Duaringa, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Duaringa is a small town (pop. 500) in central Queensland
, Australia
. The town lies on the Capricorn Highway
, 116 kilometres west of Rockhampton
. At the 2006 census
, Duaringa had a population of 247.
Duaringa was previously the administrative centre of the former Duaringa Shire Council, which became a part of the Emerald-based Central Highlands Regional Council upon amalgamation in March 2008.
Although small in size, the town has a police station and courthouse, ambulance station, a hotel, post office and newsagency, a primary school, three churches, a sports complex, and a library.
Duaringa previously had a general store and butcher shop, but both closed down in the mid 1990s. There was also a railway station but apart from the platform, it hadn't been used for years and it was removed in 2007. After the removal, Queensland Rail upgraded the platform facilities for local passengers wishing to use the Spirit Of The Outback rail service which operates between Brisbane and Longreach.
The Dawson and Mackenzie Rivers flow to the east and north of the town respectively. Duaringa suffers from periodic drought
s and flood
s, and experiences summer temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius.
Duaringa is a significant centre for Aboriginal
peoples and there is a former reservation
at Woorabinda. Indigenous people were granted small parcels of land under Queensland native title legislation. There are Aboriginal rock art sites at Carnarvon National Park
, south-west of Duaringa.
How Duaringa got its name
There are three versions on how the town came to be named Duaringa. The first reasoning behind the name is that it is derived from a word in the aboriginal language used in the Burnett River area - 'djuaringe', possibly meaning to turn oneself around.
The second possibility is that the name is derived from the aboriginal words 'D'warra D'nanjie', meaning a meeting place on the swamp oaks. This is the most popular theory, and is in fact the official origin of the name Duaringa.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The town lies on the Capricorn Highway
Capricorn Highway
The Capricorn Highway is located in Central Queensland, Australia, and links the city of Rockhampton with western Queensland. The highway is approximately 560 kilometres long, and joins the Landsborough Highway at Barcaldine...
, 116 kilometres west of Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Duaringa had a population of 247.
Duaringa was previously the administrative centre of the former Duaringa Shire Council, which became a part of the Emerald-based Central Highlands Regional Council upon amalgamation in March 2008.
Although small in size, the town has a police station and courthouse, ambulance station, a hotel, post office and newsagency, a primary school, three churches, a sports complex, and a library.
Duaringa previously had a general store and butcher shop, but both closed down in the mid 1990s. There was also a railway station but apart from the platform, it hadn't been used for years and it was removed in 2007. After the removal, Queensland Rail upgraded the platform facilities for local passengers wishing to use the Spirit Of The Outback rail service which operates between Brisbane and Longreach.
The Dawson and Mackenzie Rivers flow to the east and north of the town respectively. Duaringa suffers from periodic drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
s and flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s, and experiences summer temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius.
Duaringa is a significant centre for Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
peoples and there is a former reservation
Reservation
Reservation may refer to:* Indian reservation, in the United States* Indian reserve, in Canada* Indigenous Territory, in Brazil* Reservation , a caveat to a treaty* Table reservation, for restaurant seating...
at Woorabinda. Indigenous people were granted small parcels of land under Queensland native title legislation. There are Aboriginal rock art sites at Carnarvon National Park
Carnarvon National Park
Carnarvon National Park is located in the Southern Brigalow Belt bioregion in Central Queensland , 593 km northwest of Brisbane...
, south-west of Duaringa.
How Duaringa got its name
There are three versions on how the town came to be named Duaringa. The first reasoning behind the name is that it is derived from a word in the aboriginal language used in the Burnett River area - 'djuaringe', possibly meaning to turn oneself around.
The second possibility is that the name is derived from the aboriginal words 'D'warra D'nanjie', meaning a meeting place on the swamp oaks. This is the most popular theory, and is in fact the official origin of the name Duaringa.