Murgon

Murgon is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] It is situated on the Bunya Highway 270 kilometres (170 mi) north-west of the state capital, Brisbane. At the 2016 Australian Census, the town recorded a population of 2,378.[1]

Murgon
Queensland
The park on the main street of Murgon
Murgon
The location of Murgon in Queensland
Coordinates26°14′0″S 151°57′0″E
Population2,378 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)4605
Location
  • 223 km (139 mi) from Brisbane
  • 199 km (124 mi) from Toowoomba
  • 67 km (42 mi) from Kingaroy
LGA(s)South Burnett Region
State electorate(s)Nanango
Federal Division(s)Wide Bay
Localities around Murgon:
Oakdale
Barlil		 Tablelands Manyung
Wheatlands Murgon Moondooner
Ficks Crossing Cherbourg Redgate
Moffatdale

Geography

Murgon is in the region of Queensland known as the South Burnett, the southern part of the Burnett River catchment. Attractions of Murgon include winemaking, fishing on the nearby Bjelke-Petersen Dam and gem-fossicking. Industries include peanuts, dairy farming, beef and cattle production and wine. The Indigenous Australian settlement of Cherbourg is just south of Murgon.

History
Land sales map, 1906

Wakka Wakka (Waka Waka, Wocca Wocca, Wakawaka) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken in the Burnett River catchment. The Wakka Wakka language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the North and South Burnett Regional Council, particularly the towns of Cherbourg, Murgon, Kingaroy, Gayndah, Eidsvold and Mundubbera.[4]

In July 1906, 32 allotments were advertised for selection by the Department of Public Lands Office. The map advertising the land selection states the allotments are portions in the Parishes of Murgon, Goomeribong and Barambah.[5] The portions were left over from April 5.[6]

Murgon Post Office opened by June 1908 (a receiving office had been open from 1904).[7]

War Memorial and Civic Centre in Lamb Street, Murgon, 1938

The foundation stone of the Murgon War Memorial was laid on 25 April 1920 (ANZAC Day) by Lieutenant Colonel Wilder Neligan. On 11 November 1921, the digger memorial was dedicated by RSL chairman, Major General Spencer Browne.[8][9]

In the early 20th century the Nanango railway line reached the town. The town was the administrative centre for the former Shire of Murgon which existed from 1914 until 2008.

St Joseph's School opened on 27 February 1937.[10]

Heritage listings
Civic Centre, 2008

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

Fossils

Murgon is also close to a famous fossil site. The Murgon fossil site is the only such site in Australia with a diverse vertebrate fauna dating to the early Eocene epoch, around 55 million years ago, only 10 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Amenities

The South Burnett Regional Council operates a public library in Murgon at 42 Stephens Street, Murgon.[14]

The current Murgon Library facility opened in 2010. Public Wi-Fi available at this facility.[15]

Education
Murgon War Memorial, 2008

Murgon State School opened on 24 February 1908.[16]

There was also a Murgon Special School that closed on 31 December 1980.[16]

St Joseph's Catholic School opened 27 February 1937.[16]

Murgon State High School opened on 27 January 1959.[16]

Notable residents

Notable residents of Murgon include:

  • Gavin Cooper, Australian rugby league player born in Murgon
  • John Mickel, Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly born in Murgon
  • Steve Renouf, Australian rugby league player born in Murgon
  • Leah Purcell, Australian actress, director and writer was born in Murgon.

See also

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Murgon (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  2. "Murgon - town (entry 23555)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  3. "Murgon - locality (entry 46250)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  4. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages map". State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  5. "Sketch map of portions 61, 62, ..., parish of Murgon, portions 168 & 169, parish of Goomeribong & portions 49, 50 & 53, parish of Barambah ... county of Fitzroy". 5 July 1906. hdl:10462/deriv/264327. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. "Notes and News". Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette. XXXVIII (5003). Queensland, Australia. 26 June 1906. p. 6. Retrieved 25 March 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  8. "Murgon War Memorial". Monument Australia. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  9. "A WAR MEMORIAL.,". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 16 November 1921. p. 4. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  10. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  11. "Murgon State School (entry 650003)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  12. "South Burnett Co-operative Dairy Association Factory (former) (entry 602811)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  13. "Murgon Civic Centre (entry 602812)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  14. "Murgon Library". Public Libraries Connect. 15 August 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  15. "Queensland Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-2017" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. November 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  16. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.

Media related to Murgon at Wikimedia Commons

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.