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Wowan, Queensland

Coordinates:23°54′25″S150°11′44″E/ 23.9069°S 150.1955°E/-23.9069; 150.1955(Wowan (town centre))
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Wowan
Queensland
Streetscape, Wowan, 1931
Wowan is located in Queensland
Wowan
Wowan
Coordinates23°54′25″S150°11′44″E/ 23.9069°S 150.1955°E/-23.9069; 150.1955(Wowan (town centre))
Population170 (2021 census)[1]
• Density0.732/km2(1.90/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4702
Area232.3 km2(89.7 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST(UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Banana
State electorate(s)Callide
Federal division(s)Flynn
Localities around Wowan:
Pheasant Creek Pheasant Creek Dululu
Dumpy Creek Wowan Dixalea
Dumpy Creek Goovigen Goovigen

Wowanis a rural town andlocalityin theShire of Banana,Queensland,Australia.[2][3]In the2021 census,the locality of Wowan had a population of 170 people.[1]

The town ofDeefordis also within the locality.[4]

Geography

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TheDee Riverforms part of the eastern boundary.[5]

Both towns are located in the north-east of the locality with Deeford at23°55′03″S150°13′33″E/ 23.9175°S 150.2258°E/-23.9175; 150.2258(Deeford, Queensland)near a crossing point of theDee River.[2][4][6]There are also a number of neighbourhoods within the location:

TheLeichhardt Highwayruns through from north to south through the localityl, passing through the town of Wowan.[6]

History

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Wowan takes its name from the Wowan railway station, which in turn was named from the Aboriginal word forAustralian brush-turkey.[2][3]Deeford was originally known as Dundee, but was renamed Deeford on 6 November 1913 by theQueensland Surveyor-General.[4]

Dundee Provisional School opened on 1 June 1900. It closed in 1904 but reopened in 1905. On 1 January 1909 it became Dundee State School. It closed in 1911.[10]

Wowan railway station, 1931

TheDawson Valley railway linewas built from 1910 and by 1912 its first stage of construction had reached the area, terminating at theWowan railway station(23°54′21″S150°11′53″E/ 23.9057°S 150.1980°E/-23.9057; 150.1980(Wowan railway station)) on 16 October 1912.[11][12]

In 1912, two schools opened. One was Dundee Camp Provisional School (in the area that became the town of Wowan), presumably to provide education to the children of the railway workers living in the camp during the construction of the railway. The other was Dundee State School (in what is now Deeford). In 1915 Dundee Camp Provisional School was renamed Wowan Provisional School and on 1 May 1916 became Wowan State School. In 1917 Dundee State School was renamed Deeford State School. Deeford State School closed in 1941.[10]

Woman was settled in 1912. The butter factory opened on 1 April 1919; it was operated by the Dawson Valley Co-operative Company.[13]

The second stage of the Dawon Valley railway line opened on 2 February 1915 and extended the line from the town of Wowan via other stations within the locality:

and then ontoRannes.[11]

Buneru State School opened on 5 October 1918 on the south-western corner of Portion 100 on the (now)Leichhardt Highway(23°58′06″S150°09′51″E/ 23.96828°S 150.16419°E/-23.96828; 150.16419(Buneru State School (1918 site))).[10][14][15]Following flooding in 1928,[16][17]the decision was made to relocate and enlarge the school.[18][19]In 1934, the school was relocated to the south-west corner of Buneru Road and Buneru School Road (23°57′27″S150°08′57″E/ 23.9576°S 150.1492°E/-23.9576; 150.1492(Buneru State School (1934 site))).[20][21]The school closed in 1962.[10]

Wowan Methodist Church was the first church built in the district at 13 Caroline Street (23°54′39″S150°11′48″E/ 23.9109°S 150.1968°E/-23.9109; 150.1968(Wowan Uniting Church)).[22]Astump-capping ceremonywas held on 20 October 1923 and the church and opened on 13 January 1924. Following the amalgamation of the Methodist Church into theUniting Church in Australiain 1977, it became Wowan Uniting Church. The church building was damaged in the 2012 floods. The community decided to relocate it to the Wowan Museum and refurbish the building. The Woman Uniting Church amalgamated with the Biloela Uniting Church to form the Callide Valley Uniting Church which holds its Wowan services in All Souls Anglican Church.[23]

