Giru, Queensland

Giru Queensland
Sugar mill at Giru
Giru
Coordinates	19.5125°S 147.1072°E / -19.5125; 147.1072 (Giru (town centre))
Population	387 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	4.974/km^2 (12.883/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4809
Area	77.8 km^2 (30.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	39.5 km (25 mi) WNW of Ayr 54.0 km (34 mi) SE of Townsville 1,283 km (797 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Shire of Burdekin
State electorate(s)	Burderkin
Federal division(s)	Dawson
Localities around Giru: Cape Cleveland Coral Sea Jerona Cromarty Giru Jerona Mount Surround Shirbourne Horseshoe Lagoon

Giru is a town and coastal locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia,[2][3] situated on the Haughton River, 54 kilometres (34 mi) south-east of Townsville. In the 2021 census, the locality of Giru had a population of 387 people.[1]

Geography

Giru is mainly sugarcane farms. The Invicta sugar mill in Giru is owned by Wilmar Sugar Cane Limited with three iconic chimney stacks.[4]

The Bruce Highway bypasses the town.[5]

History

Giru grocery store

The name of the town and the locality derives from the railway station name, assigned on 31 March 1916, derived from "goru", a type name for a species of sugarcane from New Guinea which was successfully experimented with and widely grown in the district.[2][6]

The Invicta Sugar Mill was originally located on the Richmond River in New South Wales. In 1906, it was relocated to Bucca near the Kolan River near Bundaberg. In 1919, it was moved north to the Haughton River in the Burdekin district, where the township of Giru grew around it. It commenced crushing there under the same name on 4 August 1921.[7][8][9][10]

On Saturday 1 May 1926, the School of Arts Hall was officially opened with a dance.[11]

The Giru Post Office opened by 1922.[12]

Giru State School opened on 1 October 1924.[13] The school celebrated its golden jubilee (50th anniversary) in 1974.[14]

St Joseph's School opened in 1945 and closed in 1998.[15]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, the locality of Giru had a population of 354 people.[16]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Giru had a population of 387 people.[1]

Economy

Giru is noted for the Invicta Sugar Mill, which is owned by Wilmar Sugar. The company crushes about 3,000,000 tonnes (3,300,000 tons) of raw sugar cane annually.[17]

Education

Giru State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 45–51 Luxton Street (19.5129°S 147.1096°E / -19.5129; 147.1096 (Giru State School)).[18][19] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 46 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[20]

There is no government secondary school in Giru. The nearest government secondary school is Ayr State High School in Ayr to the east.[21]

Amenities

Queensland Country Women's Association rooms, Giru

Giru International Hotel

There is a bowling club, and the main source of accommodation is the Giru International Hotel.

The Giru branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall at 9 Carey Street.[22]

Giru School of Arts Hall is at 3 Invicta Street (19.51556°S 147.10452°E / -19.51556; 147.10452 (School of Arts Hall)).[23]

Attractions

There is serious game fishing in the region, as the barramundi and grunter are highly sought after. The boat ramp is a fishing hot spot and many people travel to fish there.

In September every year, the Giru Show is held, offering activities such as food stalls, homemade cake shops and show rides, horse rides, and an animal farm, as well as a display of several pieces of farming equipment.

The Palm Creek Folk Festival is an annual event held in Giru on the Queen's Birthday public holiday, and spans four days. It commonly features known and up-and-coming bands from several music genres, ranging from folk to alternative.[24][25]

See also

• Giru railway station
• Burdekin Shire
• List of tramways in Queensland

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Giru (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Giru – town in Shire of Burdekin (entry 13850)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
3. "Giru – locality in Shire of Burdekin (entry 42307)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
4. "Invicta Sugar Mill". Archived from the original on 2 March 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
5. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
6. "The Sugar industry". Cairns Post. Vol. XXVI, no. 1542. Queensland, Australia. 15 February 1913. p. 2. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Invicta Mill Centenary celebrations". Wilmar Sugar. 18 October 2021. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
8. "Invicta Mill Site and Tram Tracks" (PDF). Bundaberg Regional Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
9. "History". Australian Sugar Cane Railway. Archived from the original on 23 February 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
10. "THE INVICTA MILL". The Bundaberg Mail. Queensland, Australia. 15 March 1919. p. 3. Archived from the original on 8 July 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2020 – via Trove.
11. "OPENING OF GIRU SCHOOL OF ARTS". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Vol. XLII, no. 109. Queensland, Australia. 7 May 1926. p. 6. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
12. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
13. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
14. Giru State School (1974), Golden jubilee 1924–1974, Giru, archived from the original on 13 June 2022, retrieved 3 February 2018
15. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
16. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Giru (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
17. "Mills". Wilmar Sugar. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
18. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
19. "Giru State School". Giru State School. 29 November 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
20. "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
21. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
22. "Branch Locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
23. "Giru School of Arts Inc". Burdekin Shire Council. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
24. "Home". Palm Creek Folk Festival. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
25. "Palm Creek Folk Festival". NQ Arts Directory. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.

External links

• "Giru". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
• "Town map of Giru". Queensland Government. 1983.