Dirranbandi

Dirranbandi is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. The locality is on the border of Queensland with New South Wales. In the , Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people.

Geography

Dirranbandi is on the Castlereagh Highway and the Balonne River. It is notable for the population variations each year as seasonal workers come to work on the extensive cotton fields. Due to the low annual rainfall, irrigation is used extensively. Cubbie Station, the largest cotton producing property in the southern hemisphere, is close to Dirranbandi.

History

Gamilaraay (also known as Gamilaroi, Kamilaroi, Comilroy) is a language from South-West Queensland and North-West New South Wales. The Gamilaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Balonne Shire Council, including the towns of Dirranbandi, Thallon, Talwood and Bungunya as well as the border towns of Mungindi and Boomi extending to Moree, Tamworth and Coonabarabran in NSW.

Yuwaalaraay (also known as ''Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi'') is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. The Yuwaalaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Hebel extending to Walgett and Collarenebri in New South Wales.'

Yuwaalayaay (also known as ''Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi'') is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalayaay country. It is closely related to the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. The Yuwaalayaay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Goodooga extending to Walgett and the Narran Lakes in New South Wales.'

Dirranbandi is located on the traditional lands of the Kooma people. However people in Dirranbandi recognise themselves as Gamilaroi.

The town reserve was surveyed in March 1885 by surveyor Claudius Buchanan Whish. He is believed to have named the town using an Aboriginal word, meaning either ''broken forest country'' or ''chorus of frogs at night''. The name may be derived from a Yuwaaliyaay dialect placename, ''Dhurrunbandaay'', relating to ''dhurrun.gal'' ("hairy caterpillars") and ''baanda-y'' ("move in single file"). There is also a Yuwaalaraay noun, ''dhirrinbaa'', meaning "bad weather camp, on high ground", possibly from ''dhirrin'' ("high ground") and -baa ("place of, time of").

One hundred housing allotments were first set aside, followed by land for a police station, a state school, and post office.

Dirranbandi Provisional School opened on 9 June 1902, but closed in April 1905. It reopened on 20 January 1908 and became Dirranbandi State School on 1 January 1909. On 29 January 1963, a secondary department to Year 10 was added.

The South Western railway reached Dirranbandi on 22 May 1913. The town was served by the Dirranbandi railway station in Railway Street (). Kundilam railway station served the rural areas to the east of the town (). The name ''Kundilam'' is an Aboriginal word meaning ''scrub berry''. On 28 June 1917 Kundilam railway renamed Bonathorne railway station, named after the adjacent Bonathorne pastoral station of Alfred Allen Moore (the Bonathorne pastoral station still exists as at 8 May 2020). Noondoo railway station was approx east of the town (); it was named by the Queensland Railways Department on 29 October eafter the Noondoo pastoral station which in turn is an Aboriginal name either for the spring near the homestead or the shrub growing near the spring. Hawkston railway station was located approximately east of the town ().

The Catholic church in Dirranbandi was expected to be opened by Archbishop James Duhig on Sunday 25 April 1926, but it was not until 13 May 1928 that he was able to officially open St Therese's Catholic Church.

In September 1934 Mr A. Clayton was contracted to build an Anglican church in Dirranbandi to the design of Brisbane architect, S. W. Prior. It was intended to be serviced by the Bush Brotherhood. By February 1935 it was open for services, but it was not until Saturday 15 February 1936 that Bishop Horace Dixon was able to come to Dirranbandi dedicate the church as St Mark's Anglican Church.

Dirranbandi had the honour of being the destination for the last mail train to operate in Australia. The Thallon-to-Dirranbandi section of the line was closed on 2 September 2010.

The Culgoa Floodplain National Park lies to the south-west. The town experienced serious flooding in February–March 2010 and January 2011.

At the 2011 census, Dirranbandi had a population of 711.

In the , Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people. 79.9% of people were born in Australia and 85.2% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 29.3%, Anglican 26.5% No Religion 14.8%.

