Jundah Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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![]() Fiery
Opal from Opalville Mine, Jundah field | |||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 24°49′57″S 143°03′35″E / 24.8325°S 143.0597°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 131 ( 2021 census) [1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 0.01001/km2 (0.02593/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 4736 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 13,085.7 km2 (5,052.4 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | AEST ( UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | Barcoo Shire | ||||||||||||||
County | Wolseley | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Gregory | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
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Jundah is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Barcoo, Queensland, Australia. [2] [3] Jundah is the administrative centre of the Barcoo Shire local government area. In the 2021 census, the locality of Jundah had a population of 131 people. [1]
The town is located on the Thomson River in Central West Queensland, 1,122 kilometres (697 mi) west of the state capital, Brisbane. [4]
Kuungkari (also known as Kungkari and Koonkerri) is a language of Western Queensland. The Kuungkari language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of Longreach Shire Council and Blackall-Tambo Shire Council. [5]
The outback town was established in 1883 and given a name meaning "woman" in a local Aboriginal language. [2]
Jundah was first settled by pastoralists Patrick Durack (on Thylungra) and his brother-in-law John Costello (on Kyabra). [6]
In 1873, Jundah was acquired by grazier William Pitt Tozer, who built a homestead on the land. From 1875 to 1880 the Jundah homestead was utilised by the paramilitary Native Police as their main barracks on the lower Thomson River. [7] [8]
Jundah Post Office opened on 26 June 1877 (a receiving office named Jundah Police Barracks had been open from 1876). [9]
Jundah State School opened on 30 April 1900 with about 50 students. At that time, the town had a population of about 300 people. [10] [11]
Jundah was home to an opal mining industry for around twenty years in the early twentieth century before the industry closed down due to water shortages. [6]
The Jundah Library opened in 2005. [12]
In the 2011 census, the locality of Jundah and surrounds had a population of 350 people. [13]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Jundah had a population of 106 people. [14]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Jundah had a population of 131 people. [1]
Jundah has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Today, the town now supports the surrounding sheep and cattle industry.
As well as the Barcoo Shire administration centre, other facilities in the town include a police station, general store, post office agency and a tourist information centre. [6]
The Barcoo Shire Council operate Jundah Library at 11 Dickson Street. [16]
Jundah State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at 11 Garrick Street ( 24°49′49″S 143°03′43″E / 24.8304°S 143.0619°E). [17] [18] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 6 students with 2 teachers and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent). [19] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 13 students with 2 teachers and 6 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent). [20]
There are no secondary schools in Jundah or nearby. [4] The options would be boarding schools or distance education.
The Barcoo Shire Museum is on the corner of Miles and Macrossan Streets ( 24°49′47″S 143°03′38″E / 24.8297°S 143.0606°E). The museum is in the former administration centre of the Barcoo Shire Council, relocated to its present location. [21]
Roughly 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the south east of the town is Welford National Park.
Each year the town celebrates German-Australian culture by holding "the world's most remote Oktoberfest". [22]