Waterloo is a rural

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 , Waterloo had a population of 171 people.

Geography

The northwest of the locality is in the Littabella National Park which extends into neighbouring Rosedale and Monduran. A small part of southwest of the locality is in the Monduran State Forest which extends into Monduran.

History

The locality of Waterloo was named for Waterloo Plantation, selected by Christian Thygesen, a Danish sugar boiler who had previously worked for Sharon, Pemberton, and Windsor sugar mills in the

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 ...

district. By early 1895, Thygesen had selected a large area of land in the Littabella area, naming it "Waterloo" . He entered into partnership with farmer Adam Pringle with the intention of establishing a sugar mill on the site . Thygesen planted

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fib ...

and travelled approximately 600 kilometres south to the

Richmond River The Richmond River is a river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may ...

district in northern New South Wales to inspect suitable machinery for the mill. He purchased a small mill there, had it dismantled, and transported it to Waterloo for reassembly. The first raw sugar produced from Waterloo was sold to Millaquin Mill in June 1895. The Waterloo mill operated for approximately eleven years under Christian Thygesen before it was sold . Waterloo State School opened circa 1937 and closed in 1955. It was on Waterloo Hall Road ().

Community Facilities

A central landmark of the locality is the Waterloo Hall, a public hall constructed in 1911. The construction was driven by the local Waterloo public hall committee with the support of Waterloo Ltd. The company offered a lease of land for a renewable term of 25 years, contributing £20 and clearing the land at their own expense . The Waterloo Hall was officially opened on 10 June 1911, an event commemorated with a community ball . Over the decades, the hall has served as an important venue for the district, hosting evenings ranging from social gatherings and celebrations, to farewells for servicemen heading to war. It continues to function as a hub for Waterloo community life, hosting community barbecues, weddings, markets, cultural celebrations, and other local events .

Demographics

In the , Waterloo had a population of 145 people. In the , Waterloo had a population of 171 people.

Education

There are no schools in Waterloo. The nearest government primary schools are Yandaran State School in neighbouring Yandaran to the east and Winfield State School in Winfield to the north. The nearest government secondary schools are Rosedale State School in neighbouring Rosedale to the north-west, Bundaberg North State High School in Bundaberg North to the south-east, and Gin Gin State High School in Gin Gin to the south.

References

{{Bundaberg Region Bundaberg Region Localities in Queensland