Marian, Queensland

Pioneer River at the Marian Sugar Mill in the Mackay district, circa 1915

Marian is a town in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.[1] It had a population of 3,019 in 2011 census.[2]

Geography

The town is located on the south bank of the Pioneer River approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) west of Mackay.

History

The town name Marian comes from the name of the (now closed) Marian railway station, which in turn reportedly derived its name from a local property called Mary Ann.[1]

Marian Mill Post Office opened by 1 January 1909 (a receiving office had been open from 1886) and was renamed Marian in 1910.[3]

In December 1882, Helen Porter Mitchell (later Dame Nellie Melba) married Charles Armstrong, the manager of the Marian Sugar Mill. A house was built for them beside the mill. It was not a happy marriage as they separated in December 1883. Their home was later relocated to a riverbank location on Eungella Road in Edward Lloyd Park two kilometres from the centre of Marian and named Melba House. It serves as a museum to Nellie Melba and as the Pioneer Valley Visitor Information Centre.[4][5]

Industry

Mackay Sugar operates the Marian sugar mill where over 2 million tonnes of sugar is crushed every year, making it one of the largest sugar mills in Australia.[6]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Marian (entry 20983)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Marian (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  3. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  4. "Melba House". Mackay Regional Council. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  5. O'Brien, Sheilagh. "The Dame in the tropics: Nellie Melba". Queensland Historical Atlas.
  6. "Marian Mill". Mackay Sugar. Retrieved 21 February 2014.

External links

Coordinates: 21°08′43″S 148°56′35″E / 21.14528°S 148.94306°E