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Wowan is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Banana, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Wowan had a population of 170 people.

The town of Deeford is also within the locality.

Geography

The Dee River forms part of the eastern boundary.

Both towns are located in the north-east of the locality with Deeford at 23°55′03″S 150°13′33″E / 23.9175°S 150.2258°E / -23.9175; 150.2258 (Deeford, Queensland) near a crossing point of the Dee River. There are also a number of neighbourhoods within the location:

Buneru (23°57′00″S 150°10′00″E / 23.95°S 150.1666°E / -23.95; 150.1666 (Buneru (neighbourhood)))

The Leichhardt Highway runs through from north to south through the localityl, passing through the town of Wowan.

History

Wowan takes its name from the Wowan railway station, which in turn was named from the Aboriginal word for Australian brush-turkey. Deeford was originally known as Dundee, but was renamed Deeford on 6 November 1913 by the Queensland Surveyor-General.

Dundee Provisional School opened on 1 June 1900. It closed in 1904 but reopened in 1905. On 1 January 1909 it became Dundee State School. It closed in 1911.

The Dawson Valley railway line was built from 1910 and by 1912 its first stage of construction had reached the area, terminating at the Wowan railway station (23°54′21″S 150°11′53″E / 23.9057°S 150.1980°E / -23.9057; 150.1980 (Wowan railway station)) on 16 October 1912.

In 1912, two schools opened. One was Dundee Camp Provisional School (in the area that became the town of Wowan), presumably to provide education to the children of the railway workers living in the camp during the construction of the railway. The other was Dundee State School (in what is now Deeford). In 1915 Dundee Camp Provisional School was renamed Wowan Provisional School and on 1 May 1916 became Wowan State School. In 1917 Dundee State School was renamed Deeford State School. Deeford State School closed in 1941.

Woman was settled in 1912. The butter factory opened on 1 April 1919; it was operated by the Dawson Valley Co-operative Company.

The second stage of the Dawon Valley railway line opened on 2 February 1915 and extended the line from the town of Wowan via other stations within the locality:

Buneru railway station (23°57′23″S 150°10′24″E / 23.9563°S 150.1733°E / -23.9563; 150.1733 (Buneru railway station))
Cooneel railway station (23°58′43″S 150°09′37″E / 23.9787°S 150.1603°E / -23.9787; 150.1603 (Cooneel railway station))
Muruguran railway station (24°01′13″S 150°08′42″E / 24.0204°S 150.1450°E / -24.0204; 150.1450 (Muruguran railway station))

and then onto Rannes.

Buneru State School opened on 5 October 1918 on the south-western corner of Portion 100 on the (now) Leichhardt Highway (23°58′06″S 150°09′51″E / 23.96828°S 150.16419°E / -23.96828; 150.16419 (Buneru State School (1918 site))). Following flooding in 1928, the decision was made to relocate and enlarge the school. In 1934, the school was relocated to the south-west corner of Buneru Road and Buneru School Road (23°57′27″S 150°08′57″E / 23.9576°S 150.1492°E / -23.9576; 150.1492 (Buneru State School (1934 site))). The school closed in 1962.

Wowan Methodist Church was the first church built in the district at 13 Caroline Street (23°54′39″S 150°11′48″E / 23.9109°S 150.1968°E / -23.9109; 150.1968 (Wowan Uniting Church)). A stump-capping ceremony was held on 20 October 1923 and the church and opened on 13 January 1924. Following the amalgamation of the Methodist Church into the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, it became Wowan Uniting Church. The church building was damaged in the 2012 floods. The community decided to relocate it to the Wowan Museum and refurbish the building. The Woman Uniting Church amalgamated with the Biloela Uniting Church to form the Callide Valley Uniting Church which holds its Wowan services in All Souls Anglican Church.

On 1 August 1987, the railway line from Kabra to Wowan was closed.

The Wowan Museum was originally established in the former butter factory after the site was transformed into a caravan park in the 1980's. After the museum outgrew the butter factory, it was relocated to the former railway station and the new Wowan Museum was officially opened by Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney on 13 October 2012, as part of the community celebrations commemorating the 100th anniversary of the railway being opened in 1912.

Demographics

In the 2006 census, the locality of Wowan and the surrounding area had a population of 338.

In the 2016 census, the locality of Wowan had a population of 216 people.

In the 2021 census, the locality of Wowan had a population of 170 people.

Economy

Farm produce from the area includes beef, hay, grain, pork and eggs.

Education

Wowan State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Don Street (23°54′37″S 150°11′38″E / 23.9104°S 150.1938°E / -23.9104; 150.1938 (Wowan State School)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 33 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 30 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent). State Library of Queensland holds a copy of Wowan State School : student registry 1900–1991 in the John Oxley Library.

There are no secondary schools in Wowan. The nearest government secondary school is Baralaba State School (to Year 10) in Baralaba to the south-west. For secondary education to Year 12, the nearest government secondary school is Mount Morgan State High School in Mount Morgan to the north-east.

Amenities

The Callide Valley Uniting Church meets at All Souls Anglican Church at 19 Don Street (23°54′21″S 150°11′43″E / 23.9058°S 150.1954°E / -23.9058; 150.1954 (Callide Valley Uniting Church)).

Attractions

The Wowan and District Museum is in the old butter factory and former railway station at 2A Dee River Road (corner of Leichhardt Highway, 23°54′36″S 150°11′45″E / 23.9099°S 150.1958°E / -23.9099; 150.1958 (Wowan and District Museum)).

Events

Wowan holds its annual agricultural show in August.