Gayndah, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Gayndah is a town located on the Burnett River
in Queensland
, Australia
. It is 366 kilometres (227.4 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane
, and 145 kilometres (90.1 mi) west of the regional city of Maryborough
. The Burnett Highway
passes through the town. At the 2006 census
, Gayndah had a population of 1,745.
was established at Gayndah in 1850. Agriculture and grazing have been the dominant industries of the area. The town is the centre of Queensland's largest citrus
-growing area. The Gayndah Orange Festival is held every two years to celebrate this industry.
Gayndah was considered for the capital of Queensland, but lost to Brisbane because the river was not deep enough, making it impossible for large cargo ships to unload near the town.
Gayndah is the oldest official town in Queensland. The explorers Archer and James Charles Burnett established it in 1847.
The name Gayndah is of Aboriginal
origin and comes either from Gu-in-dah (or Gi-un-dah), meaning 'thunder', or from Ngainta, meaning 'place of scrub'.
In 1872, the town was the location where the hoax fish Ompax spatuloides
was supposedly procured.
, who won the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 1978 and 1980, was born in Gayndah.
Rachel Koster, an independent Australian singer/songwriter, is from Gayndah.http://www.abc.net.au/widebay/stories/s2059584.htm
, according to the Australian Sister Cities Association.
Zonhoven
, Belgium
Burnett River
The Burnett River is a river in central Queensland, Australia that empties into the Pacific Ocean near the city of Bundaberg. The Burnett River region is largely given over to growing sugar cane....
in Queensland
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...
. It is 366 kilometres (227.4 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and 145 kilometres (90.1 mi) west of the regional city of Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
. The Burnett Highway
Burnett Highway
The Burnett Highway is an inland rural highway located in Queensland, Australia. The highway runs generally north - south, from its junction with the Bruce Highway, just south of Rockhampton, to Nanango. Length is approximately 550 kilometres...
passes through the town. 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,...
, Gayndah had a population of 1,745.
History
Exploration of the Gayndah area began in 1843. The first European settlers arrived in 1848, and the town was established in the following year. A post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established at Gayndah in 1850. Agriculture and grazing have been the dominant industries of the area. The town is the centre of Queensland's largest citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
-growing area. The Gayndah Orange Festival is held every two years to celebrate this industry.
Gayndah was considered for the capital of Queensland, but lost to Brisbane because the river was not deep enough, making it impossible for large cargo ships to unload near the town.
Gayndah is the oldest official town in Queensland. The explorers Archer and James Charles Burnett established it in 1847.
The name Gayndah is of 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....
origin and comes either from Gu-in-dah (or Gi-un-dah), meaning 'thunder', or from Ngainta, meaning 'place of scrub'.
In 1872, the town was the location where the hoax fish Ompax spatuloides
Ompax spatuloides
The Ompax spatuloides was a hoax fish "discovered" in Australia in August, 1872. Said to be poisonous, it could be found on some lists of Australian fishes through the 1930s....
was supposedly procured.
Notable residents
Jessica AndersonJessica Anderson
Jessica Margaret Queale Anderson was an Australian novelist and short story writer. She won several awards and has been published in Britain and the United States.-Life:...
, who won the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 1978 and 1980, was born in Gayndah.
Rachel Koster, an independent Australian singer/songwriter, is from Gayndah.http://www.abc.net.au/widebay/stories/s2059584.htm
Sister city
Gayndah has one sister cityTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
, according to the Australian Sister Cities Association.
Zonhoven
Zonhoven
Zonhoven is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On January 1, 2007 Zonhoven had a total population of 20,060...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...