Jundah, Queensland

This article is about the town of Jundah. For the town formerly called Juandah, see Wandoan, Queensland.

Jundah Queensland
Fiery Opal from Opalville Mine, Jundah field
Jundah
Coordinates	24.8325°S 143.0597°E / -24.8325; 143.0597 (Jundah (town centre))
Population	131 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	0.01001/km^2 (0.02593/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4736
Area	13,085.7 km^2 (5,052.4 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)	Barcoo Shire
County	Wolseley
State electorate(s)	Gregory
Federal division(s)	Maranoa
Localities around Jundah: Stonehenge Stonehenge Isisford Yaraka Farrars Creek Jundah Adavale Windorah Windorah Eromanga

Jundah is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Barcoo, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] Jundah is the administrative centre of the Barcoo Shire local government area. In the 2021 census, the locality of Jundah had a population of 131 people.[1]

Geography

The town is located on the Thomson River in Central West Queensland, 1,122 kilometres (697 mi) west of the state capital, Brisbane.[4]

History

Kuungkari (also known as Kungkari and Koonkerri) is a language of Western Queensland. The Kuungkari language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of Longreach Shire Council and Blackall-Tambo Shire Council.[5]

The outback town was established in 1883 and given a name meaning "woman" in a local Aboriginal language.[2]

Jundah was first settled by pastoralists Patrick Durack (on Thylungra) and his brother-in-law John Costello (on Kyabra).[6]

In 1873, Jundah was acquired by grazier William Pitt Tozer, who built a homestead on the land. From 1875 to 1880 the Jundah homestead was utilised by the paramilitary Native Police as their main barracks on the lower Thomson River.[7][8]

Jundah Post Office opened on 26 June 1877 (a receiving office named Jundah Police Barracks had been open from 1876).[9]

Jundah State School opened on 30 April 1900 with about 50 students. At that time, the town had a population of about 300 people.[10][11]

Jundah was home to an opal mining industry for around twenty years in the early twentieth century before the industry closed down due to water shortages.[6]

The Jundah Library opened in 2005.[12]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, the locality of Jundah and surrounds had a population of 350 people.[13]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Jundah had a population of 106 people.[14]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Jundah had a population of 131 people.[1]

Heritage listings

Welford Homestead, 2005

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

• Welford Homestead[15]

Economy

Today, the town now supports the surrounding sheep and cattle industry.

Facilities

As well as the Barcoo Shire administration centre, other facilities in the town include a police station, general store, post office agency and a tourist information centre.[6]

The Barcoo Shire Council operate Jundah Library at 11 Dickson Street.[16]

Education

Jundah State School, 2022

Classroom, Jundah State School, 2022

Jundah State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at 11 Garrick Street (24.8304°S 143.0619°E / -24.8304; 143.0619 (Jundah State School)).[17][18] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 6 students with 2 teachers and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[19] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 13 students with 2 teachers and 6 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[20]

There are no secondary schools in Jundah or nearby.[4] The options would be boarding schools or distance education.

Attractions

The Barcoo Shire Museum is on the corner of Miles and Macrossan Streets (24.8297°S 143.0606°E / -24.8297; 143.0606 (Barcoo Shire Museum)). The museum is in the former administration centre of the Barcoo Shire Council, relocated to its present location.[21]

Roughly 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the south east of the town is Welford National Park.

Events

Main article: German Australian

Each year the town celebrates German-Australian culture by holding "the world's most remote Oktoberfest".[22]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Jundah (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Jundah – town in Shire of Barcoo (entry 17485)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
3. "Jundah – locality in Shire of Barcoo (entry 50019)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
4. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
5. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC BY 4.0 licensed text from: "Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map". State Library of Queensland. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
6. "JUNDAH". Queensland Health - Work for us - Location Profiles. State of Queensland. 2007. Archived from the original on 17 September 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2007.
7. "The "Great Run Case."". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XXXII, no. 3, 453. Queensland, Australia. 12 June 1878. p. 3. Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "Country News". The Queenslander. Vol. XVII, no. 248. Queensland, Australia. 15 May 1880. p. 615. Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 7 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
9. Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions. Archived from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
10. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
11. "Our School". Jundah State School. 15 January 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2022.
12. "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
13. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Jundah (Windorah) (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
14. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Jundah (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
15. "Welford Homestead (entry 600023)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
16. "Jundah Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
17. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
18. "Jundah State School". Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
19. "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
20. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
21. "Barcoo Shire Museum". Barcoo Shire Council. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
22. "Outback Oktoberfest". Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2012.

External links

• "Town map of Jundah". Queensland Government. 1976.