31-620: Download coordinates as: Dirranbandi is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne , Queensland , Australia. The locality is on the border of Queensland with New South Wales . In the 2021 census , the locality of Dirranbandi had a population of 610 people. Dirranbandi is on the Castlereagh Highway and the Balonne River . It is notable for the population variations each year as seasonal workers come to work on
62-508: A Yuwaaliyaay dialect placename, Dhurrunbandaay , relating to dhurrun.gal ("hairy caterpillars") and baanda-y ("move in single file"). One hundred housing allotments were first set aside, followed by land for a police station, a state school, and post office. Dirranbandi Provisional School opened on 9 June 1902, but closed in April 1905. It reopened on 20 January 1908 and became Dirranbandi State School on 1 January 1909. On 29 January 1963,
93-632: A hospital, civic centre, swimming pool, park and showground. Balonne Shire Council operates a library on the Castlereagh Highway inside the Rural Transaction Centre. The Dirranbandi branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 22 Kirby Street ( 28°35′00″S 148°13′41″E / 28.5832°S 148.2281°E / -28.5832; 148.2281 ( Queensland Country Women's Association ) ). St Therese's Catholic Church
124-419: A line speed of 80 km/h. The steepest grade on the section is 1 in 44 (~2.3%), and the minimum radius curve is 200m. The next section to Thallon has similar rail, a 70 km/h line speed to Toobeah, 60 km/h beyond, a maximum grade of 1 in 50 (2%) and minimum 400m radius curves. The last section to Dirranbandi had 20 kg/m rail, a 10 tonne axle load and 40 km/h line speed. Consistent with
155-645: A population of 640 people. 79.9% of people were born in Australia and 85.2% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 29.3%, Anglican 26.5%, and No Religion 14.8%. In the 2021 census , the locality of Dirranbandi had a population of 610 people. Dirranbandi P-10 State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at Jane Street ( 28°34′37″S 148°13′48″E / 28.5770°S 148.2300°E / -28.5770; 148.2300 ( Dirranbandi P-10 State School ) ). In 2015,
186-718: A process to formally define their boundaries and to gazette them, which is almost complete. In March 2006, only South Australia and the Northern Territory had not completed this process. The CGNA's Gazetteer of Australia recognises two types of locality: bounded and unbounded. Bounded localities include towns, villages, populated places, local government towns and unpopulated town sites, while unbounded localities include place names, road corners and bends, corners, meteorological stations, ocean place names and surfing spots. Sometimes, both localities and suburbs are referred to collectively as "address localities". In
217-546: A secondary department to Year 10 was added. The South Western railway reached Dirranbandi on 22 May 1913. The town was served by the Dirranbandi railway station in Railway Street ( 28°35′11″S 148°13′38″E / 28.5864°S 148.2272°E / -28.5864; 148.2272 ( Dirranbandi railway station ) ). Kundilam railway station served the rural areas 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to
248-559: Is at 42 Kirby Street ( 28°34′52″S 148°13′42″E / 28.5812°S 148.2283°E / -28.5812; 148.2283 ( St Therese's Catholic Church ) ); it is part of the parish of St Patrick's Parish headquartered in St George . St Mark's Anglican Church is at 55 Moore Street ( 28°35′06″S 148°13′44″E / 28.5851°S 148.2288°E / -28.5851; 148.2288 ( St Mark's Anglican Church ) ). Dirranbandi Uniting Church meet at
279-554: Is now abandoned. The South Western Mail was introduced as a twice weekly service in 1910. Upon the opening of the line to Dirranbandi, the train departed Brisbane at 20:45, arrived at Warwick 04:00, Goondiwindi 10:00 and Dirranbandi 16:30. The return service departed 11.30, arrived Goondiwindi 17.35, Warwick 23.35 and Brisbane 07.10 the following morning. The South Western line was the last railway in Australia to be serviced by mail trains . The last Dirranbandi Mail ran on 11 February 1993. Passenger services no longer service
310-480: Is split between the City of Newcastle and City of Lake Macquarie LGAs; and Woodville , which is split between the City of Maitland and Port Stephens Council LGAs. In unincorporated areas , localities are declared by the relevant state authority. Bonathorne railway station The South Western line is a narrow gauge railway line in the southern part of the state of Queensland , Australia. It junctions from
