Childers is a rural town and locality 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 surroundin ...

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 r ...

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 Nat ...

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 l ...

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

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic language, Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician language, Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major ancient Egyptian deities, goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughou ...

. The town was established in 1885. The Isis railway line 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, British

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...

, who was the Auditor-General of Victoria 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 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 Union ...

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 Sist ...

. On 28 September 1941 Archbishop

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 i ...

sites, including: * Bruce Highway:

Childers Post Office Childers Post Office is a heritage-listed former post office at Bruce Highway, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Queensland Colonial Architect's Office and built from 1890 to 1910. It is also known as Chil ...

* Churchill Street: Childers Court House *45 Churchill Street: Isis District War Memorial and Shire Council Chambers * 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, ...

* 54-58 Churchill Street: Shops and Cafe * 55 Churchill Street: Childers RSL Club * 59 Churchill Street:

Hotel Childers Hotel Childers is a heritage-listed hotel at 59 Churchill Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from to 1930s. It is also known as Queen's Hotel. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 Octobe ...

* 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 ...

* 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 * 66-70 Churchill Street: Jeffery's Building * 69 Churchill Street:

Childers Ambulance Station Childers Ambulance Station is a heritage-listed former ambulance station at 69 Churchill Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Leonard Kempster and built in 1924 by Queensland Department of Public Wor ...

* 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 supplie ...

* 75 Churchill Street:

Paragon Theatre Paragon Theatre is a heritage-listed cinema and theatre at 75 Churchill Street, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Arthur Robson and built in 1927 by P Mellefont, Jnr. It was added to the Queensland Herita ...

* 80 Churchill Street: Lloyd's Barber Shop * 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 wh ...

* 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 * Macrossan Street: Christ Church * 18 Macrossan Street: Isis Masonic Lodge *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 partic ...

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, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism ...

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 operate a public library at 49 Churchill Street. The Childers branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 1 Crescent Street. Christ Church Anglican Church is at 11 Mcilwraith Street. It is within the

Anglican Archdiocese of Brisbane The Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, also known as Anglican Church Southern Queensland, is based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The diocesan bishop's seat is at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane. The diocese stretches from the south-eastern coastl ...

. 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 Ecclesiasti ...

. 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 C ...

. The Childers Apostolic Church of Queensland is at 13 Nelson Street. It is part of the Apostolic Church of Queensland. 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 The Christian Community Churches of Australia are a network of Open Brethren churches, or "assemblies", in Australia. They do not form a denomination in the organizational sense, but rather a network of like-minded autonomous local churches. Bre ...

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