Childers is a rural town and

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

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 Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. In the , the locality of Childers had a population of 1,682 people.

Geography

Childers is in the

Wide Bay–Burnett Wide Bay–Burnett is a region of the Australian state of Queensland, located between north of the state capital, Brisbane. The area's population growth has exceeded the state average over the past 20 years, and it is forecast to grow to more ...

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 Natio ...

and lies north of the state capital

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

and south-west of

Bundaberg Bundaberg () is the major regional city in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the List of cities in Australia by population, ninth largest city in the state. The Bundaberg central business district is situa ...

. 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 ...

runs south from the Bruce Highway in Childers.

History

The Childers area is traditionally inhabited by the Dundabarra/burra group (red soil tribe) who are large collective group of the 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 Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...

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

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

. The town was established in 1885. The

Isis railway line The Isis Branch Railway Line was a narrow gauge railway line in the present-day Bundaberg Region and North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. It connected Isis Junction railway station, Isis Junction on the North Coast railway line, Queen ...

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 Hugh Culling Eardley Childers (25 June 1827 – 29 January 1896) was a British Liberal statesman of the nineteenth century. He is perhaps best known for his reform efforts at the Admiralty and the War Office. Later in his career, as Chancel ...

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

statesman A statesman or stateswoman is a politician or a leader in an organization who has had a long and respected career at the national or international level, or in a given field. Statesman or statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States ...

, who was the Auditor-General of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

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 Horton may refer to: Places Antarctica * Horton Glacier, Adelaide Island, Antarctica * Horton Ledge, Queen Elizabeth Land, Antarctica Australia * Horton, Queensland, a town and locality in the Bundaberg Region * Horton River (Australia), ...

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) is a united church in Australia. The church was founded on 22 June 1977 when most Wiktionary:congregation, congregations of the Methodist Church of Australasia, about two-thirds of the Presbyterian Church o ...

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. 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 Sis ...

. On 28 September 1941,

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

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- ...

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.

Demographics

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%. In the , the locality of Childers had a population of 1,682 people.

Heritage listings

Childers has a number of

heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and human-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In ma ...

sites, including: * Bruce Highway: Childers Post Office * 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, Queensland, ...

* 54–58 Churchill Street: Shops and Cafe * 55 Churchill Street: Childers RSL Club * 59 Churchill Street: Hotel Childers * 60 Churchill Street:

Chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

* 61 Churchill Street:

National Australia Bank National Australia Bank Limited (abbreviated NAB, branded and stylised as nab) is one of the four largest Banking in Australia, financial institutions in Australia (colloquially referred to as "Big Four (banking), The Big Four") in terms of mar ...

* 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 * 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 ...

* 75 Churchill Street: Paragon Theatre * 80 Churchill Street:

Lloyd's Barber Shop Lloyd's Barber Shop is a heritage-listed former barber, barber shop at 80 Churchill Street, Childers, Queensland, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by F H Faircloth and built in 1902. It is also known as Diamond ...

* 82 Churchill Street:

Bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based baked goods made in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, bagels, Pastry, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as Coffeehouse, cafés, servi ...

* 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 Grand Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at 106–110 Churchill Street, Childers, Queensland, Childers, Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Anton Hettrich built from 1899 to 1900. It is also known as Childers Hotel. It was ...

* 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 () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

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 (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

and

vegetable Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including edible flower, flo ...

cropping is common on the lands around town. 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 to Year 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 Isis District State High School is a public, co-educational, high school, located in the town of Childers, in Queensland, Australia. It is administered by the Department of Education, with an enrolment of 417 students and a teaching staff of 42 ...

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, 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 The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...

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 coastli ...

. Sacred Heart Catholic Church is at 40 Churchill Street. It is within the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane The Archdiocese of Brisbane is a Latin Church Metropolitan Diocese, metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Australia located in Brisbane and covering the South East Queensland, South East region of Queensland, Australia. Part of the ...

. 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 was created from a merger of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Australia and the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Australia in 1966 ...

. The Childers Apostolic Church of Queensland is at 13 Nelson Street. It is part of the

Apostolic Church of Queensland The Apostolic Church of Queensland is a Christian denomination founded by Heinrich Friedrich Niemeyer. The church's logo is a 4R-symbol. The four "R"s stand for: RIGHT - ROYAL - RIGHTEOUS - RICH: * RIGHT according to the bible The B ...

. 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.

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.

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