Augathella
Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox Australian place Augathella Template:IPAc-en is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia.<ref name=qpnt>Template:Cite QPN</ref><ref name=qpnl>Template:Cite QPN</ref> In the Template:CensusAU, the locality of Augathella had a population of 328 people.<ref name=Census2021/>
GeographyEdit
Augathella lies on the Matilda Highway, is Template:Convert north of the town of Charleville, Template:Convert west of Roma and Template:Convert west of Brisbane (Queensland's capital). The town lies on the banks of the Warrego River.Template:Cn
Grazing is still the predominant industry of the area.Template:Cn
HistoryEdit
Aboriginal peopleEdit
Bidjara (also known as Bidyara, Pitjara, and Peechara) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Bidjara people. The Bidjara language region includes the local government areas of the Shire of Murweh, particularly the towns of Charleville, Augathella and Blackall as well as the properties of Nive Downs and Mount Tabor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Gungabula (also known as Kongabula and Khungabula) is an Australian Aboriginal language of the headwaters of the Dawson River in Central Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of Maranoa Region, particularly the towns of Charleville, Augathella and Blackall and as well as the Carnarvon Range.<ref>Template:Cite SLQ-CC-BY</ref>
Gunya (Kunya, Kunja, Kurnja) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Gunya people. The Gunya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Paroo Shire Council, taking in Cunnamulla and extending north towards Augathella, east towards Bollon and west towards Thargomindah.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
British colonisationEdit
The first British explorer to enter the region was Edmund Kennedy, whose 1847 expedition encountered an Aboriginal community who communicated the words "Yo, Yo" to express affirmation. Kennedy subsequently called the creek where he found this community Yo Yo Creek.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Pastoralists started to take land in the region in early 1862 with the arrival of James Norman, who took up vast leaseholds on behalf of Joseph Fleming and Adeline Dollman. Norman established the Burenda, Yo Yo and Augathella properties.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Aboriginal resistance to colonisation in the region was notable in that several victories were achieved against the paramilitary units of the Native Police on the upper Warrego and Ward rivers. However, in 1864 a Native Police barracks was built on Yo Yo Creek, and punitive expeditions under officers such as Sub-Lieutenant Carr crushed any further resistance.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Augathella townshipEdit
The town, built up gradually over what was Kunja tribal territory, came into being initially as a resting place for bullock teams lying at the convergence of three bullock tracks from Morven, Tambo, and Charleville. Originally called Burenda it was renamed Ellangowan (still the name of the local watering hole) and when gazetted in 1883 called Augathella. This is apparently an Indigenous Australian word meaning "camp on a waterhole", referring the Warrego River.<ref name="qpnt" /><ref>Augathella Template:Webarchive Wiki Australia Travel Guide</ref> A service centre sprang up to service their needs and the needs of the burgeoning grazing industry.
Burenda Post Office opened on 1 September 1869. It was renamed Ellangowan in 1877 and Augathella in 1883.<ref name = "Post Office">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Augathella Provisional School opened on 1 January 1884. On 7 August 1893 it became Augathella State School.<ref>Template:Cite QldSchool</ref><ref name="qfhs">Template:Citation</ref>
On Sunday 10 July 1892 St Luke's Anglican church was officially opened by Bishop Nathaniel Dawes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A new church was built at a cost of £8300 and dedicated in 1957.<ref name=":02">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On 1 October 1928 Rev W.C. Radcliffe officially opened the Augathella Presbyterian Church.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The 1956 film Smiley was based on Moore Raymond's novel of the same name, which was set in a fictionalised version of Augathella.<ref name="film planned">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ink">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
The town's service centre was bypassed by the new Matilda Highway during the 1980s. Some new businesses have slowly encroached back onto the highway frontage.Template:Cn
Augathella and the surrounding district suffered extensive flood damage in April 1990 when the Warrego River burst its banks and flooded the town with more than 50 houses inundated.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Augathella Library opened in 2000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web
}}</ref>
Since 2011 the main street of the town has been marked by 4.5m steel and copper giant sculpture of a meat ant<ref>"Tinaroo artist's sculpture to mark historic town Augathella's entrance" Template:Webarchive, cairns.com.au</ref> - in a reference to its former junior football team, named the "Mighty Meat Ants".<ref>"Giant meat ant invades Augathella" Template:Webarchive, thechronicle.com.au</ref>
