The economy of the area is based on the grazing and mining industries. The area has one of the largest deposits of boulder opal in the world, and also has extensive deposits of gas and oil.
Margany (also known as Marganj, Mardigan, Marukanji, Maranganji) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Margany people. The Margany language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Quilpie Shire, taking in Quilpie, Cheepie and Beechal extending towards Eulo and Thargomindah, as well as the properties of Dynevor Downs and Ardoch.[7]
The township of Toompine was surveyed in 1870. The name Toompine is an Indigenous language word meaning leech.[5]
Toompine Provisional School and Duck Creek Provisional School both opened in 1900. In 1901, they became half-time schools (meaning they shared a single teacher between the two schools). Toompine Provisional School closed in July 1902, enabling Duck Creek Provisional School to revert to full-time status. Due to low student numbers, Duck Creek Provisional School closed in 1905.[8]
Quilpie was gazetted as a town in 1917 owing to the Western railway line that was laid down from Brisbane.[9] It takes its name from the Indigenous Australian word for stone curlew, quilpeta.[2][3][10] The name was proposed by pastoralist James Hammond of Tenham Station.[2] The Queensland Railways Department mistakenly named the railway station Quillpill.[11] The town and station name were standardised to Quilpie on 16 June 1917 by the Governor in Council.[12][13] From 1954 to 1994, The Westlander was split at Charleville. the Quilpie Section (3Q02) was known as the "Flying Flea" and it consisted of two passenger carriages, a guards van and power van. both 3Q02 and 3V02 were withdrawn in 1994 and replaced by TrainLink bus services
Quilpie State School opened on 10 September 1918.[8] The school began offering secondary education in 1966. On 5 December 2008, it was renamed Quilpie State College.[14][15]
The first post office was opened in 1921. Two years later the telephone reached Quilpie .[16]
A fire destroyed a block of the main street in 1926. With no town water the residents watched helplessly.[16]
In 1927, the first court house was established.[16]
Prior to 1930, Quilpie was within the Shire of Adavale, headquartered at Adavale. However, the decision to route the railway line through Quilpie rather than Adavale had led to a population drift away from Adavale making Quilpie the larger town. On 17 July 1930, there was a re-organisation of local government in the district, resulting in the abolition of the Shire of Adavale and the creation of the Shire of Quilpie with Quilpie as its headquarters.[16]
St Finbarr's Catholic Church was officially opened and dedicated on Sunday 14 December 1930 by the Bishop of Toowoomba, James Byrne.[17][18] It was built from timber.[19] In 1972, it was replaced with a brick church designed by W. Durack.[20]
A bore was sunk into the Great Artesian Basin in 1933. It provided drinking water for the town and between 1952 and 1963 the hot water was used to generate electricity for the town.[16]
On 15 October 1936, St Matthew's Anglican Church was officially opened and dedicated by Bishop Dixon.[21] It was built from timber and could seat 100 people.[22] The church bell was donated by the people of Cunnamulla.[21]
St Finbarr's Catholic School opened in early 1950, shortly after the arrival in January 1950 of three Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Sisters Macrina, Carmel and Magdalen. By the end of 1950, over 60 children were enrolled. A boarding school for boys and girls was opened in 1951. The first lay teacher, Michael West, was appointed in 1983. When the boarding facility closed in 2008, it was the last rural Catholic primary boarding school in Queensland. In 2009, the first lay principal, Aaron Wells, was appointed and the administration of the school passed from the Sisters to the Catholic Education Office of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba who operate the school in the Mary MacKillop tradition (MacKillop being the founder of the Sisters of St Joseph).[8][23][24]
At the 2001 census, Quilpie had a population of 645. Around 14% of the population of Quilpie identity as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and around 2% were born outside Australia.[25]
The current Quilpie Public Library building opened in 2005.[26]
At the 2006 census, the locality of Quilpie had a population of 560.[27]
At the 2011 census, the locality of Quilpie had a population of 574 people.[28]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Quilpie had a population of 595 people.[29]
The area is wholly devoted to grazing. Boulder opal, oil and gas mining are major secondary industries for the local economy. The majority of the employees of these industries are local residents, with low rates of both unemployment and itinerant work.
Quilpie has one opal mining field; Toompine Field is located between Quilpie and Yowah.
Flora and fauna
The most common species of trees in the district are:[30]
Quilpie residents enjoy free access to many amenities including a post office, the town library, swimming pool, golf course, museum, sports grounds, an air-conditioned hall and supper room etc. There are well stocked stores and plenty of attractions for visitors with displays of opals and the works of local artists and as well as an information centre. The Brick Hotel has been restored to house displays of opal and art and provide a community learning space.[31][32]
Quilpie public library, 2012
Quilpie Shire Council operates Quilpie Shire Library at 52 Brolga Street.[33]
Quilpie State College is a government primary and secondary (Early Childhood-10) school for boys and girls at the corner of Chulungra and Boonkai Streets (26°36′54″S144°16′17″E / 26.6149°S 144.2714°E / -26.6149; 144.2714 (Quilpie State College)).[39][40] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 61 students with 12 teachers (11 full-time equivalent) and 12 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent).[41] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 65 students with 13 teachers (12 full-time equivalent) and 12 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent).[42]
St Finbarr's School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Jabiru Street (26°37′00″S144°16′12″E / 26.6167°S 144.2701°E / -26.6167; 144.2701 (St Finbarr's School)).[39][43] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 30 students with 5 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[41] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 26 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 3 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[42]
For students wanting to study Years 11 and 12, the closest secondary school is Charleville State High School in Charleville,[44] 211 kilometres (131 mi) to the east. Alternatively, Year 11 and 12 students can also study using distance education provided by the Charleville School of Distance Education or move away to various boarding schools.[45]
Quilpie experiences a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen:BSh, Trewartha:BShl); with very hot summers with occasional rains; warm to hot, relatively dry springs and autumns; and mild, dry winters.
Climate data for Quilpie Airport, Queensland, Australia (1917-present normals and extremes); 200 m AMSL
^"Queensland Place Names". Department of Natural Resources and Mines. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
^"WESTERN RAILWAY". Daily Mail. No. 4422. Queensland, Australia. 1 May 1917. p. 4. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^"School History". Quilpie State School. 20 June 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
^ ab"Biggenden". The Courier-mail. No. 978. Queensland, Australia. 17 October 1936. p. 27. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Quilpie Shire Library". Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 2 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
^Blake, Thom. "St Finbarr's Catholic Church". Queensland religious places database. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
^Blake, Thom. "St Matthew's Anglican Church". Queensland religious places database. Archived from the original on 6 November 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
Quilpie Visitors Centre and regional art gallery
Quilpie Shire Hall
Rainbow over Quilpie - view from behind the Art Gallery
Quilpie public art in the main street
Quilpie Hotel
Development Road into Quilpie.
The Imperial Hotel under construction, c.1925
A Brisbane tourist's car being trucked to Quilpie railhead, 1952
Drinking at the bar of the Quilpie Hotel, c.1921
