Rollingstone is a rural town and coastal

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

City of Townsville The City of Townsville is a local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock an ...

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 Rollingstone had a population of 125 people.

Geography

Rollingstone is a semi-rural/residential area approximately north of

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

, Australia, and south of

Ingham, Queensland Ingham is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Hinchinbrook, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Ingham had a population of 4,426 people. It is named after William Bairstow Ingham and is the administrative centre for the Shire o ...

. The locality is roughly shaped like an hourglass with the town at the narrow centre area. Rollingston Creek flows to the south and east of the town and into the

Coral Sea The Coral Sea () is a marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia, and classified as an interim Australian bioregion. The Coral Sea extends down the Australian northeast coast. Most of it is protected by the Fre ...

and forms, in part, the boundary between Rollingstone and neighbouring Balgal Beach. 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 ...

traverses Rollingstone from the south-east to the north, but deviates slightly to the south of the town. The North Coast railway line runs roughly parallel to the highway but to the north and passes through the town. THe locality was served by two railway stations: * Kinduro railway station, in the north of the locality, now abandoned () * Rollingstone railway station, serving the town () Kinduro is a neighbourhood in the locality () around the railway station of the same name. The name ''Kinduro'' is an Aboriginal word meaning ''clear water''.

History

Settled in 1883 by John Lambert, the district was originally a pastoral lease known as ''Armidale'', extending from Bluewater Creek in the south to Clerk Creek (later known as Ollera Creek) in the north. In 1906, the Armidale Hotel opened along the stagecoach route between

and Ingham. Once the North Coast railway opened through the area in 1915, the Armidale railway station also served as a post office as the mail was delivered by train. However concern over possible confusion with

Armidale Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale had a population of 24,504 as of June 2018. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region. I ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

resulted in the town and railway station being renamed ''Rollingstone'' after the creek, which is believed to be named for the round shape of the rocks found in the creek bed. The hotel was renamed the Rollingstone Hotel. Rollingstone State School officially opened on 4 September 1916 with 28 students on land donated by the hotel owners, John and Isabella Fitzpatrick. The opening of the railway opened up the beaches north of Townsville for recreational use. The beach near Rollingstone just south of the mouth of Rollingstone Creek was surveyed for a town in 1947 and named Balgal with town land allotments being sold in 1948 onwards (this area is now a separate suburb called Balgal Beach). Rollingstone and District Community Association was established in 1961 and operated a community hall was located on the Bruce Highway. In 1998, it was replaced by a new community centre built in Balgal Beach. In the , the locality of Rollingstone had a population of 125 people.

Education

Rollingstone State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls on Fred Williams Drive (). In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 89 students with 6 teachers (5 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 65 students with 8 teachers (7 full-time equivalent) and 9 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent). There are no secondary schools in Rollingstone. The nearest government secondary school is Northern Beaches State High School in Deeragun to the south-east.

Facilities

Rollingstone Police Station is at 8 Rollingstone Street ().

Amenities

Located alongside the Bruce Highway, facilities in Rollingstone include a service station, general store, hotel and caravan park. Despite the name, Rollingstone Community Centre is at 44 Community Crescent in neighbouring Balgal Beach (). The

Townsville City Council The City of Townsville is a local government area (LGA) located in North Queensland, Australia. It encompasses the city of Townsville, together with the surrounding rural areas, to the south are the communities of Alligator Creek, Woodstock an ...

operate a mobile library service which visits the Community Centre every second Wednesday morning. Rollingstone is a popular location for recreational activities such as camping, picnicking and swimming at Rollingstone Park (als known as Bushy Park) on Rollingstone Road () along Rollingstone Creek. Rollingstone Museum and Visitor Information Centre is in former Rollingstone railway station building, which has been relocated and restored. It is operated by the Rollingstone Historical Society.

References

External links

* {{authority control Suburbs of Townsville Localities in Queensland