341-646: The Southern line immediately south of Warwick station and proceeded westwards for a distance of 413 km to the town of Dirranbandi . A western extension to Boomie in New South Wales, approved by the Queensland Parliament in 1914, was never constructed. The Thallon -to-Dirranbandi section was closed on 2 September 2010. It services the small towns of Inglewood (junction of the now closed Texas branch ) and Goondiwindi as well as
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#1732797982828372-713: The Anglican Church in Moore Street. It is part of the Uniting Church in Australia . Dirranbandi Aerodrome is located at the western end of Moore Street ( 28°35′02″S 148°13′20″E / 28.5839°S 148.2221°E / -28.5839; 148.2221 ( Dirranbandi Aerodrome ) ). It is operated by the Balonne Shire Council. It has a 1,000-metre (3,300 ft) sealed runway with lights. Slim Dusty sang about being
403-589: The Dirranbandi Dandy in the song " Cunnamulla Fella ", which he co-wrote with Stan Coster . Robert G. Barrett's popular "You Wouldn't be Dead for Quids" book series featured Les Norton as the lead character, who was born and bred in Dirranbandi. Tom Dancey (1888–1957), a local stockman and Indigenous Australian, won Australia's most famous footrace, the Stawell Gift in 1910. It is indicated
434-579: The Queensland borders were closed to most people due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Border crossing points were either closed or had a Queensland Police checkpoint to allow entry to only those people with an appropriate permit. The border crossing point on the Koomalah Road at Dirranbandi was closed. At the 2011 census , Dirranbandi had a population of 711. In the 2016 census , Dirranbandi had
465-496: The South Western line though it is still used for freight as far as Thallon. The line beyond there was extensively damaged in the 2010 floods and was closed on 2 September 2010. Long-distance bus operators Crisps Coaches and Greyhound Australia now serve towns along the route. The section from Warwick to Goodiwindi is laid with 30, 41 & 47 kg/m rail, 25-50% steel sleepers, a maximum axle load of 15.75 tonnes and
496-456: The border towns of Mungindi and Boomi extending to Moree , Tamworth and Coonabarabran in NSW. Yuwaalaraay (also known as Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi ) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. The Yuwaalaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne , including
527-461: The boundaries of localities and suburbs. This Australian usage of the term "suburb" differs from common American and British usage, where it typically means a smaller, frequently separate residential community outside, but close to, a larger city. The Australian usage is closer to the American or British use of "district" or "neighbourhood", and can be used to refer to any portion of a city. Unlike
558-541: The church as St Mark's Anglican Church. Dirranbandi had the honour of being the destination for the last mail train to operate in Australia. The Thallon -to-Dirranbandi section of the line was closed on 2 September 2010. The Culgoa Floodplain National Park lies 130 kilometres (81 mi) to the south-west. The town experienced serious flooding in February–March 2010 and January 2011. During 2020 and 2021,
589-537: The east of the town ( 28°35′53″S 148°19′35″E / 28.5981°S 148.3264°E / -28.5981; 148.3264 ( Bonathorne railway station ) ). The name Kundilam is an Aboriginal word meaning scrub berry . On 28 June 1917 Kundilam railway renamed Bonathorne railway station , named after the adjacent Bonathorne pastoral station of Alfred Allen Moore (the Bonathorne pastoral station still exists as at 8 May 2020). Noondoo railway station
620-527: The extensive cotton fields. Due to the low annual rainfall, irrigation is used extensively. Gamilaraay (also known as Gamilaroi, Kamilaroi, Comilroy) is an Aboriginal language from south-west Queensland and north-west New South Wales . The Gamilaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Balonne Shire Council , including the towns of Dirranbandi, Thallon , Talwood and Bungunya as well as
651-438: The first instance, decisions about the names and boundaries of suburbs and localities are made by the local council in which they are located based on criteria such as community recognition. Local council decisions are, however, subject to approval by the state's geographical names board. The boundaries of some suburbs and localities overlap two or more local government areas (LGAs). Examples of this are Adamstown Heights , which
