Chinchilla, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ChinchillaQueensland |
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Footpath on the main street of Chinchilla
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 Chinchilla
Location in Queensland
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| Population | 6,612 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 91.58/km2 (237.2/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1877 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4413 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 303 m (994 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 72.2 km2 (27.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Western Downs Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Callide | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
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Chinchilla is a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Chinchilla had a population of 6,612 people.
Chinchilla is known as the 'Melon Capital of Australia', and plays host to a Melon Festival every second year in February – the next is to be held in 2023.
Contents
History
Chinchilla Post Office opened on 3 January 1878.
The Chinchilla War Memorial was originally located near the railway overpass and was unveiled on 30 January 1919 by the Queensland Governor, Hamilton Goold-Adams. In 1977 it was substantially refurbished and relocated to the Returned and Services League of Australia club and was unveiled on 17 March 1979.
Heritage listings
Chinchilla has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- 57 Heeney Street: Chinchilla Digger Statue
Culture
Annual events
The Chinchilla Grandfather Clock Campdraft is a major event held every October, where entrants compete for the Grandfather Clock prize. Chinchilla also hosts horse races four times a year.
Chinchilla Melon Festival
As Chinchilla produces 25% of Australia’s melons (including watermelon, rockmelon and honeydew), the first Chinchilla Melon Festival [1] was held in 1994 by local producers and businessmen, to lift the town’s spirits after the severe drought experienced in the early 1990s. Estimated numbers at the first Festival were approximately 2,500 which grew to an estimated that there were 10,000 visitors on the main day of the 2011 festival.
In 2009, the Melon Festival won the Queensland Regional Achievement and Community Award for Tourism Event.
The Festival features interactive and unique events, such as Melon Skiing, Melon Bungee, Melon Bullseye, Melon Ironman, Melon Chariot, a pip spitting competition, and melon eating races. A special event held in 2009 saw John Allwood secure the Guinness World Record of Melon Head Smashing - cracking open as many watermelons as possible using only the head. Currently his record is 47 melons in a minute.
Arts and entertainment
Chinchilla has a Cultural Centre, which includes a 700-seat auditorium, cinema and function room, outdoor patio, theatrette, plus bar and kitchen facilities. Also included in the complex are the White Gums Art Gallery and the Cypress Pines Library.
The Cultural Center also houses a cinema showing recently released movies.
Chinchilla White Gums Art Gallery houses a new display every month.
Tourism and recreation
Chinchilla is one of the towns located on the Warrego Highway, which is a main highway leading out west to Charleville, and a popular tourist route. The mainstays of Chinchilla's tourism industry are the Historical Museum, fishing and fossicking for petrified wood. 'Chinchilla Red' petrified wood is unique to the area, and known for its colour and quality. The Chinchilla White Gum (Eucalyptus argophloia) is also unique to the area, and can be seen on some of the tourist drives which are marked around the region.
An accredited Visitor Information Center is located on the Highway.
Sport
Chinchilla has a range of sports facilities and a variety of sports clubs. Chinchilla Aquatic Centre houses an indoor 25m heated pool, an outdoor 50m pool and a gymnasium. The Chinchilla Family Sports Centre provides facilities for many sports and clubs. There are also clubs and facilities for touch football, rugby league, cricket, tennis, squash, motocross, gymnastics, indoor netball, taekwondo, football and lawn bowls. A fishing club, Pony Club, and shooting range also operate in the area. In addition, there are Polocrosse grounds, a race track, and 9 hole golf course. A Multipurpose Sports Centre Stadium is currently being developed.
The Chinchilla rugby league team's John Gleeson went on to captain Queensland and play for the Australia national rugby league team in the 1960s.
Media
Rebel FM 97.1 (formerly Sun FM) was Chinchilla's first commercial FM radio station. Rebel FM has a new rock & classic rock music format. Rebel FM's sister station, The Breeze broadcasts on 95.5 FM with an easy adult contemporary & classic hits format. Both stations are part of the Gold Coast-based Rebel Media Group which operates a radio network that reaches the Gold Coast and South Brisbane to many centres throughout regional and outback Queensland.
Chinchilla News and Murilla Advertiser is the local newspaper, published every Thursday.
Transport
Chinchilla is connected to Brisbane, Toowoomba and Roma by the Warrego Highway. Greyhound Australia operates bus services daily between Brisbane and Miles via Chinchilla. Bus Queensland operates 2-3 daily bus services between Brisbane and Mount Isa via Longreach and Charleville, and three buses a week between Toowoomba and Rockhampton, along the Dawson Highway. Murrays Coaches also operates a daily service to and from Brisbane. The Westlander train also comes through Chinchilla twice a week, on its way between Brisbane and Charleville. As it is a small town, there is no public transport (besides a taxi), although many coal and gas companies run contracted buses out to their sites.
Solar
The second largest solar farm in Australia is currently being constructed in the Chinchilla region.
The project is located 22km south-east of Chinchilla in the Western Downs Region, in close proximity to a transmission line and less than 6kms from Queensland Powerlink’s Western Downs Sub-station.
Notable locals
- John Gleeson, rugby league player, went on to captain Queensland and play for the Australia national rugby league team in the 1960s.
- David Littleproud, Australian Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources (2017–present)
- George Miller, film producer
- Pete Murray, Australian folk/country singer, grew up in Chinchilla.
- Dean Ray, singer/performer
- Nathan Reardon, cricketer
- Gerard Rennick, Senator for Queensland
- Ben Ross, rugby league player
Economy
Agriculture is the mainstay of the community, with beef and pork production, wool growing, and horticulture traditionally underwriting the local economy. However, with the recent resources boom, the Kogan Creek Power Station (and other coal and gas projects) have begun to inject welcome cash into the town and Chinchilla is experiencing mass growth and development. House prices in Chinchilla have boomed as a result of the need to house new workers.
Education
Chinchilla State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at 34-40 Bell Street (26°44′25″S 150°37′33″E / 26.7403°S 150.6259°E). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 570 students with 50 teachers (43 full-time equivalent) and 29 non-teaching staff (20 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 74 Middle Street (26°44′37″S 150°37′38″E / 26.7435°S 150.6271°E). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 235 students with 17 teachers (13 full-time equivalent) and 9 non-teaching staff (6 full-time equivalent).
Chinchilla Christian College is a private primary and secondary (Prep-12) school for boys and girls at 88 Oak Street (26°44′16″S 150°38′28″E / 26.7378°S 150.6410°E). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 261 students with 21 teachers (16 full-time equivalent) and 16 non-teaching staff (12 full-time equivalent).
Chinchilla State High School is a government secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls at 7 Tara Road (26°44′55″S 150°37′12″E / 26.7487°S 150.6199°E). In 2014, the school had 524 students and 43 teachers (42 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 654 students with 62 teachers (56 full-time equivalent) and 30 non-teaching staff (23 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.
The Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE annex is located in the high school grounds and works closely with local business and industries.
Leichhardt House is a hostel that provides accommodation for students from homes in remote areas.
Images for kids
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Grade 2 class photograph, Chinchilla State School, 1949
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St Joseph's Catholic School, 1938
See also
In Spanish: Chinchilla (Australia) para niños
