Walkerston, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Walkerston is a town in central Queensland
, Australia
. The town is situated on the Peak Downs Highway
14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south-west of Mackay
. Walkerston straddles Bakers Creek for about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi). At the 2006 census
, Walkerston had a population of 2,563.
The town boasts two primary schools, a post office, three bars (including a sports club), and a supermarket. It is also the hometown of the Buddhist author Angulimalo.
The railway reached Walkerston from Paget on 10 August 1885. Whilst there was a station building, there was no passenger platform, passengers accessing the trains from the ground.
In May 1860, Scots-born John Mackay
was only 21 years old when he left Armidale, New South Wales
in January 1860 with men, horses and provisions in search of land for cattle runs in north Queensland. They travelled up the east coast, taking a mainly inland route until they came to the junction of Cattle Creek and the Pioneer River, in an area about 15 miles west of present-day Walkerston. They then followed the river, firstly named by Mackay’s companions as the Mackay River but now known as the Pioneer.
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 is situated on the Peak Downs Highway
Peak Downs Highway
The Peak Downs Highway links the towns of Mackay and Clermont in the Australian state of Queensland. It represents the main link between Queensland's Whitsunday Coast and the Central West region of the state. The highway runs for a total length of 273 km, before becoming the Gregory Highway ...
14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south-west of Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
. Walkerston straddles Bakers Creek for about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi). 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,...
, Walkerston had a population of 2,563.
The town boasts two primary schools, a post office, three bars (including a sports club), and a supermarket. It is also the hometown of the Buddhist author Angulimalo.
The railway reached Walkerston from Paget on 10 August 1885. Whilst there was a station building, there was no passenger platform, passengers accessing the trains from the ground.
History
This town was commonly known as Scrubby Creek from as early as 1866, and sometimes as Baker’s Creek; later these two names were interchangeable with Walkerston and, to a lesser degree, Alsatia. Scrubby Creek was definitely not a nickname for Walkerston; there were no inverted commas included when the words were printed in newspapers or almanacs. The name was well deserved, for the wild bush scrub grew luxuriantly on the banks of Baker’s Creek.In May 1860, Scots-born John Mackay
John Mackay (Australian Pioneer)
John Mackay was an explorer, sailor and harbourmaster, best known for founding the city of Mackay in Australia. He was associated with Henry Ling Roth....
was only 21 years old when he left Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
in January 1860 with men, horses and provisions in search of land for cattle runs in north Queensland. They travelled up the east coast, taking a mainly inland route until they came to the junction of Cattle Creek and the Pioneer River, in an area about 15 miles west of present-day Walkerston. They then followed the river, firstly named by Mackay’s companions as the Mackay River but now known as the Pioneer.