Cooroy, Queensland

Cooroy is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia.^[2][3] In the 2016 census the locality of Cooroy had a population of 3,791 people.^[1]

Cooroy Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Myall Street, Cooroy
Cooroy
Coordinates	26°25′00″S 152°54′43″E / 26.4166°S 152.9119°E / -26.4166; 152.9119 (Cooroy (town centre))
Population	3,791 (2016 census)^[1]
• Density	138.36/km^2 (358.3/sq mi)
Established	1885
Postcode(s)	4563
Elevation	116 m (381 ft)
Area	27.4 km^2 (10.6 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	12.9 km (8 mi) W of Tewantin 41.5 km (26 mi) NNW of Maroochydore 130 km (81 mi) N of Brisbane 45.4 km (28 mi) SE of Gympie
LGA(s)	Shire of Noosa
State electorate(s)	Nicklin Noosa
Federal division(s)	Wide Bay
Localities around Cooroy: Black Mountain Pomona Lake MacDonald Black Mountain Cooroy Cooroy Mountain Ridgewood Belli Park Eerwah Vale Eumundi

Geography

Cooroy is inland from the northern Sunshine Coast hinterland about 22 kilometres (14 mi) west of Noosa Heads. The Bruce Highway runs through the locality from south-east to north-west, bypassing the town. The Cooroy–Noosa Road exits to the east from Cooroy Connection Road, which runs north through the town from the Bruce Highway.^[4] West Cooroy National Park is located to west of Cooroy.

History

Cooroy's name came from Mount Cooroy, which was originally called Coorooey, from an Aboriginal word for possum, kurui.^[5]

The area was explored by timber-cutters as early as 1863. Cooroy's main industry developed from timber, having two operating sawmills, into dairying and fruit growing. In 1915, a butter factory opened.^[6]

Cooroy railway station was opened in 1891 and in the same year a post office opened.^[6] A town survey was conducted in 1907.^{[citation needed]} In April 1908, 131 town lots on either side of the railway station were sold. Most lots were 1⁄4 acre (0.10 ha).^[7]

 

Cooroy State School, 1909

Cooroy State School opened on 18 January 1909 with 18 students under headmaster Robert Thorney Bolton. The school building was 7 by 5 metres (23 by 16 ft) with two verandas and a 1,000 imperial gallons (4,500 L; 1,200 US gal) water tank.^[8][9]

In February 1910, it was proposed to build a Methodist Church at Cooroy.^[10] In July 1911, a call for tenders to erect the church was issued.^[11] The stump-capping ceremony was held on Thursday 7 September 1911.^[12] The church was officially opened on Wednesday 31 January 1912 by Harry Walker,^[13] followed by a social evening to celebrate the following day.^[14] On 19 February 1949, the current church building opened and the 1911 church building became the church hall, having been relocated to the back of the site.^[15] With the amalgamation of the Methodist Church into the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, it became the Cooroy Uniting Church.^[16]

Cooroy West State School opened in 1911. It closed in 1962.^[8]

The Anglican Church of the Holy Nativity was dedicated on 21 March 1914 by Archdeacon Henry Le Fanu.^[17] That church was destroyed by a cyclone on 19 February 1954.^[18] On Sunday 7 November 1954 Archbishop Reginald Halse dedicated the new church.^[19][20]

On 23 January 1961, a secondary department was added to Cooroy State School until the Cooroy State High School was opened as a separate school on 23 January 1963. In 1967, it was renamed Noosa District State High School. In 2007, Cooroora Secondary College at Pomona which was merged into Noosa District State High School, with the Pomona campus being used for the younger students and Cooroy campus being used for the older students.^[8][21]

In 1991, Noosa Shire Council purchased former Butter Factory buildings for use as a community centre which is now run by Cooroy Future Group as an arts centre.

