Gumlu, Queensland

Gumlu
Queensland

Big Pumpkin at Gumlu, 2015
Gumlu
Coordinates 19°52′42″S 147°41′06″E / 19.8783°S 147.685°E / -19.8783; 147.685Coordinates: 19°52′42″S 147°41′06″E / 19.8783°S 147.685°E / -19.8783; 147.685
Postcode(s) 4805
Area 415.3 km2 (160.3 sq mi)
LGA(s) Whitsunday Region
State electorate(s) Burdekin
Federal Division(s) Dawson
Localities around Gumlu:
Wangaratta Wunjunga Coral Sea
Rangemore Gumlu Guthalungra
Bogie Bogie Guthalungra

Gumlu is a town and a locality in the Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia.[1][2]

Geography

Gumlu is located in between Home Hill and Bowen. It is 51 kilometres (32 mi) away from Home Hill and 49 kilometres (30 mi) away from Bowen.

The town of Gumlu is located near the eastern boundary of the suburb. The Bruce Highway and the North Coast railway line traverse the locality from east to west passing through the town. The Gumlu railway station serves the town.[3]

The north-eastern boundary of the locality is the Coral Sea. Molongle Creek is the eastern boundary and Wangaratta Creek the western boundary. The north-eastern half of the locality is most flat land at sea level with the south-western half rising gradually with unnamed peaks of about 300 metres.[3]

History

The town takes its name from the Gumlu railway station which was assigned by the Queensland Railways Department on 15 January 1912, and is believed to be a corruption of an Aboriginal word gunyaloo, meaning rock wallaby.[1]

Molongle Creek Provisional School opened on 13 October 1913 and became Molongle Creek State School on 1 December 1914. In 1920 it was renamed Gumlu State School.[4]

Houses have boomed in Gumlu lately by about 100% in a year, because of a coal mine opening up.

Amenities

Big Watermelon at Gumlu, 2017

Gumlu State School is a co-educational government primary school (P-6) in De Salis Street. In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 14 students with 2 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[5]

Gumlu does not have a big population, but does have a service station.

Economy

Gumlu is a major region for growing of winter vegetables from April/May through to November with mangoes being harvested in the summer months.[6] To celebrate their horticultural focus, a "Big Pumpkin" and a "Big Watermelon" have been constructed in a public rest area beside the Bruce Highway in the town.

References

  1. 1 2 "Gumlu - town in Whitsunday Region (entry 15042)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  2. "Gumlu - locality in Whitsunday Region (entry 46874)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  3. 1 2 "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  4. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  5. "Annual Report 2016" (PDF). Gumlu State School. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  6. "Production: Quick Industry Statistics". Bowen Gumlu Growers Association Inc. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
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