Cooladdi

Cooladdi
Queensland
Cooladdi; Queensland
	Cooladdi
Coordinates	26°38′25″S 145°27′43″E / 26.6402°S 145.4619°E
Population	16 (2016 census)
• Density	0.00401/km2 (0.0104/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4479
Elevation	300 m (984 ft)
Area	3,990.2 km2 (1,540.6 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)	Shire of Murweh
State electorate(s)	Warrego
Federal Division(s)	Maranoa
	Suburbs around Cooladdi:

	Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap
	Download coordinates as: KML

Cooladdi is a ghost town and rural locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia.^[2]^[3] In the 2016 census the locality of Cooladdi had a population of 16 people.^[1]

The town is 88 Kilometres (54 mi) west of Charleville on the road to Quilpie, 122 Kilometres (75 mi) to the west.

Cooladdi is situated 826 kilometres (513 mi) west of the city of Brisbane and 706 kilometres (438 mi) west of Toowoomba.^[4]

It claims to be Australia's smallest town, a claim that has now been confirmed by Australia Unwrapped.^[5] In 2015, the population was 3 (down from 4 in 2013), all of whom reside at the general store.^[6]

Geography[]

The town is in the centre of the locality. The Western railway line passes from east to west through the town and locality. The locality was served by a number of railway stations (from east to west):^[4]

Nimaru railway station (now abandoned) (26°34′15″S 145°51′24″E / 26.5707°S 145.8567°E / -26.5707; 145.8567 (Nimaru railway station (former)))^[7]
Coothalla railway station (26°35′03″S 145°44′12″E / 26.5842°S 145.7366°E / -26.5842; 145.7366 (Coothalla railway station))^[7]
Loddon railway station (now abandoned) (26°35′37″S 145°39′06″E / 26.5936°S 145.6517°E / -26.5936; 145.6517 (Loddon railway station (former)))^[7]
Cooladdi railway station serving the town (26°38′30″S 145°27′48″E / 26.6417°S 145.4634°E / -26.6417; 145.4634 (Cooladdi railway station))^[7]

Yalamurra railway station (now abandoned) (26°38′44″S 145°17′39″E / 26.6456°S 145.2943°E / -26.6456; 145.2943)^[7]

The Diamantina Developmental Road (which forms part of the 1578 kilometre (980 mi) Warrego Way State Strategic Touring Route between Brisbane and Birdsville) also passes from east to west through the town and locality.^[4]

History[]

Gunya (also known as Kunya, Kunja, Kurnja) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Gunya people. The Gunya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Paroo Shire Council, taking in Cunnamulla and extending north towards Augathella, east towards Bollon and west towards Thargomindah.^[8]

The railway station was originally called Yarronvale after a local pastoral station with the town taking its name from the railway station. However, it was renamed in 1913 to Cooladdi, an Aboriginal word meaning black duck, to avoid confusion with the pastoral station, which was 15 miles away.^{[citation needed]}

Cooladdi was a railhead for the local pastoral community. At one time, Cooladdi had a school, post office, and police station with a population of about 270 people. As the railway line extended further west, Cooladdi's role and population declined.^[9]

The Cooladdi State School originally opened on 19 March 1926 as a Provisional School with 9 students under teacher A.W. Marsh. In 1933 a new school building was constructed and the school redesignated as a State School. The school closed on 3 May 1974.^[10]^[11]^[12]

In 2015, the population was 3 (down from 4 in 2013), all of whom resided at the general store.^[6]

In the 2016 census the locality of Cooladdi had a population of 16 people.^[1]

Economy[]

There are a number of homesteads in the locality:^[13]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Cooladdi (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
^ "Cooladdi – town in Shire of Murweh (entry 8067)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
^ "Cooladdi – locality in Shire of Murweh (entry 42925)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
^ "I spent the night in Australia's smallest town. Here's what I saw". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Arthur, Chrissy (16 November 2015). "Stories and photos capture vibrant past of Queensland's outback 'ghost town' Cooladdi". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "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.
^ "Gunya". State Library of Queensland. 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
^ "Naming Stations—Glass House Mountains". The Brisbane Courier (17, 512). 28 February 1914. p. 4. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2016 – 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
^ "WESTERN LINE". Daily Mail (7289). Brisbane. 9 July 1925. p. 14. Retrieved 21 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Agency ID 182, Cooladdi State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
^ "Homesteads - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.

External links[]

"Town map of Cooladdi". Queensland Government. 1939.

[Census2016-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Cooladdi (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.

[qpnt-2] "Cooladdi – town in Shire of Murweh (entry 8067)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2020.

[qpnl-3] "Cooladdi – locality in Shire of Murweh (entry 42925)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2020.

[globe-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 4 February 2021.

[5] "I spent the night in Australia's smallest town. Here's what I saw". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.

[abc-6] Jump up to: ^a ^b Arthur, Chrissy (16 November 2015). "Stories and photos capture vibrant past of Queensland's outback 'ghost town' Cooladdi". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.

[railwaystations-7] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "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.

[8] "Gunya". State Library of Queensland. 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2020.

[9] "Naming Stations—Glass House Mountains". The Brisbane Courier (17, 512). 28 February 1914. p. 4. Archived from the original on 4 February 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.

[10] Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0

[11] "WESTERN LINE". Daily Mail (7289). Brisbane. 9 July 1925. p. 14. Retrieved 21 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.

[12] "Agency ID 182, Cooladdi State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 21 September 2016.

[homesteads-13] "Homesteads - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.

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