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#1732797982828682-517: The flamin' crows!" to Dick Backhouse who was a stock and station agent in town. [REDACTED] Media related to Dirranbandi, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons Suburbs and localities (Australia) Suburbs and localities are the names of geographic subdivisions in Australia , used mainly for address purposes. The term locality is used in rural areas, while the term suburb is used in urban areas. Australian postcodes closely align with
713-582: The landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne , including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Goodooga extending to Walgett and the Narran Lakes in New South Wales. The town reserve was surveyed in March 1885 by surveyor Claudius Buchanan Whish . He is believed to have named the town using an Aboriginal word, meaning either broken forest country or chorus of frogs at night . The name may be derived from
744-471: The school had 73 students with 12 teachers (11 full-time equivalent). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 65 students with 13 teachers (11 full-time equivalent) and 13 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent). For secondary education to Year 12, the nearest government school is St George State High School in neighbouring St George to the north-west, but, given the distance, distance education and boarding school would be other options. Dirranbandi has
775-421: The spring. Hawkston railway station was located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) east of the town ( 28°37′17″S 148°32′00″E / 28.6214°S 148.5333°E / -28.6214; 148.5333 ( Hawkston railway station ) ). The Catholic church in Dirranbandi was expected to be opened by Archbishop James Duhig on Sunday 25 April 1926, but it was not until 13 May 1928 that he
806-534: The town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Hebel extending to Walgett and Collarenebri in New South Wales . Yuwaalayaay (also known as Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi ) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalayaay country. It is closely related to the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. The Yuwaalayaay language region includes
837-664: The use in British or American English, this term can include inner-city, outer-metropolitan and industrial areas. Localities existed in the past as informal units, but in 1996 the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping and the Committee for Geographical Names in Australasia (CGNA) decided to name and establish official boundaries for all localities and suburbs. There has subsequently been
868-485: The villages of Yelarbon and Thallon among others. The South Western line opened as far as Thane on 1 July 1904 and was completed to Dirranbandi on 21 May 1913. A further extension of the line west of Dirranbandi was approved by Parliament in 1914 but never constructed. Bonathorne station , in Dirranbandi ( 28°35′52″S 148°19′35″E / 28.597857°S 148.326381°E / -28.597857; 148.326381 ), prior to 28 June 1917 known as Kundilam,
899-624: The £1000 prize money was kept by his handlers and he only got the trophy. Brigadier General William Grant (1870–1939) post- World War I bought land in the area. He was involved in the Australian Light Horse . Artwork commemorates Dirranbandi's contributions to the Light Horse in terms of men and horses. Actor Ray Meagher grew up near Dirranbandi. He is best known for playing Alf Stewart on soap opera Home and Away , and credits one of his character's catchphrases "Stone
930-483: Was able to officially open St. Therese's Catholic Church. In September 1934 Mr. A. Clayton was contracted to build an Anglican church in Dirranbandi to the design of Brisbane architect, S. W. Prior. It was intended to be serviced by the Bush Brotherhood . By February 1935 it was open for services, but it was not until Saturday 15 February 1936 that Bishop Horace Dixon was able to come to Dirranbandi dedicate
961-554: Was approx 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of the town ( 28°36′35″S 148°25′47″E / 28.6097°S 148.4297°E / -28.6097; 148.4297 ( Noondoo railway station ) ); it was named by the Queensland Railways Department on 29 October eafter the Noondoo pastoral station which in turn is an Aboriginal name either for the spring near the homestead or the shrub growing near