Arrilalah Explained

Type:town
Arrilalah
City:Longreach
State:qld
Coordinates:-23.6806°N 143.8828°W
Postcode:4730
Lga:Longreach Region
Dist1:51.2
Dir1:SW
Location1:Longreach
Dist2:467
Dir2:W
Location2:Emerald
Dist3:738
Dir3:W
Location3:Rockhampton
Dist4:1230
Dir4:NW
Location4:Brisbane

Arrilalah is a ghost town in the locality of Longreach in the Longreach Region of Western Queensland, Australia.[1]

History

The site was originally settled in the 1860s with the name "Forest Grove", but the name was changed to Arrilalah, a word with an uncertain origin, in 1885. The town began a long decline when the railway bypassed it, instead connecting to the nearby town of Longreach.[2]

Arrilalah Provisional School opened circa 1889 and closed in 1906 due to low attendances.

By the 1980s, there were no permanent inhabitants remaining. The local cemetery was rededicated in 2010, and was the site of approximately forty burials.

Notes and References

  1. 22 July 2022.
  2. Web site: Harris . Julia . September 2010 . Ghost town cemetery revisited . 5 November 2017 . ABC News.