Childers is a rural town and

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivis ...

in the

Bundaberg Region The Bundaberg Region is a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, the state capital. It is centred on the city of Bundaberg, and also contains a significant rural area surro ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. In the , the locality of Childers had a population of 1,584 people.

Geography

Childers is in the

Wide Bay-Burnett WIDE or Wide may refer to: * Wide (cricket) * Wide and narrow data, terms used to describe two different presentations for tabular data * WIDE Project, Widely Integrated Distributed Environment * Wide-angle Infinity Display Equipment * WIDE-LP, a ...

region of

, Australia, situated on the

Bruce Highway The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Na ...

and lies north of the state capital

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

and south-west of Bundaberg. The

Isis Highway The Isis Highway is a state highway in southern Queensland, Australia. The highway is relatively short, and runs for in a north-east / south-west direction between Bundaberg North and the Burnett Highway at Ban Ban Springs. The Isis Highway li ...

runs south from the Bruce Highway in Childers. The township is set on a ridge overlooking fields of rich volcanic soil.

History

The Childers area was traditionally inhabited by the Dundaburra group who are part of Kabi Kabi nations in the northernmost area of the

Wide Bay Burnett WIDE or Wide may refer to: *Wide (cricket) *Wide and narrow data, terms used to describe two different presentations for tabular data *WIDE Project, Widely Integrated Distributed Environment *Wide-angle Infinity Display Equipment *WIDE-LP, a radio ...

. Their descendants still live in the region. Europeans first arrived in the area in the 1850s. Pastoralists established properties soon after to raise cattle on the fertile lands. Back then,

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

was (as it is now) the key crop grown in the

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

. The town was established in 1885. The

Isis railway line The Isis Branch Railway Line was a narrow gauge railway line in Queensland, Australia. It was approved for construction by the Parliament of Queensland in September 1885. The North Coast line north from Brisbane, reached Maryborough in Au ...

to Childers opened in 1887 and was pivotal in the early development of the area. Childers Post Office opened on 14 November 1887. The town is reportedly named after

Hugh Childers Hugh Culling Eardley Childers (25 June 1827 – 29 January 1896) was a British Liberal statesman of the nineteenth century. He is perhaps best known for his reform efforts at the Admiralty and the War Office. Later in his career, as Chancello ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

statesman, who was the Auditor-General of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

in the 1850s. Circa 1888-1889 an Anglican church was erected in Childers. The present Christ Church Anglican was opened and dedicated on 9 May 1901. The Childers Uniting Church was originally constructed as the Methodist Church in

Horton Horton may refer to: Places Antarctica * Horton Glacier, Adelaide Island, Antarctica * Horton Ledge, Queen Elizabeth Land, Antarctica Australia * Horton, Queensland, a town and locality in the Bundaberg Region * Horton River (Australia), ...

in 1886. Due to the decline of the Horton township the church was subsequently moved to Childers. It became the Childers Uniting Church in June 1977 following the amalgamation of the Methodist Church into the

Uniting Church in Australia The Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) was founded on 22 June 1977, when most congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and almost all the churches of the Congregational Uni ...

in 1977. Childers Provisional School opened on 28 January 1889. In 1891 it became Childers State School. A secondary department was added in January 1913 and operated until Isis District State High School was established in 1961. A pre-school was added in 1976. Isis Central Mill Provisional School opened on 23 January 1899. On 1 January 1909 it became Isis Central Mill State School. It closed on 11 December 1987. A 1902 fire destroyed much of the town centre. St Joseph's Catholic School was established on 24 January 1926 by the

Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, often called the Josephites or Brown Joeys, are a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Mary MacKillop (1842–1909). Members of the congregation use the postnominal initials RSJ (Religious Siste ...

