Tewantin (/təˈwɒntən/tə-WON-tən) is a town and locality in the Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] Tewantin was the original settlement in the Noosa region and is one of its three major centres today. In the 2021 census, the locality of Tewantin had a population of 11,164 people.[1]
Geography
The locality is bounded to the north by Lake Cooroibah and to the east by the Noosa River which flows into the lake.[4]
Most of the locality is within protected areas with the Great Sandy National Park in the north of the locality, Tewantin National Park in the north-west, west, south-west, and south of the locality, with the Harry Springs Conservation Park in the centre of the locality. The town is in the east of the locality with Doonella Lake in the south-east.[4]
The name Tewantin is an anglicised version of the Aboriginal name for the area, dauwadhum, meaning place of dead logs,[6] because of the sawmill there.[2]
Tewantin was originally a timber town. In 1869, Tewantin was the river port for the Noosa area.[7] In 1871, Clarendon Stuart surveyed a town site for the Tewantin settlement. Tewantin was a thriving small town with a reliance on the gold, fishing and timber industries.[7]
The Tewantin War Memorial commemorates those from the district who served in World War I. It was dedicated in January–February 1922 by Colonel David Elder Reid.[10][11]
Tewantin Noosa RSL & Citizens' Memorial Club was opened on 28 November 1981 by Sir Albert Abbott CBE.[citation needed]
Noosa Flexible Learning Centre opened on 23 January 2006.[8]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, the locality of Tewantin had a population of 10,920 people.[14]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Tewantin had a population of 11,164 people.[1]
Climate
Tewantin experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen:Cfa,Trewartha:Cfal), with hot, muggy summers and mild winters. Precipitation is abundant, averaging 1597.2 mm annually, with a late summer maximum.[15]
Climate data for Tewantin (26º23'24"S, 153º02'24"E, 6 m AMSL) (1996-2024 normals, extremes 1895-2024)
Its main street, Poinciana Avenue, leads to the Tewantin RSL, which holds a strong legacy towards the Australia's history in war. Poinciana Avenue has a historic pub, the Royal Mail, War Memorial, and a range of shops, restaurants and a town square.
Tewantin is the current location for the Australian Navy Cadet unit of NTS Sheean.
Events
There is an annual Anzac Day march through Tewantin. It is led by the staff and students of Tewantin State School.[23]
^"TOOWOOMBA AND DISTRICT". The Brisbane Courier. No. 16, [?]4. Queensland, Australia. 2 April 1910. p. 6. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.