Biggenden Explained

Type:town
Biggenden
State:qld
Coordinates:-25.5113°N 152.0461°W
Pop:788
Established:1889
Postcode:4621
Area:218.6
Timezone:AEST
Utc:+10:00
Dist1:46.2
Dir1:SW
Location1:Childers
Dist2:64.3
Dir2:ENE
Location2:Gayndah
Dist3:84.7
Dir3:W
Location3:Maryborough
Dist4:331
Dir4:NNW
Location4:Brisbane
Lga:North Burnett Region
Stategov:Callide
Fedgov:Hinkler
Near-N:Degilbo
Near-Ne:Woowoonga
Near-E:Lakeside
Near-Se:Boompa
Near-S:Stockhaven
Near-Sw:Dundarrah
Near-W:Coalstoun Lakes
Near-Nw:Didcot

Biggenden is a rural town and locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.[1] [2] In the, the locality of Biggenden had a population of 788 people.

Geography

Biggenden is on the Isis Highway 287km (178miles) north-west of the state capital Brisbane, and 85km (53miles) west of Maryborough.

History

The name is derived from the Kabi word bigindhan meaning a place of stringybark.[1] [2]

Biggenden was founded in 1889 as a service centre to the short-lived goldrush towns of Paradise and Shamrock; and for coach passengers travelling west from Maryborough. The township, including the intriguingly named Live And Let Live Inn, moved to a new location alongside the railway station when the rail line arrived in 1891. Biggenden Post Office opened on 16 May 1891.[3] Biggenden Provisional school opened on 9 May 1892 becoming Biggenden State School in 1900. In January 1953, the school experimented with offering high school subjects by correspondence. In 1958, a secondary school section was added.[4]

The Biggenden Methodist Church opened on Monday 23 May 1910.[5] In 1939, a church hall was established, using the Methodist Church building established in Woowoonga in 1919, which had formerly been the Methodist church in Mount Perry, built in 1872.[6] [7] [8] [9] In 1977 through the amalgamation that created the Uniting Church in Australia, it became Biggenden Uniting Church.[10]

In June 1926, a meeting of local women decided to establish a branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association.[11] In October 1928, the Biggenden branch's building was officially opened by J.C. Robertson, chairman of the Degilbo Shire Council.[12]

The Mt Biggenden mine provided employment to the local community for over a hundred years, before its magnetite iron ore operation closed in 1999.[13]

Demographics

In the, Biggenden had a population of 682 people.

In the, the locality of Biggenden had a population of 845 people.

In the, the locality of Biggenden had a population of 788 people.

Economy

Primary production is the most significant industry in the shire with beef and dairy cattle being predominant.[14] Other agricultural pursuits include grain crops, piggeries, peanuts, citrus and timber. The area is also rich in minerals.

Biggenden Mine is located eight kilometres out of town off Ban Ban Springs Road. Gold, bismuth and more recently magnetite have been extracted from the mine. The township is also close to Coalstoun Lakes National Park and Mount Walsh National Park.

Paradise Dam

In November 2005, the Queensland Government opened the Paradise Dam, about 30 minutes north-west of Biggenden, on the Burnett River. The 300,000ML dam, which submerges the former gold mining town of the same name, is touted as securing the future of the nearby Bundaberg and Childers region, although no water will be available for residents of the Biggenden area. However, more than 400 jobs were created during its construction and the dam site is proving to be one of the shire's largest tourist attraction.[15] Artefacts and buildings removed from Paradise before the dam wall was built are now on display by the Biggenden Historical Society, which operates from the relocated Paradise courthouse.[16]

Education

Biggenden State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at 3-9 Frederick Street (-25.5107°N 152.0474°W).[17] [18] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 143 students with 18 teachers (16 full-time equivalent) and 12 non-teaching staff (8 full-time equivalent).[19]

The nearest government secondary schools providing education to Year 12 are Burnett State College in Gayndah to the west and Isis District State High School in Childers to the north-east.[20]

Heritage listings

Biggenden has a number of heritage-listed sites:

Amenities

Biggenden has a public library, swimming pool, bowling and golf club, memorial hall and showground.

