Kureelpa is a

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 Sunshine Coast Region,

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 , establishe ...

, Australia. In the , Kureelpa had a population of 907 people.

Geography

Poona Dam is an earth-fill

embankment Embankment may refer to: Geology and geography * A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea * Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railwa ...

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

with a toe drain with an un-gated spillway across a tributary of the South Maroochy River. The main purpose of the dam is for storage of potable water for the Sunshine Coast region.

History

The name Kureelpa is reportedly derived from an Aboriginal name, ''Kuril-ba'', meaning a place of rats and mice. Kureelpa Provisional School opened on 24 February 1914, becoming Kureelpa State School on 1 June 1916. The school closed on 1 December 1967. Poona State School opened on 9 November 1915 and closed on 30 June 1933. Despite the name, this school was not located in Poona in the

Fraser Coast Region The Fraser Coast 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 twin cities of Hervey Bay and Maryborough and also contains Fraser ...

, but "via Nambour", possibly in the vicinity of the Poona Dam in Kureelpa The first teacher was Ethel Edwards. It closed due to low student numbers in June 1933. The school buildings were sold in 1937. The Poona Dam was built in 1959. The height of the dam wall was increased in 1969 with upgrades to the spillway in 1998. Blackall Range Independent School opened on 2 February 1975. It initially occupied the Kureelpa Hall and then moved to the building of the former Kureelpa State School.

Education

Blackall Range Independent School is a private primary and secondary (Prep-12) school for boys and girls at 551 Mapleton Road (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 54 students with 8 teachers (6 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (7 full-time equivalent).

References

External links

* {{Sunshine Coast Region Suburbs of the Sunshine Coast Region Localities in Queensland