Mungallala

Mungallala is a rural town and locality in the Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia.^[2][3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Mungallala had a population of 85 people.^[1]

Mungallala Queensland
Mungallala Memorial Hall
Mungallala
Coordinates	26°26′48″S 147°32′38″E / 26.4466°S 147.5438°E / -26.4466; 147.5438 (Mungallala (town centre))
Population	85 (2021 census)^[1]
• Density	0.1883/km^2 (0.4878/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4467
Area	451.3 km^2 (174.2 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	45.0 km (28 mi) W of Mitchell 132 km (82 mi) W of Roma 135 km (84 mi) E of Charleville 675 km (419 mi) WNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Maranoa Region
County	Mungallala County
State electorate(s)	Warrego
Federal division(s)	Maranoa
Localities around Mungallala: Tyrconnel Tyrconnel Tyrconnel Morven Mungallala Womalilla Mungallala South Mungallala South Mungallala South

Geography

The town is in South West Queensland, 608 kilometres (378 mi) west of the state capital Brisbane and 133 kilometres (83 mi) west of the regional centre of Roma.

The Warrego Highway passes from east (Womalilla) to west (Morven) through the locality, passing through the town which is in the eastern part of the locality. The Western railway line also passes from east to west through the locality, roughly parallel and to the south of the highway.^[4] The town is served by the Mungallala railway station, 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south-west of the town (26°27′19″S 147°32′19″E / 26.4553°S 147.5386°E / -26.4553; 147.5386 (Mungallala railway station)).^[5]

The former locality of Dulvadilla/Dulbydilla is within the locality of Mundallala.^[6] Dulbydilla railway siding remains on the western railway line in the west of the locality at 26°26′06″S 147°22′28″E / 26.4350°S 147.3744°E / -26.4350; 147.3744 (Dulbydilla railway siding).^[7]

The town consists of only a few streets.^[4]

 

Sign on the Warrego Highway at the eastern entrance to Mungallala

History

The name Mungallala derives from a pastoral run and comes from the Kunggari language with from mungar / kungar meaning bird and yaya / lala meaning shout, implying the sound made by the claws of running emus.^[2] The name Dulbydilla derives from the Aboriginal words, dulby meaning black and dilla meaning waterhole, referring to the discolouration of the water caused by eucalypt leaves.^[7]

The town was on the Cobb & Co stagecoach route from Roma to Charleville; The coach traveled the 283 kilometres (176 mi) twice weekly, and they staged at Womalilla Downs, Burenda Downs and Dulbydilla. Mungallala may also have been a "changing station".^{[citation needed]} The coach drivers included Austin Brumfield, J. Coyle, Tom Merritt, Jim Burstall, Bob Martin and Luke O'Malley.^[8] The route was mail service number 15 (Mitchell-Roma) and 16 (Mitchell -Charleville), and ran bi-weekly to 1881, thrice-weekly. In August 1886, the Number 16 route was shortened to Dulbydilla. From March 1887, the coach began at Morven. On 29 February 1888, the Western railway line reached Charleville, seeing the end of the Cobb & Co mail runs through Mungallala.

Dulbydilla Post Office operated from 1886 to 1887, after which a receiving office operated from 1887 to 1924. A telephone office operated from 1953 to 1956.^[6]

Mungallala Post Office opened by May 1911 (a receiving office had been open from 1887).^[9]

Mungallala Provisional School opened on 5 September 1904. It became Mungallala State School on 1 January 1909.^[10]

St John's Anglican church was dedicated on 18 September 1914 by the Venerable Arthur Rivers. It was a timber church able to seat 50 people located south of the railway station (approx 26°27′24″S 147°32′22″E / 26.4566°S 147.5395°E / -26.4566; 147.5395 (St John's Anglican Church (original site))). In 1962, it was relocated to Charleville Street in the town centre (26°26′43″S 147°32′37″E / 26.44537°S 147.54352°E / -26.44537; 147.54352 (St John's Anglican Church (former))). The church's closure on 5 April 2006 was approved by Archdeacon of The West, G.F. Harch.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Sacred Heart Catholic Church was officially opened and blessed by Archbishop James Duhig on Sunday 8 July 1923.^[15] It has since been demolished.^[16]

Mungallala Methodist Church was built in 1964. It has now closed.^[17]

In 2016, the Australian Taxation Office listed Mungallala as having the lowest mean taxable income by postcode, making it the poorest town in Australia,^[18] which led the ABC to do a documentary on the town for their online "storyhunters" program.^[19]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Mungallala had a population of 136 people.^[20]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Mungallala had a population of 85 people.^[1]