The town was bisected by the Bruce Highway until a bypass was built in 1994.^[22]

Noosa Christian College opened on 28 January 2003 as a primary school with 37 students. In 2007 it expanded to offer secondary classes.^[8][23]

Between 2008 and 2013, Cooroy (and the rest of the Shire of Noosa) was within Sunshine Coast Region.^[24][25]

The Cooroy Library opened in 2010.^[26]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Cooroy had a population of 3,791 people.^[1]

The Hinterland Adventure Playground was officially opened in Cooroy on 6 May 2022 by Noosa Shire's mayor Clare Stewart.^[27][28]

West Cooroy National Park was opened on 25 January 2023 on the western and southwestern outskirts of Cooroy.

Heritage listings

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

• Lower Mill Road: Cooroy Lower Mill Site Kiln^[29]
• 33 Maple Street: Cooroy Post Office^[30]
• 14 Myall Street: Cooroy railway station^[31]

Education

 

Cooroy State School, 2023

Cooroy State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 59 Elm Street (26°24′50″S 152°54′41″E / 26.4140°S 152.9114°E / -26.4140; 152.9114 (Cooroy State School)).^[32][33] In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 545 students with 40 teachers (34 full-time equivalent) and 24 non-teaching staff (15 full-time equivalent).^[34] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 492 students with 39 teachers (32 full-time equivalent) and 30 non-teaching staff (19 full-time equivalent).^[35]

 

Noosa District State High School (Cooroy campus), 2013

Noosa District State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Tulip Street (26°25′27″S 152°54′37″E / 26.4242°S 152.9102°E / -26.4242; 152.9102 (Noosa District State High School)).^[32][36] In 2016, the school had a total enrolment of 1,335 students with 111 teachers (106 full-time equivalent) and 48 non-teaching staff (40 full-time equivalent).^[37] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 1274 students with 109 teachers (104 full-time equivalent) and 62 non-teaching staff (45 full-time equivalent).^[35]

Noosa Christian College is a private primary and secondary (Prep–12) school for boys and girls at 20 Cooroy Belli Creek Road (26°25′40″S 152°54′14″E / 26.4278°S 152.9039°E / -26.4278; 152.9039 (Noosa Christian College)).^[32][38] It is operated by Adventist Schools Australia. In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 243 students with 21 teachers (19.1 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff.^[39] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 252 students with 22 teachers (20 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (7 full-time equivalent).^[35]

Cooroy Community Kindergarten (CCK) is at 13–15 Maple Street.^[40]

Amenities

 

Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre

Cooroy has a hotel, a police station, a golf club, a bowls club, the RSL club and sub branch. An overnight RV park has opened at Johnson Park.

The Shire of Noosa operates a library at 9 Maple Street.^[41]

Cooroy Pomona Uniting Church is at 51 Maple Street (26°25′13″S 152°54′33″E / 26.4204°S 152.9092°E / -26.4204; 152.9092 (Cooroy Pomona Uniting Church)).^[42][43][16]

 

Cooroy Memorial Hall & School of Arts

The Cooroy branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the Cooroy Memorial Hall & School of Arts at 23 Maple Street.^[44]

Cooroy–Pomona RSL Sub-Branch is at 25 Maple Street.^[45]

The Hinterland Adventure Playground is in Marara Street (26°24′54″S 152°54′38″E / 26.4149°S 152.9106°E / -26.4149; 152.9106 (Hinterland Adventure Park)).^[46]

Other groups include:^{[citation needed]}

• Cooroy Memorial Hall Association Inc. (based in Cooroy)
• Cooroy Future Group Inc (based in Cooroy)
• Cooroy Area Residents Association Inc.
• Cooroy Chamber of Commerce
• Rotary Club of Cooroy
• Cooroy Scout Group

Transport

Cooroy railway station is serviced by two daily Queensland Rail Citytrain network services in each direction and is also utilized by Queensland Rail Travel's long-distance Traveltrain services; the Spirit of Queensland between Brisbane to Cairns, the Spirit of the Outback between Brisbane to Longreach and the Bundaberg and Rockhampton Tilt Trains.^[47]

Notable residents

• Major General John Cantwell, AO, DSC (Retd.) – former Deputy Chief of Army
• Marayke Jonkers – Bronze and Silver medal Paralympic swimmer

