Cooladdi

Cooladdi is a rural locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] The town is 88.9 kilometres (55.2 mi) south-west of Charleville.[4]

Cooladdi
Queensland
Cooladdi is located in Queensland
Cooladdi
Cooladdi
Coordinates26.6402°S 145.4619°E / -26.6402; 145.4619 (Cooladdi (town centre))
Population7 (SAL 2021)[1]
Postcode(s)4479
Elevation300 m (984 ft)
Area3,990.2 km2 (1,540.6 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Murweh
State electorate(s)Warrego
Federal division(s)Maranoa
Suburbs around Cooladdi:
Adavale Langlo Ward
Adavale Cooladdi Bakers Bend
Humeburn Wyandra Murweh

Claims have been made that Cooladdi is Australia's smallest town by population.[5] In 2015, the population was 3 (down from 4 in 2013), all of whom lived at the general store.[6]

Geography

The town is in the centre of the locality. The Western railway line passes from east to west through the town and locality. The locality was served by a number of railway stations (from east to west):[7]

The Diamantina Developmental Road (which forms part of the 1578 kilometre (980 mi) Warrego Way State Strategic Touring Route between Brisbane and Birdsville) also passes from east to west through the town and locality.[7]

History

Gunya (also known as Kunya, Kunja, Kurnja) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Gunya people. The Gunya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Paroo Shire Council, taking in Cunnamulla and extending north towards Augathella, east towards Bollon and west towards Thargomindah.[9]

The railway station was originally called Yarronvale after a local pastoral station with the town taking its name from the railway station. However, it was renamed in 1913 to Cooladdi, an Aboriginal word meaning black duck, to avoid confusion with the pastoral station, which was 15 miles away.

Cooladdi was a railhead for the local pastoral community. At one time, Cooladdi had a school, post office, and police station with a population of about 270 people. As the railway line extended further west, Cooladdi's role and population declined.[10]

The Cooladdi State School originally opened on 19 March 1926 as a Provisional School with 9 students under teacher A.W. Marsh. In 1933, a new school building was constructed and the school redesignated as a State School. The school closed on 3 May 1974.[11][12][13] It was located opposite the railway station on Cooladdi Access Road (26.6404°S 145.4638°E / -26.6404; 145.4638 (Cooladdi State School (former))).[14]

In 2015, the population was 3 (down from 4 in 2013), all of whom resided at the general store.[6]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Cooladdi had a population of 16 people.[15]

Education

There are no schools in Cooladi. The nearest government primary and secondary schools Charleville State School and Charleville State High School respectively both in Charleville to the north-east. However, only those living in the east of the locality would be within daily commuting range. Other options are distance education and boarding schools.[7]

Economy

There are a number of homesteads in the locality:[16]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cooladdi (Suburb and Locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022. 
  2. "Cooladdi – town in Shire of Murweh (entry 8067)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  3. "Cooladdi – locality in Shire of Murweh (entry 42925)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  4. Google (19 February 2023). "Charleville to Cooladi" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  5. "I spent the night in Australia's smallest town. Here's what I saw". ABC News. 31 August 2019. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  6. Arthur, Chrissy (16 November 2015). "Stories and photos capture vibrant past of Queensland's outback 'ghost town' Cooladdi". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  7. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  8. "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  9. "Gunya". State Library of Queensland. 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  10. "Naming Stations—Glass House Mountains". The Brisbane Courier. No. 17, 512. 28 February 1914. p. 4. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  12. "WESTERN LINE". Daily Mail. No. 7289. Brisbane. 9 July 1925. p. 14. Retrieved 21 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Agency ID 182, Cooladdi State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  14. "Town map of Cooladdi". Queensland Government. 1939. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Cooladdi (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  16. "Homesteads - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.

Population is now 2

Further reading
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