El Arish, Queensland

El Arish is a small town and locality in the Cassowary Coast Region of Queensland, Australia.[3][4]

El Arish
Queensland
El Arish Tavern, 2016
El Arish
Coordinates17°48′S 146°00′E
Population442 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s)4855
Elevation20 m (66 ft)
Location
LGA(s)Cassowary Coast Region
CountyCounty of Nares
ParishParish of Hull[2]
State electorate(s)Hill
Federal Division(s)Kennedy
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
? ? 3,648.9 mm
143.7 in
Localities around El Arish:
Jaffa Jaffa Daveson
Shell Pocket El Arish Maria Creeks
Maadi Friday Pocket Granadilla

History

The town is named after the city of Arish in Egypt where the Australian Light Horse saw action in December 1916 and which was later developed as a major base area with an allied hospital.[3][4]

Soldiers settlement home at El Arish, around 1920

The town was founded in 1921 as a soldier settlement area. Many of the streets were named after high-ranking officers, including:[5]

And some were named after general veterans such as:

  • Francis Martin Street after Francis Paxton Martin who set up some soldier settlements in El Arish in the 1920s.

The El Arish War Memorial is located on the south-west corner of Monash and Ryrie Streets (17.806332°S 146.004821°E / -17.806332; 146.004821 (El Arish War Memorial)).[6]

The Maria Creek State School opened on 13 May 1922; it was renamed El Arish State School in 1925.[7][8]

El Arish Post Office opened by 1926 (a receiving office had been open from 1921).[9]

El Arish Tavern was established in 1927.[10]

The area was later settled by Italian Australians who worked in the sugar cane fields.

At the 2006 census El Arish had a population of 232.[11]

The town was hit by Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi in February 2011.[12]

In the 2011 census El Arish had a population of 442 people.[1]

Heritage listings

Heritage-listed places in El Arish include:[10]

  • the former El Arish railway station, now the El Arish History Station, which houses a small soldier settlement and local history museum collection. There is a social morning tea held in the museum almost every Friday of the year at 9am, and visitors are welcome. A donation of $2 is requested from attendees.
  • the El Arish Tavern.
  • the El Arish RSL Memorial Hall. The hall has been maintained by local volunteers since 1930.

Economy

Today, the area is home to a large sugar cane industry and banana plantations.[12]

Education

El Arish State School is a government primary (P-7) school located at 28 Chauvel Street (17.80779°S 146.002822°E / -17.80779; 146.002822 (El Arish State School)).[13]

Amenities
Former El Arish railway station, 2016
RSL Memorial Hall, 2016

The El Arish Country Golf Club has a 9-hole course and is located on Golf Course Road (17.81007°S 146.00377°E / -17.81007; 146.00377 (El Arish Country Golf Club)).[14]

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church is at Glasgow Street. It is within the Silkwood Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.[15]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "El Arish (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  2. "Parish of Hull in the County of Nares". Brisbane: Survey Office. 1984. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
  3. "El Arish (town) (entry 11421)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  4. "El Arish (locality) (entry 45670)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  5. "El Arish". Destinations. Cassowary Coast Regional Council. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  6. "El Arish War Memorial". Monument Australia. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  7. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  8. "Agency ID 5190, El Arish State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  9. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  10. "Local Heritage Places" (PDF). Cassowary Coast Regional Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 August 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  11. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "El Arish (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
  12. Koch, Tony (5 February 2011). "To El Arish, the worst in memory". The Australian. Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  13. "Queensland State and Non-State Schools". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  14. "El Arish Country Golf Club". World Golf. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
  15. "Silkwood Parish". Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.

Further reading
  • Rea, Malcolm M; Australia. Postmaster-General's Department (1967), El Arish, Public Relations Section, P.M.G.'s Dept
  • "El Arish". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
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