DemographicsEdit
In the Template:CensusAU, the town of Augathella had a population of 395 people.<ref name="Census2006">Template:Census 2006 AUS</ref>
In the Template:CensusAU, the locality of Augathella had a population of 449 people.<ref name=Census2016>Template:Census 2016 AUS</ref>
In the Template:CensusAU, the locality of Augathella had a population of 328 people.<ref name=Census2021>Template:Census 2021 AUS</ref>
Heritage listingsEdit
There are a number of heritage-listed sites in Augathella, including:
Within the town:
- Catholic School, Annie Street<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Hospital, Cavanagh Street<ref name=":0" />
- Queensland Country Women's Association, Cavanagh Street<ref name=":0" />
- Rodeo Grounds, Elmes Street<ref name=":0" />
- Augathella Water Tower, Forest Street<ref name=":0" />
- Kenniff Tree, Jane Street (corner of Cavanagh Street)<ref name=":0" />
- Arts and Craft Centre (former Helton's Building), Main Street<ref name=":0" />
- Butcher shop, Main Street<ref name=":0" />
- Police station, Main Street<ref name=":0" />
- Post office, Main Street<ref name=":0" />
- Town hall, Main Street<ref name=":0" />
- War Memorial Hill, Main Street<ref name=":0" />
- Ellangowan Hotel, Main & Annie Streets<ref name=":0" />
- St Luke's Anglican Church, 61 Main Street<ref name=":0" />
- Old Water Tower, Nelson Street<ref name=":0" />
- Cemetery, off Russell Street<ref name=":0" />
- Augathella Race Course, off West Street<ref name=":0" />
Within the locality:
- Fig Tree Spring Stockyards, Carnarvon Station<ref name=":0" />
- Ralph's Bore & Upper Warrego Police Barracks site, Dooloogarah Carnarvon National Park Road<ref name=":0" />
- Dingo Fence Section, Mount Tabor<ref name=":0" />
EducationEdit
Augathella State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at Cavanagh Street (Template:Coord).<ref name="SchoolList2018">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 44 students with 4 teachers and 4 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).<ref name="ACARA2018">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Augathella State School is part of Education Queensland's Charleville Cluster and is supported by the Darling Downs South West regional team which is based in Toowoomba.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
There is no secondary school in Augathella.<ref name="globe">Template:Queensland Globe</ref> School Bus Route S279 conveys students from Year 7 to Year 12 into Charleville to attend Charleville State High School.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
AmenitiesEdit
The Murweh Shire Council operates the Augathella Library on Main Street, Augathella.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Augathella branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 101 Cavanagh Street.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
St Luke's Anglican Church is at 61 Main Street (Template:Coord) and holds services on the 2nd Sunday of each month.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
There is a growing arts centre in the town, public swimming pool, a bowls club, and polocrosse teams.Template:Cn
EventsEdit
There is an annual rodeo.Template:Cn
There is also a Christmas Celebration in Meat Ant Park every December.Template:Citation needed
MediaEdit
Augathella is serviced by:
- Radio 4VL (Resonate Radio) – 106.1 FMTemplate:Citation needed
- The Australian Broadcasting Corporation transmits ABC Television and its sister channels ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus, ABC Me and ABC News to Augathella through its relay station, ABAAQ at 25°48′23″S 146°35′21″E (old Charleville–Augathella Road)Template:Citation needed
- The Seven Network and its sister stations 7two and 7mate transmit to Augathella through its regional area affiliate, ITQTemplate:Citation needed
- The Nine Network and its sister channels 9Gem and 9Go! transmit to Augathella through its regional area affiliate, Imparja TelevisionTemplate:Citation needed
- Network Ten and its sister channels 10 Bold and 10 Peach transmit to Augathella through its regional area affiliate, CDTTemplate:Citation needed
- The Special Broadcasting Service and its sister channels SBS Viceland, SBS World Movies and SBS Food also transmit to AugathellaTemplate:Citation needed
AttractionsEdit
Augathella is the permanent home of the Q150 Shed that travelled around the state in 2009 as part of the Q150 Celebrations providing each community it visited a night of entertainment. Communities toured included: Mount Isa, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Maryborough, Blackall, Augathella, Cherbourg, Warwick, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
TransportEdit
Augathella is situated on the junction of the Landsborough Highway from Morven and the Mitchell Highway from Charleville. Augathella is served by Greyhound Australia who operates Gx493 between Brisbane and Mount Isa and its return service, Gx494 which stops at the BP Roadhouse on the Highway.Template:Citation needed
Augathella Aerodrome has a sealed runway, Template:Convert. It is operated by Murweh Shire Council.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In popular cultureEdit
Augathella is the destination of cattle drovers in the Australian folk song Brisbane Ladies. This song is alternately called "Augathella Station".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>