Muckadilla is a rural town and locality in the

Maranoa Region Maranoa Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area in South West Queensland, Australia. The town of Roma, Queensland, Roma is the administrative headquarters of the region. In the , the Maranoa Region had a population of 1 ...

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 Muckadilla had a population of 38 people.

Geography

The town lies in the northern part of the locality. The Western railway line passes through the locality from east to west. The town is serviced by the Muckadilla railway station immediately to the north of the town. The

Warrego Highway The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 715 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint ...

passes from east to west through the town, mostly being parallel immediately south of the railway line. Muckadilla Creek flows from Mount Bindango to the north down to the south-east of Muckadilla to Mount Abundance, passing just west of the town. The creek becomes Cogoon River and then is a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Balonne River. Colonial surveyor and explorer Thomas Mitchell followed this stream through this area in 1846, prior to european settlement. The land is mostly 350-400m above sea level and used for grazing and cropping. Some of the slopes of the higher peaks (to 470m) in the south-west of the locality remain densely forested.

History

The name ''Muckadilla'' was first used as the creek name, which in turn is believed to be an Aboriginal word (language and dialect unknown) to mean ''plenty of water''. Muckadilla Provisional School opened on 25 January 1886. It was proclaimed Muckadilla State School on 1 January 1909. The school was mothballed on 31 December 2008, then closed on 31 December 2009. The school was on a site at the southern end of Centenary Drive (). The school's website was archived. In 1889, the Queensland Government drilled a bore at Muckadilla. Although the water supply found was quite small, it was believed that it had healing properties and people flocked to Muckadilla in search of a cure. Dr E.W. Kerr of Brisbane endorsed the water, claiming it had cured "obstinate

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

" in some of his patients. The baths were popular and, in 1939, John McEwan Hunter proposed that a

sanitorium A sanatorium (from Latin ''wikt:sanare, sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a Hospital#Specialized, specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sa ...

should be built there to better allow people to improve their "rheumatism,

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

, uritus, digestion, nerves and general health".

Demographics

In the , the locality of Muckadilla had a population of 58 people. In the , the locality of Muckadilla had a population of 38 people.

Education

There are no schools in Muckadilla with Muckadilla State School being mothballed on 31 December 2008 and closed in 2009. The nearest government primary schools are Roma State College in Roma to the east, Mitchell State School in Mitchell to the west, and Dunkeld State School in

Dunkeld Dunkeld (, , from , "fort of the Caledonians") is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The location of a historic cathedral, it lies on the north bank of the River Tay, opposite Birnam. Dunkeld lies close to the geological Highland Boundar ...

to the south-west. The nearest government secondary schools are Mitchell State School (to Year 10) and Roma State College (to Year 12).

Amenities

The town has a hotel motel and a community hall.

Popular culture

Muckadilla is one of the towns listed in the first verse of ''

I've Been Everywhere Ive or IVE may refer to: Music * Ive (group), a South Korean girl group * I've Sound (aka "I've"), a Japanese musical group People * Ive (given name), a Croatian and Slovenian given name * Bert Ive (1875–1939), British-born Australian cinema ...

''.

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Queensland Maranoa Region Hot springs of Australia Localities in Queensland Western railway line, Queensland