Toonpan, Queensland
Geography
The locality is bounded to the west by the Mount Isa railway line and the Flinders Highway.
The terrain varies from 50 to 190 metres (160 to 620 ft) above sea level with the higher elevations in the east of the locality, the foothills of Mount Elliot.
The land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation with a small amount of crop growing.
History
The first section of the Great Northern railway line opened on 20 December 1880 and followed a southerly path from Townsville to Reid River via Stuart, Antill Plains, Toonpan, Woodstock and Calcium. Toonpan railway station was at 19°30′05″S 146°50′10″E / 19.50129°S 146.83617°E (now within the present-day boundaries of the suburb of Ross River).
Toonpan Provisional School opened circa 1895, becoming Toonpan State School on 1 January 1909. Between 1920 and 1923, it operated as a half-time school with Manton Provisional School (meaning the two schools shared a single teacher). It resumed as a full-time state school in 1923. It closed in circa 1940. It was located immediately south-west of the railway station.
During World War II, the 29th Brigade of the Australian Army was based in Toonpan from May to September 1942. After September it moved to the Black River area, north of Townsville, before going to Papua New Guinea in January 1943.
In the 1980s, the second stage of the Ross River Dam necessitated a deviation of the Flinders Highway and Mount Isa railway line (which otherwise ran straight north–south) further east. This was completed by 1986 and resulted in the closure of Toonpan and Barringha railway stations on the removed route; they were not re-established on new route.
The locality was officially named and bounded on 27 July 1991.
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Toonpan had a population of 57 people.
In the 2021 census, Toonpan had a population of 62 people.
References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Toonpan (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Toonpan – locality in City of Townsville (entry 44646)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
- ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "Townsville". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XXXV, no. 4, 237. Queensland, Australia. 18 December 1880. p. 7. Retrieved 5 February 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Townsville". The Darling Downs Gazette And General Advertiser. Vol. XX, no. 4089. Queensland, Australia. 21 December 1880. p. 3. Retrieved 5 February 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ "The Kennedy Schools". The Evening Telegraph. Vol. 4, no. 1031. Queensland, Australia. 21 July 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 4 February 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
- ^ "Manton" (Map). Queensland Government. 1944. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ "County of Elphinstone" (Map). Queensland Government. 1922. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ Personal history of William Harold Mann 1920 - 1998, member 7 Field Ambulance, 29 Brigade
- ^ The Unit Guide, Australian war Memorial, page 3,026
- ^ "Ross River Dam". Townsville City Council. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "Mount Elliott (Special)" (Map). Queensland Government. 1942. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Toonpan (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
