Toolooa is a
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
of
Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
in the
Gladstone 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
, established_ ...
, Australia.
In the , Toolooa had a population of 992 people.
Geography
Toolooa is south of
Gladstone Central
Gladstone Central is a coastal Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb of Gladstone, Queensland, Gladstone in the Gladstone Region, Queensland, Australia. It is the historic centre and central business district of the city of Gladstone and the ...
by road. Toolooa borders
Telina
Telina is an island in Marovo Lagoon, New Georgia Islands in Western Province, in the independent nation of Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to ...
,
South Gladstone, and
Glen Eden and is close to The Botanical Gardens.
The suburb is bounded to the west by Glenlyon Road and to the north and east by the
Moura railway line
The Moura railway line is a railway in central Queensland, connecting several coal mines to the port of Gladstone. It connects the remnants of several lines that previously connected to Rockhampton, originally by a rack railway.
History
The Daw ...
.
Moura Short Line Junction railway station in the north-east of the locality is the interconnection of the Moura line with the
North Coast railway line ().
Gladstone–Benaraby Road
Gladstone–Benaraby Road is a continuous road route in the Gladstone region of Queensland, Australia. Much of the route is signed as State Route 58. Gladstone–Benaraby Road (number 185) is a state-controlled regional road. As part of Stat ...
passes through the eastern part of the suburb.
History
The name ''Toolooa'' is believed to be derived from the
Aboriginal
Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to:
*Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology
* Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area
*One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
name in the
Gurang/Goeng language for nearby
Barney Point and the clan of Indigenous Australians who lived in the area.
When the first Government Resident
Maurice Charles O'Connell
Sir Maurice Charles Philip O'Connell KCH (1768 – 25 May 1848) was a commander of forces and lieutenant-governor of colonial New South Wales.
Early life
Maurice Charles O'Connell was born in Ireland in 1768. He had had a distinguished career ...
came to Gladstone (then known as
Port Curtis
Port Curtis is a suburb of Rockhampton in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Port Curtis had a population of 281 people.
Geography
The Fitzroy River bounds the suburb to the north-east. Gavial Creek, a tributary of the ...
), he had a house built in 1856 called Toolooa House at Barney Point. This house was sold on 12 September 1863 and burned down on 15 August 1873. The name ''Toolooa'' was later used for a railway station south of Gladstone, but this station no longer exists.
In 1900 the
Bundaberg
Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's regional area has a population of 70,921, and is a major centre of the Wide Bay–Burnett geographical region. The Bun ...
firm Messrs H. A. Skyring and Sons established a large sawmill in the area near the railway line. It employed many workers and contributed to Gladstone's growth. The mill was completely destroyed by fire on 4 April 1930.
Skyring's Siding Provisional School opened about 2 May 1905 but was soon renamed Toolooa Provisional School. It became Toolooa State School on 1 January 1909 but closed on 30 April 1921.
[
Toolooa State High School opened on 27 January 1981 with 200 Year-8 students and 11 teachers.]
Education
There are no schools in Toolooa. The nearest government primary schools are Gladstone South State School in neighbouring South Gladstone to the north and Kin Kora State School in Kin Kora to the west. Despite the name, Toolooa State High School is in neighbouring South Gladstone.
Amenities
There are a number of parks in the area:
* Emperor Road Park ()
References
External links
*
{{Gladstone Region
Suburbs of Gladstone