Monkland, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Monkland is a suburb of Gympie
, Queensland
, Australia
, located 4 kilometres (2 mi) southeast of Gympie's central business district
on the northeast bank of the Mary River
.
in the late 1860s and onwards, and the suburb of Monkland, named by a prospector after a town in Scotland, itself contained a number of profitable mines including the No.2 Great Eastern Gold Mine. By 1873, rapid expansion of the area had led to the construction of a number of shops and four hotels in the main street, with many families living in the area. A railway was built through the area in 1889 connecting Gympie to Brisbane
, which involved a considerable gradient between Monkland and Gympie of 30 metres (98 ft). The line was decommissioned a hundred years later when the North Coast railway line
was electrified and upgraded.
, an early Labor
Prime Minister of Australia
who represented the area in the Federal Parliament, is also located here. Next to the museum is the Lake Alford Park which contains an all-abilities playground, and backs onto a restaurant and motor inn. The Monkland railway station, built in 1911, is part of the Mary Valley Heritage Railway which has been operated by the Apex Club of Gympie since 1998.
.
forms the main transport artery through the suburb. Polleys Coaches bus services also provide public transport access, with four or five services a day to and from Gympie on weekdays and three on Saturdays.
Gympie
Gympie may refer to:* Gympie, a city in Queensland, Australia** Gympie Airport** Electoral district of Gympie** Gympie Region, its local government authority* Gympie Gympie , a stinging plant...
, 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...
, located 4 kilometres (2 mi) southeast of Gympie's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
on the northeast bank of the Mary River
Mary River (Queensland)
The Mary River is a river system in South East Queensland, Australia. The river rises at Booroobin in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, west of Landsborough...
.
History
The Gympie region was the site of a gold rushGold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
in the late 1860s and onwards, and the suburb of Monkland, named by a prospector after a town in Scotland, itself contained a number of profitable mines including the No.2 Great Eastern Gold Mine. By 1873, rapid expansion of the area had led to the construction of a number of shops and four hotels in the main street, with many families living in the area. A railway was built through the area in 1889 connecting Gympie to 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...
, which involved a considerable gradient between Monkland and Gympie of 30 metres (98 ft). The line was decommissioned a hundred years later when the North Coast railway line
North Coast railway line, Queensland
The North Coast railway line is a narrow gauge railway line in Queensland, Australia. It runs from Brisbane, along the Queensland coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The line is electrified between Brisbane and Rockhampton...
was electrified and upgraded.
Tourism and recreation
Monkland contains the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum, which contains a collection of documentation, artifacts and photographs, with each building in the museum exploring different aspects of the history of the Gympie region, and containing parts of the former No.2 Great Eastern Gold Mine. The personal collection of Andrew FisherAndrew Fisher
Andrew Fisher was an Australian politician who served as the fifth Prime Minister on three separate occasions. Fisher's 1910-13 Labor ministry completed a vast legislative programme which made him, along with Protectionist Alfred Deakin, the founder of the statutory structure of the new nation...
, an early Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
who represented the area in the Federal Parliament, is also located here. Next to the museum is the Lake Alford Park which contains an all-abilities playground, and backs onto a restaurant and motor inn. The Monkland railway station, built in 1911, is part of the Mary Valley Heritage Railway which has been operated by the Apex Club of Gympie since 1998.
Education
The suburb's primary school, Monkland State School, first opened on 24 September 1884 with 74 pupils in attendance. A public meeting in 1880 called for its establishment, due to the number of families in the district and the long walk to the One Mile State School which had been established in 1869. The school was struck by a tornado in 1932, and a new building had to be constructed. An extensive reconstruction occurred in 1958, and demountables were added in the 1970s and 1980s. The original timber-frame headmaster's residence, designed by architect Robert Ferguson, is largely fenced off from the school and has been heritage listed by the Queensland Government. Today, the school has 134 students (2008) and offers an instrumental music program. The school has a feeder arrangement with Gympie State High School which is located about two kilometres away.Other
The suburb contains a junior rugby league club, the studio for Classic Hits 558 AM (4GY), a small industrial area and a particle board plant for Carter Holt HarveyCarter Holt Harvey
Carter Holt Harvey Limited is an Australasian forest products company, with significant interests in wood products, pulp, paper and packaging. The company employs approximately 10,500 people across Australasia. Carter Holt Harvey's head New Zealand office is located at 173 Captain Springs Road in...
.
Transport
Bruce HighwayBruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...
forms the main transport artery through the suburb. Polleys Coaches bus services also provide public transport access, with four or five services a day to and from Gympie on weekdays and three on Saturdays.
Politics
External links
- The Valley Rattler (official site)