Education

Mungallala State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 24 Redford Street (26°26′41″S 147°32′42″E / 26.4446°S 147.5450°E / -26.4446; 147.5450 (Mungallala State School)).^[21][22] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 6 students with 2 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).^[23] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 8 students with 3 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).^[24]

There is no secondary school in Mungallala; the nearest one is Mitchell State School in Mitchell which offers up to Year 10.^[25] For education to Year 12, the nearest secondary schools are Roma State College in Roma and Charleville State High School in Charleville.^[26][27][28]

Facilities

The Maranoa Regional Council operates a public library in Mungallala in Redford Street^[29]

There are 2 free caravan parks in town, and a recreation centre where several events are held each year for local residents and visitors. There are 2 tennis courts and a 4-hole golf course, constantly being mowed by a group of eastern grey kangaroos.

There is a pub^[30] and cafe, where internet connectivity (powered through the National Broadband Network) is available. The cafe is also a wildlife care centre.

Other facilities in the town include:

• Mungallala Police Station (26°26′37″S 147°32′38″E / 26.4437°S 147.5439°E / -26.4437; 147.5439 (Mungallala Police Station))^[31]
• Mungallala Fire Station (26°26′49″S 147°32′41″E / 26.4469°S 147.5447°E / -26.4469; 147.5447 (Mungallala Fire Station))^[31]
• Mungallala Monumental Cemetery (26°27′32″S 147°32′40″E / 26.4588°S 147.5445°E / -26.4588; 147.5445 (Mungallala Monumental Cemetery))^[32]

 

Mungallala Hotel

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mungallala (SSC)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 April 2024.  
2. "Mungallala – town in Maranoa Region (entry 23463)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
3. "Mungallala – locality in Maranoa Region (entry 47443)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
4. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
5. "Mungallala – railway station in Maranoa Region (entry 23464)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
6. Dell, Terry; Price, David (2017). "Queensland Steel Datestamps" (PDF). Toowoomba Stamp Club. p. 70. (PDF) from the original on 24 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
7. "Dulbydilla – railway station in Maranoa Region (entry 10781)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
8. Tranter, Deborah; Queensland Museum (1990), Cobb & Co. : coaching in Queensland (3rd printing 2010 (with amendments) ed.), Queensland Museum, ISBN 978-0-7242-4140-8
9. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 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. Pearson, Cormac (11 October 1921). "Starting at $12k: Queensland's cheapest land for sale right now". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
12. "24 - 27 Unnamed Off Railway Road, Mungallala, Qld 4467". Realestate.com.au. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
13. Blake, Thom. "St John's Anglican Church". Queensland religious places database. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
14. Anglican Church of Southern Queensland. . Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
15. "Roman Catholic Church at Mungallala". Western Star And Roma Advertiser. No. 5662. Queensland, Australia. 11 July 1923. p. 2. Retrieved 16 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
16. Blake, Thom. "Sacred Heart Catholic Church". Queensland religious places database. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
17. Blake, Thom. "Mungallala Methodist Church". Queensland religious places database. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
18. Antrobus, Blake (20 April 2016). "Mungallala labelled Australia's 'poorest' postcode". Roma Western Star. from the original on 16 June 2016. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
19. McGhee, Ashlynne; Florance, Loretta (13 June 2016). "Mungallala, Queensland: What it's like to live in Australia's poorest town". ABC News. from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
20. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mungallala (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
21. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
22. "Mungallala State School". Mungallala State School. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
23. "ACARA School Profile 2017". from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
24. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
25. "Mitchell State School". Mitchell State School. 10 February 2020. from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
26. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
27. "Roma State College". Roma State College. 18 November 2019. from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
28. "Charleville State High School". Charleville State High School. 20 May 2019. from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
29. "Mungallala Library". Public Libraries Connect. 18 September 2014. from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
30. Chirp Internet. "Hotels in Mungallala < Queensland | Gday Pubs - Enjoy our Great Australian Pubs". Gday Pubs. from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2012.
31. "Emergency services facilities - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
32. "Cemetery Areas - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. from the original on 15 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.

Further reading

• Beale, Jennifer (2004), Mungallala memories : a community account of Mungallala and district, Mungallala Progress and Sporting Association

External links

  Media related to Mungallala at Wikimedia Commons

• "Town map of Mungallala". Queensland Government. 1982.