Time Magazine, October 29, 1934, Vol. XXIV, No. 18
  18. ↑ "Charleville waits for floods to peak". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 January 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2008.
  19. ↑ "Qld flood crisis far from over". ABC News. 3 March 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2010.
  20. ↑ "Levee holds at Charleville". ABC News. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  21. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Charleville (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 13 September 2009.
  22. 1 2 "Charleville Aero". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  23. ↑ Charleville Historical Museum
  24. ↑ Cosmos Centre
  25. ↑ "Charleville Golf Club". Golf Queensland. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  26. ↑ "Charleville". Centre for the Government of Queensland. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  27. ↑ "Charleville Library (Public Libraries Connect)". State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  28. ↑ "Charleville Golf Club". golfer.com.au. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  29. ↑ "Charleville ( VMC) Specifications". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  30. ↑ "Queensland National Bank (former) (entry 600757)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  31. ↑ "Charleville War Memorial (entry 600758)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  32. ↑ "Landsborough's Blazed Tree, Camp 67 (entry 602716)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  33. ↑ "Hotel Corones, Charleville (entry 601282)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  34. ↑ "Myendetta (entry 602822)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  35. ↑ "Landsborough's Blazed Tree, Camp 69 (entry 602715)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 11 July 2013.

Media related to Charleville, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons

  • University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Charleville
  • Murweh Shire Council – Official site
  • Weather Information
  • About Charleville
  • "How a city was created in the great South West". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 6 March 1925. p. 11.
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