On 1 August 1987, the railway line from Kabra to Wowan was closed.[24]

Buildings at Wowan Museum, 2017

The Wowan Museum was originally established in the former butter factory after the site was transformed into a caravan park in the 1980's.[25]After the museum outgrew the butter factory, it was relocated to the former railway station and the new Wowan Museum was officially opened by Deputy PremierJeff Seeneyon 13 October 2012, as part of the community celebrations commemorating the 100th anniversary of the railway being opened in 1912.[25][26]

Demographics

[edit]

In the2006 census,the locality of Wowan and the surrounding area had a population of 338.[27]

In the2016 census,the locality of Wowan had a population of 216 people.[28]

In the2021 census,the locality of Wowan had a population of 170 people.[1]

Economy

[edit]

Farm produce from the area includesbeef,hay,grain,porkandeggs.[29]

Education

[edit]
Wowan State School, 1931

Wowan State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Don Street (23°54′37″S150°11′38″E/ 23.9104°S 150.1938°E/-23.9104; 150.1938(Wowan State School)).[30][31]In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 33 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[32]In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 30 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[33]State Library of Queensland holds a copy of Wowan State School: student registry 1900–1991 in the John Oxley Library.[34]

There are no secondary schools in Wowan. The nearest government secondary school is Baralaba State School (to Year 10) inBaralabato the south-west. For secondary education to Year 12, the nearest government secondary school isMount Morgan State High SchoolinMount Morganto the north-east.[6]

Amenities

[edit]

The Callide Valley Uniting Church meets at All Souls Anglican Church at 19 Don Street (23°54′21″S150°11′43″E/ 23.9058°S 150.1954°E/-23.9058; 150.1954(Callide Valley Uniting Church)).[35]

Attractions

[edit]

The Wowan and District Museum is in the old butter factory and former railway station at 2A Dee River Road (corner of Leichhardt Highway,23°54′36″S150°11′45″E/ 23.9099°S 150.1958°E/-23.9099; 150.1958(Wowan and District Museum)).[36][37][38]

Events

[edit]