See also

•  Queensland portal

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Cooroy (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
2. "Cooroy – town in Shire of Noosa (entry 8317)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
3. "Cooroy – locality in Shire of Noosa (entry 48584)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
4. Google (4 July 2023). "Cooroy, Queensland" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
5. South East Queensland – Place Names 22 June 2005 at the Wayback Machine 16 December 2006
6. Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) (2000). Heritage Trails of the Great South East. State of Queensland. p. 143. ISBN 0-7345-1008-X.
7. "Open for Selection". Chronicle And North Coast Advertiser. Vol. 5, no. 241. Queensland, Australia. 14 March 1908. p. 2. from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
8. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
9. "History". Cooroy State School. 9 December 2019. from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
10. "BELOW THE RANGE". The Brisbane Courier. No. 16, 265. Queensland, Australia. 28 February 1910. p. 2. from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
11. "Advertising". Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette. Vol. XLIV, no. 5706. Queensland, Australia. 29 July 1911. p. 2. from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
12. "Advertising". Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette. Vol. XLIV, no. 5706. Queensland, Australia. 29 July 1911. p. 2. from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
13. "COOROY". Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette. Vol. XLV, no. 5783. Queensland, Australia. 27 January 1912. p. 4. from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
14. "COOROY". Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette. Vol. XLV, no. 5789. Queensland, Australia. 10 February 1912. p. 4. from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
15. "COOROY". Nambour Chronicle And North Coast Advertiser. No. 2320. Queensland, Australia. 3 December 1948. p. 1. from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
16. "Cooroy Uniting Church". Churches Australia. from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
17. "COOROY". Chronicle And North Coast Advertiser. Vol. XI, no. 499. Queensland, Australia. 27 March 1914. p. 5. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
18. "NORTH COAST SUFFERS TOO". Truth. No. 2813. Brisbane. 21 February 1954. p. 4. from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
19. "He planned own church". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane. 5 November 1954. p. 6. Retrieved 7 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
20. "The Church of the Holy Nativity | Churches Australia". churchesaustralia.org. from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
21. "History". Noosa District State High School. 4 September 2019. from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
22. Queensland Transport Annual Report 1993–1994
23. "Facts & Figures". Noosa Christian College. from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
24. "Backward Glance: History of Local Government on the Sunshine Coast". Sunshine Coast Regional Council. from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
25. "The Noosa De-amalgamation: Building a New Organisation". Noosa Shire Council. 2 January 2014. pp. 8–9. from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
26. "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016–17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 15. (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
27. "Hinterland Adventure Playground Official Opening & Community Event". Cooroy Online. from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
28. "Unique nature-based playground opens in hinterland". Sunshine Coast News. 17 May 2022. from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
29. "Cooroy Lower Mill Site Kiln (entry 602688)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
30. "Cooroy Post Office (Place ID 106202)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
31. "Cooroy Railway Station (entry 602381)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
32. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
33. "Cooroy State School". Cooroy State School. 8 December 2019. from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
34. "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Cooroy State School. (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
35. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
36. "Noosa District State High School". Noosa District State High School. 22 March 2019. from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
37. (PDF). Noosa District State High School. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
38. "Noosa Christian College". from the original on 3 September 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
39. "2016 Annual Report". Noosa Christian College. from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
40. "Cooroy Community Kindergarten". Lady Gowrie. from the original on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
41. "Noosa Libraries". Noosa Council. from the original on 7 June 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
42. "Find a Church". Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod. from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
43. "Cooroy Pomona". Mary Burnett Presbytery. from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
44. "Find Your Closest Branch". Queensland Country Women's Association. from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
45. "Home". Cooroy RSL. from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
46. "Hinterland Adventure Playground". Noosa Shire Council. from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
47. "Sunshine Coast Line timetable". Translink. 2 March 2020.

External links

• "Cooroy". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
• "Town map of Cooroy". Queensland Government. 1978.
• "Heritage of Cooroy and Heritage Walk" (PDF) (brochure). Noosa Shire Council. (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2023.
• "Discover Cooroy".