Porcupine, Queensland

Porcupine Queensland
Porcupine Creek flowing through Porcupine Gorge, 2015
Porcupine
Coordinates	20.0891°S 144.335°E / -20.0891; 144.335 (Porcupine (centre of locality))
Population	39 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	0.00469/km^2 (0.01214/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4821
Area	8,318.6 km^2 (3,211.8 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	108 km (67 mi) NNE of Hughenden 452 km (281 mi) WSW of Townsville 1,538 km (956 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Shire of Flinders
State electorate(s)	Traeger
Federal division(s)	Kennedy
Suburbs around Porcupine: Woolgar Gilberton Lyndhurst Basalt Dutton River Porcupine Pentland Hughenden Prairie Torrens Creek

Porcupine is an outback locality in the Shire of Flinders, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2021 census, Porcupine had a population of 39 people.[1]

Geography

The drainage divide created by the Great Dividing Range runs from north to south near the eastern boundary of the locality. As a consequence, the terrain in the locality is mountainous with the following named peaks (from north to south):

• Bombarri Hill (19.5902°S 144.3003°E / -19.5902; 144.3003 (Bombarri Hill)) 960 metres (3,150 ft) above sea level[3][4]
• Castle Hill (19.6804°S 144.2307°E / -19.6804; 144.2307 (Castle Hill)) 900 metres (3,000 ft)[3][5]
• Mount King (20.0175°S 144.4809°E / -20.0175; 144.4809 (Mount King)) 900 metres (3,000 ft)[6][7]
• Mount Mistake (20.0578°S 144.4421°E / -20.0578; 144.4421 (Mount Mistake)) 910 metres (2,990 ft)[8][9]
• Mount Dick (20.1085°S 144.5813°E / -20.1085; 144.5813 (Mount Dick)) 900 metres (3,000 ft)[3][10]
• Mount Cracknell (20.1582°S 144.6815°E / -20.1582; 144.6815 (Mount Cracknell)) 886 metres (2,907 ft)[3][11]
• Mount Bradshaw (20.1632°S 144.2928°E / -20.1632; 144.2928 (Mount Bradshaw)) 850 metres (2,790 ft)[3][12]
• Mount James (20.2156°S 144.3580°E / -20.2156; 144.3580 (Mount James)) 968 metres (3,176 ft)[3][13]
• Mount Emu (20.2283°S 144.3759°E / -20.2283; 144.3759 (Mount Emu)) 976 metres (3,202 ft)[3][14]
• Mount Pleasant (20.2330°S 144.6055°E / -20.2330; 144.6055 (Mount Pleasant)) 814 metres (2,671 ft)[3][15]
• Mount Oxley (20.2338°S 144.8215°E / -20.2338; 144.8215 (Mount Oxley)) 820 metres (2,690 ft)[3][16]
• Mount Sturgeon (20.2509°S 144.4688°E / -20.2509; 144.4688 (Mount Sturgeon)) 795 metres (2,608 ft)[3][17]
• Bald Hill (20.2853°S 144.1038°E / -20.2853; 144.1038 (Bald Hill)) 689 metres (2,260 ft)[3][18]
• Mount Pleasant (second mountain of that name, 20.3388°S 144.2021°E / -20.3388; 144.2021 (Mount Pleasant)) 762 metres (2,500 ft)[3][19]
• Mount Wongalee (20.6339°S 144.4111°E / -20.6339; 144.4111 (Mount Wongalee)) 515 metres (1,690 ft)[3][20]
• Mount Canterbury (20.6631°S 144.3158°E / -20.6631; 144.3158 (Mount Canterbury)) 466 metres (1,529 ft)[3][21]

Numerous creeks rise in this area flowing into valleys west towards inland Queensland where they eventually become tributaries of the Flinders River which flows through the Gulf Country to the Gulf of Carpentaria. In contrast, the South Gregory River rises to the east of the divide and flows eventually into the Burdekin River which enters the Coral Sea at Upstart Bay, east of Ayr.[22]

The Kennedy Developmental Road enters the locality from north (Lyndhurst) and exits to south (Hughenden / Prairie).[22]

Some small areas of the locality are part of a number of national parks including Porcupine Gorge National Park (which protects the Porcupine Gorge created by Porcupine Creek, entirely within the southern part of the locality), White Mountains National Park (extending south-east into Torrens Creek) and Blackbraes National Park (extending north into Lyndhurst).[22]

Apart from the protected areas, the land use is grazing on native vegetation.[22]

History

Porcupine grass, a species of Triodia

The locality was named and bounded on 23 February 2001.[2] The name is believed to derive from the appearance of the spiky leaves of the spinifex bushes in the area. In particular the Triodia scariosa is commonly known in Australia as "porcupine grass".[23]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Porcupine had a population of 49 people.[24]

In the 2021 census, Porcupine had a population of 39 people.[1]

Education

There are no schools in Porcupine. The nearest government primary and secondary schools are Hughenden State School and Hughenden State High School, both in neighbouring Hughenden to the south-west. However, these schools would only be within range of a daily commute for the southern part of Porcupine. Options for students living further north in Porcupine would be distance education and boarding school.[22]

Attractions

Within the Porcupine Gorge National Park, there are two lookouts:

• Pyramid Rock Lookout (20.3468°S 144.4619°E / -20.3468; 144.4619 (Pyramid Rock Lookout)) which is accessed via a 400-metre (1,300 ft) walk[25][26]

• Porcupine Gorge Lookout (20.4098°S 144.4370°E / -20.4098; 144.4370 (Porcupine Gorge Lookout)) which is accessed via a 200-metre (660 ft) walk which is wheelchair-accessible with assistance.[25][26]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Porcupine (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Porcupine – locality in Flinders Shire (entry 42486)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
3. "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
4. "Bombarri Hill – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 3520)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
5. "Castle Hill – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 6443)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
6. "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
7. "Mount King – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 18208)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
8. "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
9. "Mount Mistake – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 22357)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
10. "Mount Dick – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 9892)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
11. "Mount Cracknell – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 8647)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
12. "Mount Bradshaw – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 4265)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
13. "Mount James – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 17034)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
14. "Mount Emu – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 11740)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
15. "Mount Pleasant – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 27094)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
16. "Mount Oxley – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 25703)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
17. "Mount Sturgeon – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 32712)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
18. "Bald Hill – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 1306)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
19. "Mount Pleasant – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 27092)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
20. "Mount Wongalee – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 37925)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
21. "Mount Canterbury – mountain in Flinders Shire (entry 6104)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
22. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
23. "Origin of Place Names in Hughenden and District" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
24. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Porcupine (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
25. "Tourist points - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
26. "How to do Porcupine Gorge National Park". Tourism & Events Queensland. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.

External links

Media related to Porcupine, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons