Crows Nest, Queensland
| Crows Nest Queensland | |
|---|---|
 Former Council chambers, now an art gallery | |
  Crows Nest | |
| Coordinates | 27°16′S 152°03′E / 27.267°S 152.050°ECoordinates: 27°16′S 152°03′E / 27.267°S 152.050°E |
| Population | 1,596 (2011)[1] |
| Postcode(s) | 4355 |
| Location |
|
| LGA(s) | Toowoomba Region |
| County | Cavendish |
| Parish | Crows Nest |
| State electorate(s) | Nanango |
| Federal Division(s) | Maranoa |
Crows Nest is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the New England Highway, 158 kilometres (98 mi) from the state capital, Brisbane and 43 kilometres (27 mi) from the nearby city of Toowoomba. It is within the Toowoomba Region local government area. At the 2011 census, Crows Nest had a population of 1,596.[1]
History
Crows Nest was declared a town in 1876.[2] A branch railway line from Toowoomba, which serviced a number of sawmills and a dairying district, was finished in 1886.[2]
It is claimed by some that the town was named after an Aboriginal, Jimmy Crow, who gave directions to early European settlers. He lived in a big hollow tree near the police station, which became known as Crows Nest. It became a popular overnight camp for the bullock teams hauling timber, which in turn attracted farmers and settlers. A 6-foot 6-inch high statue of Jimmy Crow was unveiled in the Centenary Park at Crow's Nest on 12 July 1969 by Minister for Labour and Tourism, J. D. Herbert. The statue was sculpted by Fred Gardiner of the Tia Art Gallery. The statue was cut from a single block of Helidon freestone and weighs over one ton. An 18-foot high hollow tree stump was also moved to Centenary Park and a fig tree was planted on top so the roots could be trained around it to form a living hollow tree. It is believed to be the only memorial in Australia to an Aboriginal person after whom a town was named.[3][4]
However, it is also claimed that the name derives from the indigenous name for the area Tookoogandanna, meaning "the home of crows".[5] Some researchers acknowledge there are many possible origins of the name.[4]
In the 1950s and 60s the town's population declined, together with the local industries.[2]
Heritage listings
Crows Nest has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- 19 Curnow Street: Crows Nest Post Office[6]
Amenities
Town facilities include a large pavilion for sports activities and other functions, showgrounds and a 25 m heated swimming pool.[7] 6 km east of the town is the Crows Nest National Park.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Crows Nest (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) (2000). Heritage Trails of the Great South East. State of Queensland. p. 51. ISBN 0-7345-1008-X.
- ↑ "Crows Nest". Travel (Melbourne: The Age). 2004-02-08. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Crow's Nest & District Tourist & Progress Association (1988), From tall timbers : a folk history of Crow's Nest Shire, 1988, Crow's Nest & District Tourist & Progress Association Inc, ISBN 978-0-7316-3402-6
- ↑ "NOMENCLATURE OF QUEENSLAND.—102.". The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954) (Brisbane, Qld.: National Library of Australia). 27 January 1936. p. 10. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ↑ "Crows Nest Post Office (entry 19523)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
- ↑ "Crows Nest facilities". Toowoomba Regional Council. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
Further reading
- Crow's Nest & District Tourist & Progress Association (1988), From tall timbers : a folk history of Crow's Nest Shire, 1988, Crow's Nest & District Tourist & Progress Association Inc, ISBN 978-0-7316-3402-6
External links
Media related to Crows Nest, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons
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