Wowan holds its annual agricultural show in August.[39][40]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcAustralian Bureau of Statistics(28 June 2022)."Wowan (SAL)".2021 Census QuickStats.Retrieved28 February2023.Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^abc"Wowan – town in Shire of Banana (entry 38177)".Queensland Place Names.Queensland Government.Retrieved6 March2022.
  3. ^ab"Wowan – locality in Shire of Banana (entry 49581)".Queensland Place Names.Queensland Government.Retrieved6 March2022.
  4. ^abc"Deeford – town in Shire of Banana (entry 43961)".Queensland Place Names.Queensland Government.Retrieved25 October2019.
  5. ^Google(15 September 2021)."Wowan, Queensland"(Map).Google Maps.Google.Retrieved15 September2021.
  6. ^abc"Queensland Globe".State of Queensland.Retrieved24 November2022.
  7. ^"Buneru – locality unbounded in Shire of Banana (entry 5237)".Queensland Place Names.Queensland Government.Retrieved6 March2022.
  8. ^"Cooneel – locality unbounded in Shire of Banana (entry 8223)".Queensland Place Names.Queensland Government.Retrieved6 March2022.
  9. ^"Muruguran – locality unbounded in Shire of Banana (entry 23644)".Queensland Place Names.Queensland Government.Retrieved6 March2022.
  10. ^abcdQueensland Family History Society (2010),Queensland schools past and present(Version 1.01 ed.),Queensland Family History Society,ISBN978-1-921171-26-0
  11. ^abKerr, John (1990).Triumph of narrow gauge: a history of Queensland Railways.Boolarong Publications. p. 224.ISBN978-0-86439-102-5.
  12. ^abcd"Railway stations and sidings - Queensland".Queensland Open Data.Queensland Government.2 October 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 5 October 2020.Retrieved5 October2020.
  13. ^"THE DAWSON VALLEY. WOWAN BUTTER FACTORY".The Morning Bulletin.Rockhampton, Qld. 26 February 1924. p. 10.Archivedfrom the original on 28 August 2021.Retrieved8 June2014– via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^"Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m202 Rannes"(Map).Queensland Government.1933.Retrieved24 November2022.
  15. ^"STATE SCHOOL AT BUNERU".Morning Bulletin.No. 16621. Queensland, Australia. 8 December 1917. p. 4.Retrieved24 November2022– via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^"WALLS OF WATER".The Brisbane Courier.No. 21, 922. Queensland, Australia. 1 May 1928. p. 17.Retrieved24 November2022– via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^"Appalling losses".Queensland Times.Vol. LXVIII, no. 13, 034. Queensland, Australia. 1 May 1928. p. 7.Retrieved24 November2022– via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^"BUNERU".Morning Bulletin.No. 21, 165. Queensland, Australia. 25 May 1934. p. 7.Retrieved24 November2022– via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^"BUNERU".The Central Queensland Herald.Vol. 6, no. 232. Queensland, Australia. 7 June 1934. p. 39.Retrieved24 November2022– via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^"Deeford"(Map).Queensland Government.1944.Archivedfrom the original on 18 January 2022.Retrieved11 April2022.
  21. ^"Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m202"(Map).Queensland Government.1939.Retrieved24 November2022.
  22. ^Google(28 August 2021)."Wowan Uniting Church"(Map).Google Maps.Google.Retrieved28 August2021.
  23. ^"Wowan Uniting Church - Former".Churches Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 28 August 2021.Retrieved28 August2021.
  24. ^Kerr, John (1990).Triumph of narrow gauge: a history of Queensland Railways.Boolarong Publications. p. 189.ISBN978-0-86439-102-5.
  25. ^ab"History rallies to the fore!".Sandstone Wonders.Banana Shire Council.Archivedfrom the original on 11 December 2021.Retrieved27 July2022.
  26. ^Wowan Museum(plaque outside museum). Wowan, Queensland. 13 October 2012.Wowan Museum opened on 13th October, 2012 by the Honourable Jeff Seeney MP...
  27. ^Australian Bureau of Statistics(25 October 2007)."Wowan (Banana Shire) (State Suburb)".2006 Census QuickStats.Retrieved28 October2007.
  28. ^Australian Bureau of Statistics(27 June 2017)."Wowan (SSC)".2016 Census QuickStats.Retrieved20 October2018.Edit this at Wikidata
  29. ^"Our Town Wowan"(PDF).Retrieved19 April2019.[permanent dead link]
  30. ^"State and non-state school details".Queensland Government.9 July 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 21 November 2018.Retrieved21 November2018.
  31. ^"Wowan State School".Archivedfrom the original on 8 March 2022.Retrieved11 April2022.
  32. ^"ACARA School Profile 2017".Archivedfrom the original on 22 November 2018.Retrieved22 November2018.
  33. ^"ACARA School Profile 2018".Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.Archivedfrom the original on 27 August 2020.Retrieved28 January2020.
  34. ^"One Search-State Library of Queensland's catalogue".Archivedfrom the original on 8 May 2018.Retrieved21 January2018.
  35. ^"Contacts".– Callide Valley Uniting Church.Archivedfrom the original on 19 March 2021.Retrieved28 August2021.
  36. ^"Wowan and District Museum".Retrieved24 November2022.
  37. ^"The Town of Wowan in the Banana Shire".Sandstone Wonders.Retrieved24 November2022.
  38. ^Google(24 November 2022)."Wowan and District Museum"(Map).Google Maps.Google.Retrieved24 November2022.
  39. ^"Simple Pleasures: Banana Shire"(PDF).The Gladstone Region.Tourism Queensland. p. 3.Archived(PDF)from the original on 15 July 2014.Retrieved8 June2014.
  40. ^"Wowan Show".Archivedfrom the original on 26 January 2014.Retrieved8 June2014.

Further reading

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[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toWowan, Queensland.
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