Cordalba 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 Cordalba had a population of 467 people. The town was founded in 1896 and played an important role in the sugar workers strike of 1911.John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Geography

The town is adjacent to 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 ...

, from 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 the regional centre 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 Loggers Creek runs through the township which is situated next to the Cordalba State Forest. With rugged hills of open eucalypt woodland, this park is an adventurer's retreat. It protects several species such as possums and gliders which are nocturnal, and activities include many mountain biking and walking trails and birdwatching during the day.

Climate

Cordalba has a subtropical climate with wet, hot summers and mild winters.

Culture and community

Typical of a small rural township, entertainment in Cordalba is centered on local school events and social events at the Commercial Hotel. Cordalba State School is a co-educational school, located in township. The school has 85 students enrolled from Prep to Year Six, the Cordalba State School was established in 1894. It is typical for families to spend time in the 'Cordalba State Forest' and go for bike rides along the Joey Traill. With rugged hills of open eucalypt woodland, this park is an adventurer's retreat. You can spotlight for possums and gliders at night and go mountain biking or birdwatching during the day.

History

The original inhabitants of the area were the Kabi (or Kabi Kabi) tribe of aboriginal people living a traditional lifestyle focused on native foods of the area, and fishing in nearby streams, rivers and the sea. Their legacy can be seen in the name "Cordalba" meaning "place of the koalas". Isis River Provisional School opened in 1881. In 1893 it was renamed Abingdon Provisional School. On 22 January 1894 it was renamed Cordalba Provisional School. On 24 January 1901 it became Cordalba State School. In 1895, Charles Holmes built the original Cordalba Hotel. Cordalba Hotel 1895 built by Charles Holmes

Cordalba Hotel 1895 built by Charles Holmes

In the colonial period the great impetus for growth in local agriculture came with the arrival of the railway line in Cordalba in 1896 from the main Childers line. The township functioned as the main

Queensland Railways Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Queensland Rail is owned by the Queensland Government, and operates both suburban and interurban rail services in South East Queensland, as well as long-distance passenger t ...

depot and interchange station between 1896 and 1964, an old railway goods shed being a reminder of those days. Cordalba Post Office opened on 25 November 1896 (a

receiving office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

had been open from 1893) and closed in 1981. St Saviour's Anglican Church was dedicated on 13 March 1898 by

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

William Webber. It closed circa 1988. The town used to be in the

Shire of Isis The Shire of Isis was a local government area located in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, to the south of Bundaberg. The Shire, administered from the town of Childers covered an area of , and existed as a local government ...

. The commercial Hotel is famous for its former proprietress Maude Sheehan. Much like the Young & Jackson's Hotel in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

and its famous

nude Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing. While estimates vary, for the first 90,000 years of pre-history, anatomically modern humans were naked, having lost their body hair, living in hospitable climates, and no ...

artwork "Chloe", the Commercial Hotel in Cordalba also has a nude painting hanging over the public bar. When fully clothed, the model, Maude Sheehan, once actually ran the place. Maude was amply built and famous for her fiery red hair, which matched an easily aroused temper. Legend has it that on one occasion Maude kicked off a troublemaker, who returned the following day, this time riding his horse into the bar. Incensed at the intrusion, Maude punched the horse between the eyes, bringing both horse and rider to the floor. Maude's nude portrait hangs alongside a rare early

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

poster which was retrieved from the town's rubbish dump. In the 1970s, Cordalba had seven pubs, prior to a 'spate of bad luck' with fire.

Demographics

In the , the locality of Cordalba had a population of 445 people. In the , the locality of Cordalba had a population of 467 people.

Education

Cordalba State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Cemetery Road (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 69 students with 5 teachers (4 full-time equivalent) and 8 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent). There are no secondary schools in Cordalba. The nearest government secondary school is

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 ...

in Childers to the south-west.

Attractions

* The Commercial Hotel * Mango Tree Church, on Hodges Road *Cordalba State Forest *Cordalba General Store

References

External links

Town map of Cordalba, 1966
{{authority control Towns in Queensland Wide Bay–Burnett 1896 establishments in Australia Populated places established in 1896 Bundaberg Region Localities in Queensland