During 2020 and 2021, the Queensland borders were closed to most people due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Border crossing points were either closed or had a Queensland Police checkpoint to allow entry to only those people with an appropriate permit. The border crossing point on the Koomalah Road at Dirranbandi was closed.

Education

Dirranbandi P-10 State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at Jane Street (). In 2015, the school had 73 students with 12 teachers (11 full-time equivalent). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 65 students with 13 teachers (11 full-time equivalent) and 13 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent).

Facilities

Dirranbandi has a hospital, civic centre, swimming pool, park and showground.

Balonne Shire Council operates a library on the Castlereagh Highway inside the Rural Transaction Centre.

The Dirranbandi branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 22 Kirby Street ().

St Therese's Catholic Church is at 42 Kirby Street (); it is part of the parish of St Patrick's Parish headquartered in St George.

St Mark's Anglican Church is at 55 Moore Street ().

Dirranbandi Uniting Church meet at the Anglican Church in Moore Street. It is part of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Dirranbandi Aerodrome is located at the western end of Moore Street (). It is operated by the Balonne Shire Council. It has a sealed runway with lights.

Popular culture

Australian author Robert G Barrett's main character Les Norton hails from Dirranbandi.

Slim Dusty sang about being the Dirranbandi Dandy in the song Cunnamulla Fella, which he co-wrote with Stan Coster.

Notable residents

Tom Dancey (1888–1957), a local stockman and Indigenous Australian, won Australia's most famous footrace, the Stawell Gift in 1910. It is indicated the £1000 prize money was kept by his handlers and he only got the trophy. A monument was dedicated to him in April 2011.

Brigadier General William Grant (1870–1939) post-WW1 bought land in the area. He was involved in the Australian Light Horse. Artwork commemorates Dirranbandi's contributions to the Light Horse in terms of men and horses.

Actor Ray Meagher grew up near Dirranbandi. He is best known for playing Alf Stewart on soap opera Home and Away, and credits one of his character's catchphrases "Stone the flamin' crows!" to Dick Backhouse who was a stock and station agent in town.

Gallery

File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-town sign-2021.jpg, Town sign (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Noondoo-Castlereagh Highway to Dirranbandi-2021.jpg, Castlereagh Highway to the eastern approach, Noondoo (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-Southern approach-2021.jpg, Southern approach to town (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-civic centre-2021.jpg, Civic Centre and library, Kirby Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-footpath-2021.jpg, Footpath along Kirby Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-main street-2021.jpg, Railway Street main street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-show grounds-2021.jpg, Entrance to the show grounds, Kirby Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-J G Hile Park and water tower-2021.jpg, J G Hile Park, and water tower, Richardson Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-Dirran Pub hotel motel-2021.jpg, Dirran Pub public hotel motel (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-police station-2021.jpg, Queensland Police Service police station, Kirby Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-post office-2021.jpg, Australia Post Office, Railway and Richardson Streets (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-Toyota Land Cruiser ambulance-2021.jpg, Queensland Ambulance Service ambulance, Toyota Land Cruiser (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-Dirranbandi Dandy artwork-2021.jpg, Artwork of the Dirranbandi Dandy, Railway Street Park (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-Light Horse artwork-2021.jpg, Artwork of the Australian Light Horse (Beersheba Memorial), Railway Street Park (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-painted posts-2021.jpg, Painted posts on Kirby Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-war memorial-2021.jpg, War memorial, Kirby Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-war memorial stone-2021.jpg, War memorial, Kirby Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-QCWA rest room-2021.jpg, Queensland Country Women's Association rest room, Kirby Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-QCWA rest room gate-2021.jpg, Queensland Country Women's Association rest room, Kirby Street (2021).
File:AU-Qld-Dirranbandi-Narran River Minnum Road-2021.jpg, Narran River before Minnum Road, south of Dirranbandi (2021).

References

Further reading

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External links

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Towns in Queensland
Shire of Balonne
1885 establishments in Australia
Populated places established in 1885
Localities in Queensland