Drillham, Queensland

Drillham
Queensland
Drillham; Queensland
	Welcome to Drillham sign, 2019
	Drillham
Coordinates	26°38′28″S 149°59′00″E / 26.6411°S 149.9833°E
Population	113 (2021 census)
• Density	0.3139/km2 (0.813/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4424
Area	360.0 km2 (139.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	20.7 km (13 mi) W of Miles ; 121 km (75 mi) E of Roma ; 149 km (93 mi) NW of Dalby ; 230 km (143 mi) NW of Toowoomba ; 358 km (222 mi) NW of Brisbane ;
LGA(s)	Western Downs Region
State electorate(s)	Callide
Federal division(s)	Maranoa
	Localities around Drillham:

Drillham is a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.^[2]^[3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Drillham had a population of 113 people.^[1]

Geography

The town is on the Darling Downs and on the Warrego Highway, 358 kilometres (222 mi) north west of the state capital, Brisbane.

History

The town was established in 1878 to service the railway and was home to a camp for workers building the bridge over nearby Drillham Creek.^[4] Drillham Post Office opened by June 1910 (a receiving office had been open from 1895).^[5] The town and the creek were originally known as 'Delerium' due to the typhoid fever that struck this camp.^[6]

Drillham Provisional School opened on 28 Aug 1899, becoming Drillham State School on 1 January 1909.^[7]

1893 Drillham Creek tragedy

Four children from the same family died on 15 January 1893 when they were all accidentally drowned in Drillham Creek.^[8] Matilda Roehrig (aged 14), Isabella Roehrig (aged 12), Charles Roehrig (aged 11) and Jane Roehrig (aged 8) were the children of railway lengthsman Charles Roehrig and his wife Matilda. The news of the children's deaths was widely reported in newspapers around Australia.^[9]^[10]^[11] The site where the children's bodies were buried is located alongside the creek beside the Warrego Highway and is marked with a small monument with a commemorative plaque which was unveiled by the Miles and District Historical Society on 23 July 1966.^[12]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, the locality of Drillham and the surrounding area had a population of 217 people.^[13]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Drillham had a population of 126 people.^[14]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Drillham had a population of 113 people.^[1]

Economy

Drillham is a centre for the production of livestock and grains.^[4]

Education

Drillham State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 13 Jardine Street (26°38′39″S 149°58′53″E / 26.6443°S 149.9815°E / -26.6443; 149.9815 (Drillham State School)).^[15]^[16] In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 29 students with 3 teachers (2 equivalent full-time) and 4 non-teaching staff (2 equivalent full-time).^[17] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 33 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).^[18]

There is no secondary school in Drillham. The nearest secondary school is Miles State High School in neighbouring Miles to the east.^[19]^[20]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Drillham (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
^ "Drillham – town in Western Downs Region (entry 10538)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
^ "Drillham – locality in Western Downs Region (entry 47692)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
^ ^a ^b "Drillham". Western Downs – Places to Visit. Tourism Queensland. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
^ "Drillham". Murilla Shire Council. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
^ (18 January 1893) Fatality near Miles: A sad case of drowning, four children lost, The Western Star and Roma Advertiser. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
^ (21 January 1893) Four children drowned, The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
^ (23 January 1893) Queensland, The Age. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
^ (21 January 1893) Terrible drowning accident: death of four young children, The Advertiser. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
^ (23 July 1966), Drillham Creek Historical Marker Information, Miles and District Historical Society. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Drillham (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Drillham (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
^ "Drillham State School". Drillham State School. 29 November 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
^ "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Drillham State School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
^ "Miles State High School". Miles State High School. 29 November 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2024.