Bundaberg West is a suburb of Bundaberg in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Bundaberg West had a population of 2,596 people.

History

The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd was dedicated in 1962 and consecrated in 1971.

Bundaberg West State School opened on 25 January 1926.

On 23 August 1936 St Patrick's Catholic Primary School was blessed and opened by Bishop of Rockhampton Romuald Denis Hayes. The school was in Harriet Street (which became Powers Street in 1940) and was a 50 x 50 feet wooden building with three classrooms. The school commenced teaching in January 1937 with less than 40 students and was operated by the Sisters of Mercy under the leadership of Sister Mary Liam.

In 1941 the Sisters of Mercy purchased the house Brabourne (originally owned by prominent citizen Frederick Buss) and established St Mary's Hostel, for women and girls working in or visiting Bundaberg. After World War II, doctors were calling for modern hospital facilities in Bundaberg, so the Sisters converted the hostel into the Mater Private Hospital, a 24-bed hospital with an operating theatre, chapel, and accommodation for the nurses and maids, officially opening on 28 July 1946. The nurses were initially all nuns, but they established a training school for other women to become nurses. The hospital expanded over the years with additional beds, operating theatres, X-ray, pathology and a dedicated children's ward. It was the first hospital in Queensland to use the Zeiss ophthalmic microscope, the first regional hospital in Queensland to have a lymphoedema clinic, and to use facial recognition technology for endoscopic sinus surgery.

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Bundaberg West had a population of 2,529 people.

In the 2016 census, Bundaberg West had a population of 2,500 people.

In the 2021 census, Bundaberg West had a population of 2,596 people.

Heritage listings

Bundaberg West has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Bourbong Street: Bundaberg War Nurses Memorial
• 29 Quay Street: (24°51′58″S 152°20′28″E / 24.8662°S 152.3412°E / -24.8662; 152.3412 (Alexandra Park)): Alexandra Park

Education

There are no secondary schools in Bundaberg West. The nearest secondary school is Bundaberg State High School in neighbouring Bundaberg South to the east.

Bundaberg West State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at George Street . In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 243 students with 21 teachers and 19 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.

St Patrick's Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 503 students with 30 teachers and 21 non-teaching staff.

Amenities

The Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd is on George Street, Mater Misericordiae Hospital Bundaberg is a private hospital on Bourbong Street, Bundaberg Base is the public hospital on Bourbong Street, Friendly Society Private Hospital is a Private Hospital on Binger Street. and also has the free Alexandra Park Zoo on Quay Street.