Wongaling Beach, Queensland

Wongaling Beach is a tropical beachside coastal town and locality in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census, the locality of Wongaling Beach had a population of 1,245 people.[1]

Wongaling Beach
Queensland
Cassowary Statue
Wongaling Beach is located in Queensland
Wongaling Beach
Wongaling Beach
Coordinates17.9145°S 146.0972°E / -17.9145; 146.0972 (Wongaling Beach (town centre))
Population1,245 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density85.3/km2 (220.9/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4852
Area14.6 km2 (5.6 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Cassowary Coast Region
State electorate(s)Hill
Federal division(s)Kennedy
Localities around Wongaling Beach:
Djiru Mission Beach Coral Sea
Tam O'Shanter Wongaling Beach Coral Sea
South Mission Beach South Mission Beach Dunk

Geography
Wongaling Beach with Dunk Island in view.
Wongaling Beach with Dunk Island in the distance, 2007

The locality takes its name from the beach Wongaling Beach (17.9039°S 146.0974°E / -17.9039; 146.0974 (Wongaling Beach)) which extends the length of the locality's coastline,[4][5] and is part of a continuous 11-kilometre (6.8 mi) sandy coastline which links the three adjacent coastal localities (from north to south): Mission Beach (sometimes called North Mission Beach), Wongaling Beach, and South Mission Beach.[6]

Most of the residential development is along the eastern coastal strip of the locality with the town centre on the coast in the south-east of the locality. The western part of the locality is undeveloped tropical forests.[6]

Dunk Island lies off the southern coast of Wongaling Beach.[6]

History

The suburb takes its name from its beach where the town allotments were surveyed in 1973. Wongaling is an Aboriginal word meaning pigeon.[2]

Mission Beach State School opened on 27 January 1953 in the "tropical jungle" of Mission Beach to the north. On 1 February 1993, the school re-opened at a new site in Wongaling Beach.[7][8][9]

Wongaling Beach Library facility was given a major refurbishment in 2002.[10]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Wongaling Beach had a population of 1,245 people.[1]

Education
Aerial view of Mission Beach State School, 2021

Despite its name, Mission Beach State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Webb Road (17.9042°S 146.0925°E / -17.9042; 146.0925 (Mission Beach State School)).[11][12] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 310 students with 21 teachers (20 full-time equivalent) and 19 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent).[13]

There is no secondary school in Wongaling Beach. The nearest government secondary school is Tully State High School in Tully to the south-west.[6]

Facilities

Mission Beach Police Station is at 2 Webb Street (17.9048°S 146.0918°E / -17.9048; 146.0918 (Mission Beach Police Station)).[14][15] Mission Beach SES Facility is at the rear of the police station (17.9050°S 146.0920°E / -17.9050; 146.0920 (Mission Beach SES Facility)).[15]

Mission Beach Fire Station is at 4 Webb Street (17.9047°S 146.0922°E / -17.9047; 146.0922 (Mission Beach Fire Station)).[16][15]

Mission Beach Ambulance Station is at 6 Webb Street (17.9048°S 146.0926°E / -17.9048; 146.0926 (Mission Beach Ambulance Station)).[17][15]

Mission Beach Community Health Centre is at 26 Wongaling Beach Road (17.8959°S 146.0933°E / -17.8959; 146.0933 (health centre)). It operates three days a week.[18][19] At other times, the nearest health services are in Tully.[20]

Amenities

Cassowary Coast Regional Council operates Wongaling Beach Library at 2018 Tully Mission Beach Drive (17.8957°S 146.0913°E / -17.8957; 146.0913 (Wongaling Beach public library)).[21]

Holy Spirit Catholic Church is at 12 Webb Road (17.9050°S 146.0934°E / -17.9050; 146.0934 (Holy Spirit Catholic Church)). It is within the Tully Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.[22]

Wongaling Beach contains a Woolworths supermarket, the largest supermarket within a 42 km radius. The suburb also features a town pool and skate park. A community funded 'Splash Pad' was also opened in August of 2018.[23]

Events

Cassowary Coast Multisports Club organise an annual 5 km, 10 km and 21 km run along the beach, beginning and ending in Wongaling Beach.[24]

Attractions
Big Cassowary, 2011

The Big Cassowary is one of Australia's big things. It is a statue of a cassowary on the south-east corner of Tully Mission Beach Road and Wongaling Beach Road (17.8975°S 146.0918°E / -17.8975; 146.0918 (The Big Cassowary)).[25]

Climate

Wongaling Beach has a tropical climate. The nearest Bureau station with monthly weather statistics is in South Johnstone which is located 35.4 km from Wongaling Beach.

Climate data for South Johnstone, Queensland
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 31.2
(88.2)		 30.8
(87.4)		 29.9
(85.8)		 28.2
(82.8)		 26.3
(79.3)		 24.4
(75.9)		 23.9
(75.0)		 25.2
(77.4)		 27.1
(80.8)		 29.0
(84.2)		 30.5
(86.9)		 31.2
(88.2)		 28.1
(82.6)
Average low °C (°F) 22.6
(72.7)		 22.8
(73.0)		 22.1
(71.8)		 20.5
(68.9)		 18.4
(65.1)		 16.0
(60.8)		 15.2
(59.4)		 15.5
(59.9)		 16.7
(62.1)		 18.8
(65.8)		 20.6
(69.1)		 21.8
(71.2)		 19.2
(66.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 525.5
(20.69)		 570.5
(22.46)		 611.7
(24.08)		 387.9
(15.27)		 267.9
(10.55)		 156.1
(6.15)		 111.7
(4.40)		 88.4
(3.48)		 83.8
(3.30)		 98.3
(3.87)		 147.2
(5.80)		 260.8
(10.27)		 3,283.8
(129.28)
Average precipitation days 14.3 15.2 16.7 15.6 13.8 10.2 9.1 8.1 7.2 6.8 8.3 10.3 135.6
Source: Bureau of Meteorology [26]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Wongaling Beach (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Wongaling Beach – town in Cassowary Coast Region (entry 37927)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  3. "Wongaling Beach – locality in Cassowary Coast Region (entry 45770)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. "Wongaling Beach – beach in Cassowary Coast Regional (entry 37926)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  5. "Mountain ranges beaches and sea passages - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  6. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  7. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  8. "Our school". Mission Beach State School. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  9. "Facilities". Mission Beach State School. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  10. "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  11. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  12. "Mission Beach State School". Mission Beach State School. 10 February 2020. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  13. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  14. "Mission Beach Station". Queensland Police. Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  15. "Emergency services facilities - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  16. "Mission Beach Fire Station". Cassowary Coast Informer. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  17. "Mission Beach Ambulance Station". Cassowary Coast Informer. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  18. "Mission Beach Community Health Centre". Queensland Health. 22 October 2021. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  19. "Landmark Areas - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  20. Katter, Bob (11 December 2019). "Mission Beach GP shuts down after 25 years" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  21. "Wongaling Beach Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. 19 December 2017. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  22. "Tully Parish". Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  23. "The Rotary Splash Pad – Now Under Construction". 9 May 2018. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  24. "Beachruns@Mission". Archived from the original on 8 May 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  25. Clark, David (2004). Big Things: Australia's Amazing Roadside Attractions. Penguin Books. pp. 18–19. ISBN 0-14-300200-7.
  26. "Climate statistics for Australian locations". 3 May 2018. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wongaling Beach, Queensland.
  • "Wongaling Beach". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.