Texas, Queensland

Texas is a rural town and locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] It is on the border of Queensland and New South Wales.[4] In the 2016 census, Texas had a population of 843 people.

Texas
Queensland
A sign welcoming people to Queensland, with the town of Texas in the background
Texas
Coordinates28°51′30″S 151°09′56″E
Population843 (2016 census)
Established1840s
Postcode(s)4385
Elevation297 m (974 ft)[1]
Location
LGA(s)Goondiwindi Region
State electorate(s)Southern Downs
Federal Division(s)Maranoa
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
26.9 °C
80 °F		 11.3 °C
52 °F		 659.1 mm
25.9 in
Localities around Texas:
Smithlea Limevale Silver Spur
Texas (NSW) Texas Silver Spur
Texas (NSW) Bonshaw (NSW) Silver Spur

Geography

The town is located just 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Queensland's southern border with New South Wales, close to Bonshaw, New South Wales. The locality across the New South Wales border is also known as Texas, having a shared history as being part of the Texas pastoral run.[2][5]

History

Bigambul (also known as Bigambal, Bigumbil, Pikambul, Pikumbul) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Bigambul people. The Bigambul language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Goondiwindi Regional Council, including the towns of Goondiwindi, Yelarbon and Texas extending north towards Moonie and Millmerran.[6]

Texas sits on Bigambul land, the Indigenous people of the region inhabited the area for thousands of years prior to colonisation in the 1840s.[7]

The origin of the town's name is generally regarded as a reference to a territorial dispute. The land in the area was first settled by the McDougall brothers, who found squatters there on returning from the goldfields. Once their legal right to the land was recognised, they named their property in honour of the rather more famous dispute between the United States and Mexico over territory in Texas, USA.[2]

Land in Texas was open for selection on 17 April 1877; 140 square miles (360 km2) were available.[8]

Texas was connected by the Texas railway line from Inglewood in November 1930 with the town being served by the Texas railway station.[9] The line was closed in 1994.

Up until about 1986, tobacco farming was an important industry in the area and many Italian families settled the area to run and work the tobacco farms.

At the 2006 census, Texas had a population of 693.[10]

The current Texas Library was opened in 2010 with minor refurbishment in 2011.[11]

At the 2011 census Texas had a population of 1,159.[12]

Economy

Farming is the dominant industry in the Texas region, although there is also a silver mine. A large cattle feedlot is located about 20 min from town.

Part of the Goondiwindi Regional Council, Texas is administered from the nearby larger town of Goondiwindi, Queensland.

Schools
Aerial view of Texas taken in January 2010, looking southward.

Texas has a state school called Texas State School,[13] which caters to students from Prep Year to Year 10.

Media

Texas is serviced by the MacIntyre Gazette, Warwick Daily News and Stanthorpe Border Post newspapers. Texas is served by the Border Districts Community Radio Station 89.7 Ten FM which is transmitted from a 4 kW transmitter located on Mt Mackenzie Tenterfield NSW.

Country Music

After a visit to Texas in 2002, and being involved in a car accident nearby, American Country/Rockabilly recording artist Jason Lee Wilson memorialised the town in a song TX, QLD, Australia. The song was included on the Cumberland Runners' 2004 debut album entitled Music to Haul By.

Previously, James Blundell had written and recorded a song entitled Texas as the B-side of his first single on the EMI label (EMI 2165), Cloncurry Cattle Song. On the single the writing credits of the two songs were inadvertently switched, but corrected on Blundell's debut, self-titled album (1989). Texas was composed by James Blundell and Doug Trevor, with Blundell and M. Hickson writing Cloncurry Cattle Song.

Lee Kernaghan also referenced the town in his 2002 hit song Texas, Qld 4385 from his Electric Rodeo album released in 2002.

Notable people

Facilities

Texas has a museum and cultural centre, swimming pool, bowling club, golf course, showground and a racecourse.[15]

The Goondiwindi Regional Council operates a public library in Texas at High Street.[16]

The Texas branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 27 Broadway Street.[17]

The town also has an 809m runway.[18]

Climate
Climate data for Texas, QLD
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 44.6
(112.3)		 43.0
(109.4)		 40.1
(104.2)		 36.1
(97.0)		 31.8
(89.2)		 27.8
(82.0)		 26.6
(79.9)		 35.0
(95.0)		 36.7
(98.1)		 39.8
(103.6)		 43.2
(109.8)		 43.0
(109.4)		 44.6
(112.3)
Average high °C (°F) 33.7
(92.7)		 32.5
(90.5)		 31.1
(88.0)		 27.4
(81.3)		 23.0
(73.4)		 19.4
(66.9)		 18.8
(65.8)		 20.9
(69.6)		 24.5
(76.1)		 28.0
(82.4)		 30.4
(86.7)		 32.7
(90.9)		 26.9
(80.4)
Average low °C (°F) 18.6
(65.5)		 18.3
(64.9)		 15.9
(60.6)		 11.7
(53.1)		 8.0
(46.4)		 4.6
(40.3)		 3.7
(38.7)		 4.5
(40.1)		 7.8
(46.0)		 11.7
(53.1)		 15.0
(59.0)		 17.2
(63.0)		 11.4
(52.5)
Record low °C (°F) 10.2
(50.4)		 8.8
(47.8)		 4.9
(40.8)		 −0.4
(31.3)		 −2.9
(26.8)		 −7.6
(18.3)		 −6.6
(20.1)		 −5.2
(22.6)		 −2.6
(27.3)		 −2.1
(28.2)		 2.8
(37.0)		 6.2
(43.2)		 −7.6
(18.3)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 88.8
(3.50)		 76.0
(2.99)		 56.1
(2.21)		 34.6
(1.36)		 39.5
(1.56)		 41.0
(1.61)		 41.8
(1.65)		 33.6
(1.32)		 39.8
(1.57)		 60.6
(2.39)		 68.1
(2.68)		 80.9
(3.19)		 660.8
(26.03)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2mm) 7.3 6.3 5.4 3.7 4.4 5.7 6.0 5.3 5.1 6.6 7.1 7.8 70.7
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[19]

Businesses

As of 2013 Texas is serviced by two petrol stations. The Shell Branded service station sells both regular and premium (greater than 95 octane) unleaded petrol. The BP service station, whilst not displaying BP signage does accept BP account cards. The BP does not sell premium unleaded.

References
  1. "Texas Post Office". Climate Averages for Australian Sites. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  2. "Texas - town (entry 33782)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  3. "Texas - locality (entry 47832)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  4. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  5. "Texas". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  6. "Bigambul". State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  7. "National Native Title Tribunal: Bigambul People Claimant application". Archived from the original on 2 September 2006. Retrieved 26 March 2006.
  8. "Proclamations under the New Land Acts". The Brisbane Courier. Queensland, Australia. 2 March 1877. p. 3. Retrieved 19 February 2020 – via Trove.
  9. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, June 1988, pp129-136
  10. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Texas (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  11. "Queensland Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-2017" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. November 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  12. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Texas (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  13. "Texas State School". Texasss.eq.edu.au. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  14. "Jack Potter the travelling showman writing an autobiography". Avon Advocate. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  15. "Texas". Centre for the Government of Queensland. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  16. "Texas Library". Public Libraries Connect. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  17. "Branch locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  18. "Texas Airport - YTEX - Airport Guide". Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  19. "TEXAS POST OFFICE". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.

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