. On 28 September 1941

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

James Duhig Sir James Duhig KCMG (2 September 187110 April 1965) was an Irish-born Australian Roman Catholic religious leader. He was the Archbishop of Brisbane for 48 years from 1917 until his death in 1965. At the time of his death he was the longest-s ...

laid the foundation stone for the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The foundation stone of Grace Lutheran Church was laid by Pastor K Scholz on 16 April 1961. The town made international headlines in June 2000, when an arsonist set fire to the Palace Backpackers Hostel, claiming the lives of 15 tourists. The Palace Building reopened in 2002, and includes a memorial to those lost in the blaze, a Regional Art Gallery and an Information Centre. The Childers Library opened in 2000 with a major refurbishment in 2014. In the , the locality of Childers had a population of 1,584 people. 80.1% of people were born in Australia and 87.0% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were No Religion 23.0%, Anglican 21.2% and Catholic 17.8%.

Heritage listings

Childers has a number of

heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and man-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In many ...

sites, including: * Bruce Highway: Childers Post Office * Churchill Street:

Childers Court House Childers Court House is a heritage-listed courthouse at Churchill Street, Childers, Queensland, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Queensland Colonial Architect's Office and built in 1897 by William Cristine H ...

*45 Churchill Street:

Isis District War Memorial and Shire Council Chambers Isis District War Memorial and Shire Council Chambers is a heritage-listed Memorial, memorial hall and former Seat of local government, shire council chambers at 45 Churchill Street, Childers, Queensland, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, ...

* 50 Churchill Street:

Queensland National Bank The Queensland National Bank is a former bank in Queensland, Australia. History In 1872, the bank was established in Brisbane. In December 1914, the bank had its head office in Brisbane with branches throughout Queensland at Allora, Aramac, A ...

* 54-58 Churchill Street: Shops and Cafe * 55 Churchill Street:

Childers RSL Club Childers RSL Club is a heritage-listed former bank and now Returned and Services League of Australia club house at 55 Churchill Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by James Percy Owen Cowlishaw and built ...

* 59 Churchill Street: Hotel Childers * 60 Churchill Street:

Chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

* 61 Churchill Street:

National Australia Bank National Australia Bank (abbreviated NAB, branded nab) is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia (colloquially referred to as "The Big Four") in terms of market capitalisation, earnings and customers. NAB was ranked 21st-la ...

* 62 Churchill Street: Ellwood & Co Drapery * 63 Churchill Street:

Pizzey Memorial Clock Pizzey Memorial Clock is a heritage-listed memorial originally located at 63 Churchill Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 August 1992 but was removed from the regi ...

* 66-70 Churchill Street:

Jeffery's Building Jeffery's Building is a heritage-listed retail shop at 66–70 Churchill Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by F H Faircloth and built in 1902. It is also known as Childers Medical Centre, Foodland, and ...

* 69 Churchill Street: Childers Ambulance Station * 71 Churchill Street: Federal Hotel * 72 Churchill Street: Palace Hotel * 74-78 Churchill Street:

Hardware Store Hardware stores (in a number of countries, "shops"), sometimes known as DIY stores, sell household hardware for home improvement including: fasteners, building materials, hand tools, power tools, keys, locks, hinges, chains, plumbing suppli ...

* 75 Churchill Street: Paragon Theatre * 80 Churchill Street:

Lloyd's Barber Shop Lloyd's Barber Shop is a heritage-listed former barber shop at 80 Churchill Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by F H Faircloth and built in 1902. It is also known as Diamond Centre Jeweller and Robins ...

* 82 Churchill Street:

Bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who w ...

* 84-86 Churchill Street: Kerr's Building * 88-90 Churchill Street: Childers Pharmaceutical Museum * 92-94 Churchill Street: Dittmer's Store * 102-108 Churchill Street: Coronation Building * 106-110 Churchill Street:

Grand Hotel, Childers Grand Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 106-110 Churchill Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Anton Hettrich built from 1899 to 1900. It is also known as Childers Hotel. It was added to the Queenslan ...

* Macrossan Street: Christ Church * 18 Macrossan Street:

Isis Masonic Lodge Isis Masonic Lodge is a heritage-listed masonic temple at 18 Macrossan Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by F H Faircloth and built from 1897 to 1909. It is also known as Corinthian Lodge. It was added ...

*6 North Street: Old Butcher's shop

Economy

Childers is renowned for its heritage character and is classified a

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

town. The historic colonial buildings of the main street (Bruce Highway) are set amongst large, shady leopard trees. The sugar cane industry features prominently in Childers and has sustained the town over the years.

Fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

and

vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

cropping is common on the lands around town.

Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

is a growing industry in Childers, with a number of the preserved historic buildings in town becoming tourist attractions. Childers acts as a major economic centre in the

Region and is undergoing considerable growth. Childers retains much of its historic significance, although many of the streets were redeveloped under a 'Streetscape' project that continues today. The local tourism organisation "Stay in Childers" is a not for profit incorporated association made up of local businesses.

Facilities

The Isis Town and Country is the town's local newspaper, available once a week on Thursday. Childers is also served by a monthly community newspaper, the Childers Chit Chat, and commercial FM radio stations Breeze 102.5 and Rebel 106.7. In addition, the town services the surrounding areas with its small hospital. Childers has its own courthouse. The town has several emergency service faculties including a police station, ambulance station and fire station housing Fire and Rescue Queensland Staff and Queensland Rural Fire Service volunteers. It also hosts a branch of the State Emergency Service and PCYC Emergency Services Cadets program.

Education

Childers State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at Mungomery Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 308 students with 24 teachers (22 full-time equivalent) and 20 non-teaching staff (14 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. Isis District State High School is a government secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls at 3 Ridgway Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 504 students with 48 teachers (46 full-time equivalent) and 33 non-teaching staff (22 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. St Joseph's School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 40 Churchill Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 75 students with 8 teachers (7 full-time equivalent) and 9 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent).

Amenities

Childers has many general local services s, an art gallery (Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery- BRAG) and Information Centre. Cultural entertainment facilitated through the Childers Cultural Centre- a town hall hired through the Bundaberg Regional Council.

Bundaberg Regional Libraries Bundaberg Regional Libraries is the main public library service provided to the people of the Bundaberg Region, by the Bundaberg Regional Council. The library collection includes an extensive array of physical and electronic resources along with ...

operate a public library at 49 Churchill Street. The Childers branch of the

Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...

meets at 1 Crescent Street. Christ Church Anglican Church is at 11 Mcilwraith Street. It is within the Anglican Archdiocese of Brisbane. Sacred Heart Catholic Church is at 40 Churchill Street. It is within the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Brisbane and covering the South East region of Queensland, Australia. Part of the Roman Catholic Ecclesiastica ...

. Childers Uniting Church is at 36 Macrossan Street (). It is part of the

. Grace Lutheran Church is at 226 Churchill Street. It is part of the

Lutheran Church of Australia The Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) is the major Lutheran denomination in Australia and New Zealand. It counts 540 congregations and 30,026 members according to official statistics. It was created from a merger of the Evangelical Lutheran Chu ...

. The Childers Apostolic Church of Queensland is at 13 Nelson Street. It is part of the

Apostolic Church of Queensland The Apostolic Church of Queensland is an Australian Christian denomination. It was founded in Queensland, Australia, by H. F. Niemeyer and took its current name in 1911. The church's logo is a 4R-symbol. The four "R"s stand for: RIGHT - ROYAL ...

. Childers Wesleyan Methodist Church is at 6 Broadhurst Street (). It is part of the

Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia is a Christian denomination with its origins in Wesleyan Methodism. It is the organisational name for contemporary The Wesleyan Church in Australia. (The historic Wesleyan Methodist denomination in Aust ...

. Childers Gospel Chapel is at 34 Churchill Street. It is part of the Christian Community Churches of Australia.

Events

Childers holds a Multicultural Festival once a year on the final weekend in July. The town also hosts an agricultural show; which in the past was held in early August, but is now hosted in late May or early June. As a celebration of its cultural heritage, Childers also hosts events in October to celebrate the Crush Festival- a region-wide event to mark the end of the sugar-cane crushing season.

Attractions

Noakes Lookout is off Rankin Road (). At above sea level, it is one of the highest points in the area, providing 360 degree panoramic views. However, as at 2013, regrowth of bushland surrounding the lookout has obscured the views and, as the lookout is on private land, there is no guaranteed right of access to the public.

References

External links

* * {{authority control Towns in Queensland Wide Bay–Burnett 1885 establishments in Australia Populated places established in 1885 Bundaberg Region Localities in Queensland