The North Burnett Regional Council operates the Biggenden Library, located at 47 Edward Street, Biggenden.[22]

The Biggenden branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall at 32 Edward Street.[23]

Biggenden Uniting Church is at 32 George Street .[24] [25] [26]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. 2 August 2019.
  2. 2 August 2019.
  3. Web site: Phoenix Auctions History . Post Office List . Phoenix Auctions . 21 March 2021 . 31 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220531093201/http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=QLD&filter=%2ABiggenden%2A . live .
  4. Web site: 2020-02-07 . History . 2023-11-17 . Biggenden State School . en . 24 October 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231024070455/https://biggendenss.eq.edu.au/our-school/history . live .
  5. News: 26 May 1910 . Methodist Church at Biggenden. . 4 . . 16,340 . Queensland, Australia . 12 March 2023 . National Library of Australia.
  6. News: 5 March 1920 . METHODIST CHURCH. . 27 March 2024 . . Queensland, Australia . 5 . National Library of Australia . 5456.
  7. Web site: Woowoonga Methodist Church Woowoonga . 2024-03-27 . Queensland Religious Places Database.
  8. News: 6 October 1939 . BIGGENDEN METHODIST YOUNG PEOPLE'S HALL . 27 March 2024 . . Queensland, Australia . 2 . National Library of Australia . 21,187.
  9. News: 27 July 1872 . (From the Rockhampton Bulletin.) . 29 March 2024 . . Queensland, Australia . 2 . National Library of Australia . 1244.
  10. Web site: Blake . Thom . Biggenden Methodist Church . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230311110512/https://www.thomblake.com.au/qc_new/view_p_n.php?id=2775 . 11 March 2023 . 2023-03-12 . Queensland religious places database.
  11. News: 14 June 1926 . BIGGENDEN C.W.A. . 4 . . 17,615 . Queensland, Australia . 18 November 2023 . National Library of Australia.
  12. News: Untitled. 13 October 1928. The Brisbane Courier. 1 January 2019. 22,064. Queensland, Australia. 11. National Library of Australia. 31 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220531093209/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21333023. live.
  13. Web site: 2021-02-19 . A history of some mines of the Biggenden District State Library Of Queensland . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210519020020/https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/history-some-mines-biggenden-district . 19 May 2021 . 2021-05-19 . www.slq.qld.gov.au . en.
  14. News: Biggenden is really booming . 19 April 2014 . 9 December 2010 . Fraser Coast Chronicle . The Maryborough Hervey Bay Newspaper Company . 19 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140419132742/http://www.frasercoastchronicle.com.au/news/biggenden-is-really-booming-real-estate-sale-/717626/ . live .
  15. Web site: Burnett Water . Paradise Dam Information Archive . Sunwater . 2007-07-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070830104146/http://www.sunwater.com.au/burnettwater_paradisedam.htm . 30 August 2007 . dead . dmy .
  16. Web site: Biggenden Historical Museum - The North Burnett . 2024-03-28 . northburnett.org.
  17. Web site: 9 July 2018 . State and non-state school details . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20181121065959/https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997 . 21 November 2018 . 21 November 2018 . Queensland Government.
  18. Web site: Biggenden State School . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210303210528/https://biggendenss.eq.edu.au/ . 3 March 2021 . 21 March 2021.
  19. Web site: ACARA School Profile 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20181122010027/http://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-20172c7b12404c94637ead88ff00003e0139.xlsx?sfvrsn=0 . 22 November 2018 . 22 November 2018.
  20. Web site: Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments . 17 November 2023 . Queensland Globe . . 19 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ . live .
  21. Web site: North Burnett Local Heritage Register . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190816031644/https://www.northburnett.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Local-Heritage-Register2.pdf . 16 August 2019 . 16 August 2019 . North Burnett Regional Council.
  22. Web site: Biggenden Library. Public Libraries Connect. 31 January 2018. 31 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180131140847/http://www.plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au/networking/directory-of-public-libraries/branches/north_burnett/biggenden_library. live.
  23. Web site: Branch Locations. Queensland Country Women's Association. https://web.archive.org/web/20181226010724/http://www.qcwa.org.au/branch-locations/. 26 December 2018. 26 December 2018. dead.
  24. Web site: Biggenden Uniting Church. live. 2021-05-22. Isis Congregations. https://web.archive.org/web/20170221004408/http://www.isisunitingchurch.org.au/?page_id=63 . 21 February 2017 .
  25. Web site: Biggenden Uniting Church. live. 2021-05-22. Churches Australia. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210522071330/https://www.churchesaustralia.org/list-of-churches/denominations/uniting-church-in-australia/directory/766-biggenden-uniting-church . 22 May 2021 .
  26. Web site: Find a church. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201024234524/https://ucaqld.com.au/find-a-church/. 24 October 2020. 2021-05-06. Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod. en-AU.

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