McDesme, Queensland

McDesme is a rural locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2016 census McDesme had a population of 277 people.[1]

McDesme
Queensland
McDesme
Coordinates19.62°S 147.3986°E / -19.62; 147.3986 (McDesme (centre of locality))
Population277 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density10.91/km2 (28.25/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4807
Area25.4 km2 (9.8 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)Shire of Burdekin
State electorate(s)Burdekin
Federal Division(s)Dawson
Suburbs around McDesme:
Brandon Ayr Jarvisfield
Airville McDesme Jarvisfield
Airville Home Hill Carstairs

Geography

The locality is bounded to the south by the Burdekin River.[3]

There are three neighbourhoods in the locality:

The North Coast railway line enters the locality from the south (Home Hill across the river via the Burdekin Bridge) and exits to the north (Ayr).[3] There are three now-abandoned railway stations on the line within the locality:

History

All three neighbourhoods take their name from a railway station. The Marali railway station was named on 9 November 1917. Marali is an Aboriginal word meaning tomorrow.[6]

McDesme Provisional School opened on 1905. On 1 January 1909 it became McDesme State School. It closed circa 1964.[9]

The Inkerman Bridge across the Burdekin River to Home Hill officially opened on 8 September 1913.[10] The bridge carried the North Coast railway line. As the nearest road bridge across the river was 37 miles (60 km) upstream, a low-level road bridge was built across the river (19.6283°S 147.4044°E / -19.6283; 147.4044 (Former road bridge)) in 1929 and was completed in January 1930 and within two weeks was 3 feet (0.91 m) under water due to the river flooding.[11][12][13][14] Due to the frequent flooding of the river, the rail and road bridges were often closed or damaged, leading to the decision to build a single higher-level road-and-rail bridge.[15][16] Due to the lack of rock in the sandy soil to use as foundations, for many years it was not believed possible to build a high-level bridge across the Burdekin River. However, by copying construction techniques used in India for sand-footing bridges, work began on the Burdekin Bridge (also known as the Silver Link) in April 1947 but it was not operational until 27 March 1957. The new bridge was 100 metres (330 ft) upstream of the Inkerman Bridge.[17] The Burdekin Bridge officially opened on 15 June 1957.[18][19] At 1,097 metres (3,599 ft), the Burdekin Bridge is one of the longest multi-span bridges in Australia and the only one in Australia without a firm footing.[20] Some pylons of the Inkerman Bridge are still visible.[21]

In the 2016 census McDesme had a population of 277 people.[1]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "McDesme (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "McDesme – locality in Shire of Burdekin (entry 42294)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  3. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  4. "Macdesme – locality unbounded in Shire of Burdekin (entry 39285)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  5. "Katoora – locality unbounded in Shire of Burdekin (entry 17805)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  6. "Marali – locality unbounded in Shire of Burdekin (entry 39286)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  7. "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  8. "Ayr" (Map). Queensland Government. 1942. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  9. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  10. "North Coast Railway Line". Townsville Daily Bulletin. XXX (9623). Queensland, Australia. 10 September 1913. p. 6. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "A Traffic Bridge". The Northern Herald. L (651). Queensland, Australia. 23 September 1925. p. 35. Retrieved 14 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Traffic Bridge OVer Burdekin River". Bowen Independent. 24 (2019). Queensland, Australia. 6 November 1928. p. 3. Retrieved 14 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Roads Commission". Toowoomba Chronicle And Darling Downs Gazette. LXIX (13). Queensland, Australia. 15 January 1930. p. 4. Retrieved 14 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "The Crossing of the Burdekin River". The Queenslander. Queensland, Australia. 16 January 1930. p. 29. Retrieved 14 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "Home Hill". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 14 March 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  16. "Chronological History of Flooding 1857-2010" (PDF). Harden Up. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  17. "New Queensland Bridge". Western Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 19 April 1957. p. 4. Archived from the original on 13 January 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. "Burdekin Bridge". Monument Australia. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  19. Denyer, Winsome (20 November 2008). "Memories from the Burdekin Bridge". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  20. Wensley, Penelope (5 October 2010). "Engineering Heritage National Landmark Award to the Burdekin River Bridge". Government House, Queensland. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  21. Google (14 January 2021). "Inkerman Bridge (remnants)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
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