Cunnamulla

Cunnamulla
Queensland

Cunnamulla war memorial.
Cunnamulla
Coordinates 28°04′S 145°41′E / 28.067°S 145.683°E / -28.067; 145.683Coordinates: 28°04′S 145°41′E / 28.067°S 145.683°E / -28.067; 145.683
Population 1,217 (2006 census)[1]
Established 1868
Postcode(s) 4490
Elevation 189 m (620 ft)
Location
LGA(s) Paroo Shire
State electorate(s) Warrego
Federal Division(s) Maranoa
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
28.1 °C
83 °F		 14.2 °C
58 °F		 376.2 mm
14.8 in

Cunnamulla /kʌnəˈmʌlə/[2] (Aboriginal meaning "long stretch of water") is a small town that lies on the Warrego River in South West Queensland, Australia, 206 kilometres (128 mi) south of Charleville, and approximately 750 kilometres (470 mi) west of the state capital, Brisbane.

Cunnamulla is situated at the intersection of the Mitchell Highway and the Balonne Highway. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 1,217.[1]

Cunnamulla is the administrative centre for the Paroo Shire, which also includes the townships of Wyandra, Yowah and Eulo, and covers an area of 47,617 square kilometres (18,385 sq mi). Major industries of the area are wool, pig and kangaroo hunting, and the hospitality industry.


History

The area's first European explorer was Thomas Mitchell who passed through the region in 1846.[3] A settlement arose here because there was a reliable waterhole where two major stock routes intersected.[4] The town itself came into being in the late 19th century as a coach stop for Cobb and Co coaches.[3] A town survey was conducted in 1868, the same year a courthouse was built.[4] A railway to the town was completed in 1899.[3] Cunnamulla Post Office opened on 1 March 1868.[5]

In 1999 the Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Development reported that Cunnamulla's indigenous community suffered from a high level of domestic violence stemming from an over reliance by the police and the courts on punishment and detention to deal with Indigenous offenders.[6]

It has also been stated that the very first interstate game of Rugby League (between New South Wales and Queensland) was played between Cunnamulla and Bourke.

Flooding

The town has experienced major flooding in 1990, 1997, 2010 and 2012. The 1990 flood set a record for the Warrego River at 10.15 metres (33 ft 4 in).[7] In 2008, the Australian Defence Force was deployed to assist in flood preparations.[8] An 11 m (36 ft) high levee protects the town.

Heritage listings

Cunnamulla has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Facilities

Cunnamulla has a Magistrates court, public library, public swimming pool, showground, racecourse, two museums and a tourist information centre.[12] The town has two caravan parks, one at the Warrego Riverside and the other within the town boundaries.

Cultural references

Cunnamulla was the subject of a 2000 documentary film of the same name by Dennis O'Rourke, in which he followed several members of the community as they went about their daily lives. The film earned $132,485 at the Australian box office.[13]

Cunnamulla is the main setting for Henry Lawson's short story "The Hypnotised Township" from his anthology The Rising of the Court, and Other Sketches in Prose and Verse. The song "The Cunnamulla Fella", written by Stan Coster and sung by Slim Dusty, is commemorated by a statue in the town centre.[14]

Climate

Climate data for Cunnamulla
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 47.2
(117)		 45.0
(113)		 43.3
(109.9)		 37.3
(99.1)		 32.7
(90.9)		 30.4
(86.7)		 29.4
(84.9)		 36.8
(98.2)		 38.2
(100.8)		 42.0
(107.6)		 44.0
(111.2)		 46.0
(114.8)		 47.2
(117)
Average high °C (°F) 36.0
(96.8)		 34.8
(94.6)		 32.3
(90.1)		 28.0
(82.4)		 23.0
(73.4)		 19.3
(66.7)		 18.8
(65.8)		 21.4
(70.5)		 25.7
(78.3)		 29.7
(85.5)		 32.8
(91)		 35.2
(95.4)		 28.1
(82.6)
Average low °C (°F) 22.2
(72)		 21.7
(71.1)		 18.8
(65.8)		 14.1
(57.4)		 9.8
(49.6)		 6.8
(44.2)		 5.7
(42.3)		 7.1
(44.8)		 10.7
(51.3)		 14.8
(58.6)		 18.1
(64.6)		 20.7
(69.3)		 14.2
(57.6)
Record low °C (°F) 13.0
(55.4)		 11.5
(52.7)		 4.4
(39.9)		 4.6
(40.3)		 −1.1
(30)		 −2.2
(28)		 −2.2
(28)		 −1.0
(30.2)		 2.0
(35.6)		 3.3
(37.9)		 7.8
(46)		 11.5
(52.7)		 −2.2
(28)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 47.5
(1.87)		 51.6
(2.031)		 41.1
(1.618)		 27.0
(1.063)		 29.9
(1.177)		 25.7
(1.012)		 22.8
(0.898)		 17.3
(0.681)		 18.3
(0.72)		 25.1
(0.988)		 30.7
(1.209)		 39.3
(1.547)		 376.2
(14.811)
Average precipitation days 4.5 4.4 3.8 2.6 3.3 3.7 3.3 2.7 2.8 4.0 4.3 4.4 43.8
Source: [15]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Cunnamulla (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 27 January 2008.
  2. ↑ Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd. ISBN 1-876429-14-3
  3. 1 2 3 "Cunnamulla - Queensland - Australia - Travel". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 12 October 2010.
  4. 1 2 Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) (2002). Heritage Trails of the Queensland Outback. State of Queensland. p. 20. ISBN 0-7345-1040-3.
  5. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Task Force on Violence" (PDF). Queensland Government. 1999. Archived from the original (pdf) on 17 September 2006. Retrieved 10 August 2007. p47
  7. ↑ "Levee holds at Charleville". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  8. ↑ "Flooding disaster may cost farmers $1b". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 January 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  9. ↑ "Cunnamulla War Memorial Fountain (entry 600760)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "Paroo Shire Honour Board (entry 600761)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "The Robbers Tree (entry 600762)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "Cunnamulla". Centre for the Government of Queensland. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office", Film Victoria accessed 12 November 2012
  14. ↑ "Cunnamulla Fella". Tourism Queensland. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  15. ↑ "Climate statistics for Cunnamulla". Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
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