Murgon

Murgon
Queensland

The park on the main street of Murgon
Murgon

The location of Murgon in Queensland

Coordinates 26°14′0″S 151°57′0″E / 26.23333°S 151.95000°E / -26.23333; 151.95000Coordinates: 26°14′0″S 151°57′0″E / 26.23333°S 151.95000°E / -26.23333; 151.95000
Population 2,092 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 4605
Location
LGA(s) South Burnett Region
State electorate(s) Callide
Federal Division(s) Wide Bay

Murgon is a town in Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Bunya Highway 270 kilometres (170 mi) north-west of the state capital, Brisbane. At the 2011 Australian Census the town recorded a population of 2,092.[1]

Murgon is in the region of Queensland known as the South Burnett, the southern part of the Burnett River catchment. Attractions of Murgon include winemaking, fishing on the nearby Bjelke-Petersen Dam and gem-fossicking. Industries include peanuts, dairy farming, beef and cattle production and wine. The Indigenous Australian settlement of Cherbourg is just south of Murgon.

Australian rugby league player Steve Renouf was born in Murgon.

History

Unveiling the Murgon War Memorial
War Memorial and Civic Centre in Lamb Street, Murgon, 1938
Murgon War Memorial, 2008
Civic Centre, 2008

Murgon Post Office opened by June 1908 (a receiving office had been open from 1904).[2]

The foundation stone of the Murgon War Memorial was laid on 25 April 1920 (ANZAC Day) by Lieutenant Colonel Wilder Neligan. On 11 November 1921, the digger memorial was dedicated by RSL chairman, Major General Spencer Browne.[3][4]

In the early 20th century the Nanango railway line reached the town. The town was the administrative centre for the former Shire of Murgon which existed from 1914 until 2008.

Heritage listings

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

Fossils

Murgon is also close to a famous fossil site. The Murgon fossil site is the only such site in Australia with a diverse vertebrate fauna dating to the early Eocene epoch, around 55 million years ago, only 10 million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Amenities

The South Burnett Regional Council operates a library in Murgon.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Murgon (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  2. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  3. "Murgon War Memorial". Monument Australia. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  4. "A WAR MEMORIAL.,.". The Brisbane Courier (National Library of Australia). 16 November 1921. p. 4. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  5. "South Burnett Co-operative Dairy Association Factory (former) (entry 602811)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  6. "Murgon Civic Centre (entry 602812)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  7. "Locate a Library - South Burnett Regional Council". South Burnett Regional Council. Retrieved 2016-02-26.

External links

Media related to Murgon at Wikimedia Commons

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