Augathella

Augathella lies on the Matilda Highway, is 85 kilometres (53 mi) north of the town of Charleville, 271 kilometres (168 mi) west of Roma and 748 kilometres (465 mi) west of Brisbane (Queensland's capital). The town lies on the banks of the Warrego River.

Bidjara (also known as Bidyara, Pitjara, and Peechara) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Bidjara people. The Bidjara language region includes the local government areas of the Shire of Murweh, particularly the towns of Charleville, Augathella and Blackall as well as the properties of Nive Downs and Mount Tabor.[4]

Gungabula (also known as Kongabula and Khungabula) is an Australian Aboriginal language of the headwaters of the Dawson River in Central Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of Maranoa Region, particularly the towns of Charleville, Augathella and Blackall and as well as the Carnarvon Range.[5]

Gunya (Kunya, Kunja, Kurnja) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Gunya people. The Gunya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Paroo Shire Council, taking in Cunnamulla and extending north towards Augathella, east towards Bollon and west towards Thargomindah.[6]

The town, built up gradually over what was Kunja tribal territory, came into being initially as a resting place for bullock teams lying at the convergence of three bullock tracks from Morven, Tambo, and Charleville. Originally called Burenda it was renamed Ellangowan (still the name of the local watering hole) and when gazetted in 1883 called Augathella. This is apparently an Indigenous Australian word meaning "camp on a waterhole", referring the Warrego River.[2][7] A service centre sprang up to service their needs and the needs of the burgeoning grazing industry.

Burenda Post Office opened on 1 September 1869. It was renamed Ellangowan in 1877 and Augathella in 1883.[8]

Augathella Provisional School opened on 1 January 1884. On 7 August 1893 it became Augathella State School.[9][10]

On Sunday 10 July 1892 St Luke's Anglican church was officially opened by Bishop Nathaniel Dawes.[11][12] A new church was built at a cost of £8300 and dedicated in 1957.[13]

On 1 October 1928 Rev W.C. Radcliffe officially opened the Augathella Presbyterian Church.[14]

The 1956 film Smiley was based on Moore Raymond's novel of the same name, which was set in a fictionalised version of Augathella.[15][16]

Augathella and the surrounding district suffered extensive flood damage in 1990 when the Warrego River burst its banks and flooded the town.

The Augathella Library opened in 2000.[17]

At the 2006 census, Augathella had a population of 395.[18]

There are a number of heritage-listed sites in Augathella, including:

Within the town:

• Annie Street: Catholic Church [19]
• Annie Street: Catholic School [19]
• Cavanagh Street: Hospital [19]
• Cavanagh Street: Queensland Country Women's Association [19]
• Elmes Street: Rodeo Grounds [19]
• Forest Street: Augathella Water Tower [19]
• Jane Street (corner of Cavanagh Street): Kenniff Tree [19]
• Main Street: Arts and Craft Centre (former Helton's Building) [19]
• Main Street: Butcher shop [19]
• Main Street: Police station [19]
• Main Street: Post office [19]
• Main Street: Town hall [19]
• Main Street: War Memorial Hill [19]
• Main & Annie Streets: Ellangowan Hotel [19]
• 61 Main Street: St Luke's Anglican Church [19]
• Nelson Street: Old Water Tower [19]
• off Russell Street: Cemetery [19]
• off West Street: Augathella Race Course [19]

Within the locality:

• Carnarvon Station: Fig Tree Spring Stockyards [19]
• Dooloogarah Carnarvon National Park Road: Ralph's Bore & Upper Warrego Police Barracks site [19]
• Mount Tabor: Dingo Fence Section [19]

The Murweh Shire Council operates the Augathella Library on Main Street, Augathella.[20] The Augathella Library has a high-speed ISDN Internet Connection (powered by the National Broadband Network) to Brisbane.

The Augathella branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 101 Cavanagh Street.[21]

St Luke's Anglican Church is at 61 Main Street (25.7948°S 146.585477°E / -25.7948; 146.585477 (St Luke's Anglican Church)) and holds services on the 2nd Sunday of each month.[22]

Augathella is situated on the junction of the Landsborough Highway and the Mitchell Highway. Augathella is served by Bus Queensland who operates a daily service between Brisbane and Mount Isa.

The school caters for students from Prep to Year 6.[23] A bus service conveys students from Year 7 to Year 12 into Charleville to attend Charleville State High School.[24]

Augathella State School is part of Education Queensland's Charleville Cluster and is supported by the Darling Downs South West regional team which is based in Toowoomba.[25]

Augathella Cosmos Meatant Country

Smiley film mural

The town's service centre was bypassed by the new Matilda Highway during the 1980s. Some new businesses have slowly encroached back onto the highway frontage. There is a growing arts centre in the town, public library, public swimming pool, a bowls club and there is an annual rodeo. Augathella has some polocrosse teams.

Today, grazing is still the predominant industry of the area. The town is situated on the Warrego River (an Aboriginal word meaning river of sand).

Since 2011 the entrance the town has been marked by 4.5m steel and copper giant sculpture of a meat ant[26] - in a reference to its former junior football team, named the "Mighty Meat Ants".[27]

Augathella is the permanent home of the Q150 Shed that travelled around the state in 2009 as part of the Q150 Celebrations providing each community it visited a night of entertainment. Communities toured included: Mount Isa, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Maryborough, Blackall, Augathella, Cherbourg, Warwick, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.[28]

Augathella is the destination of cattle drovers in the Australian folk song Brisbane Ladies. This song is alternately called "Augathella Station".[29]

Media related to Augathella, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons

• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Augathella