Murray, Queensland Explained

Type:suburb
Murray
City:Townsville
State:qld
Coordinates:-19.3352°N 146.7908°W
Pop:1739
Postcode:4814
Area:12.1
Timezone:AEST
Utc:+10:00
Lga:City of Townsville
Stategov:Mundingburra
Fedgov:Herbert
Fedgov2:Dawson
Fedgov3:Kennedy
Near-N:Annandale
Near-Ne:Wulguru
Near-E:Roseneath
Near-Se:Roseneath
Near-S:Mount Stuart
Near-Sw:Mount Stuart
Near-W:Douglas
Near-Nw:Annandale

Murray is a suburb of Townsville in the City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia.[1] It is not a conventional suburb, with the developed land in the suburb being within the Australian Army's Lavarack Barracks. In the, Murray had a population of 1,739 people.

Geography

The suburb is bounded by University Road to the north.

The southern parts of the suburb are on the slopes of Mount Stuart and are undeveloped. The northern part of the suburb is occupied by the Lavarack Barracks.

History

Murray is situated in the traditional Wulgurukaba Aboriginal country.[2]

The origin of the suburb name is from Lieutenant Colonel Henry William Murray who was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1917 for his actions during the Battle of the Somme.

On 21 July 1939, with the Second World War looming, Murray volunteered for military service and was appointed as commanding officer of the 26th (Militia) Battalion, 11th Brigade, based in Townsville; he was mobilised for full-time service on 21 October 1941.[3] The 26th became an Australian Imperial Force unit in 1942, and in August Murray was removed from his post by General Sir Thomas Blamey, Commander in Chief Australian Military Forces, on the grounds of his advancing age. He was instead appointed to command the 23rd Queensland Regiment, Volunteer Defence Corps, which he led until his retirement from active duty on 8 February 1944.[4]

The suburb was named after Murray on 1 April 1969.

In 1972, the Lavarack Golf Club opened at the barracks on land leased from Australian Department of Defence .[5] It was an 18-hole course and open to membership by the wider community. In December 2021, the golf club closed as the Department of Defence did not wish to renew the lease as it intended to redevelop the land as sporting and training facilities for defence force use.[6] [7]

Demographics

In the, Murray had a population of 1,491 people.

In the, Murray had a population of 1,739 people.

Education

There are no schools in Murray. The nearest government primary schools are Annandale State School in neighbouring Annandale to the north and Wulguru State School in neighbouring Wulguru to the north-east. The nearest government secondary school is William Ross State High School in neighbouring Annandale to the north.

Notes and References

  1. 29 December 2020.
  2. Web site: Traditional Landowners - History and Heritage. 25 June 2020. 27 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200327215751/https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-townsville/history-and-heritage/townsville-history/traditional-landowners. live.
  3. Book: Franki. George. Slatyer. Clyde. 2003. Mad Harry: Australia's Most Decorated Soldier. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Kangaroo Press. 0-7318-1188-7 . 164–165.
  4. Web site: Murray, Henry William. 7 August 2008. World War II Nominal Roll. Commonwealth of Australia. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061533/http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=A&veteranId=371686. live.
  5. Web site: Lavarack Golf Club. 2022-02-08. Golf Australia. 19 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210419101927/https://www.golf.org.au/lavarack-golf-club/. live.
  6. Web site: North Qld Lavarack Golf Club closes doors for good. 2022-02-08. Golf Industry Central. en-AU. 30 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211230002346/https://www.golfindustrycentral.com.au/golf-industry-news/north-qld-lavarack-golf-club-closes-doors-for-good/. live.
  7. News: Chomicki. Chloe. 2021-08-25. Defence putting mental health at risk by closing army golf club, veterans say. en-AU. ABC News. 2022-02-08. 5 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220205144743/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-25/defence-kicks-veterans-out-of-army-golf-club-after-50-years/100401804. live.