Silkwood, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SilkwoodQueensland |
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National Australia Bank building, Silkwood, 2008
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 Silkwood
Location in Queensland
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| Population | 407 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 17.85/km2 (46.2/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4856 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 22.8 km2 (8.8 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Cassowary Coast Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Hill | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Kennedy | ||||||||||||||
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Silkwood is a small town and area in the Cassowary Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. It's a rural place, meaning it's mostly countryside with farms. In 2021, about 407 people lived in Silkwood.
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Where is Silkwood Located?
Silkwood is found in Queensland, Australia. It sits on the Bruce Highway, which is a major road. The town is about halfway between two other towns, Tully and Innisfail.
The land in Silkwood is mostly flat and sits about 10 metres above sea level. A lot of this land is used for farming, especially for growing sugarcane. A creek called Liverpool Creek forms the north-western edge of the area. This creek flows east towards the Coral Sea.
The main part of Silkwood town is in the middle of the area. The Bruce Highway runs north and south just east of the town. A railway line, the North Coast railway line, also goes through the town. Silkwood has its own train stop called Silkwood railway station.
A Look at Silkwood's Past
The town of Silkwood got its name from a house owned by A. J. Daveson. The name also refers to a type of wood found in the area.
Silkwood State School first opened its doors on 28 August 1916.
In the 1940s, many people from Italy came to live in Silkwood. They helped the town grow.
A Roman Catholic church, dedicated to St John the Evangelist, was started in Silkwood. Its foundation stone was laid on 15 December 1940. The church was officially opened and blessed on 3 August 1941. Priests from different religious groups, like the Scalabrinians and Augustinians, served at this church. The Silkwood church area became its own parish in 1946.
St John's Catholic School was started by Father Alfred Natali and the Missionary Franciscan Sisters. It opened on 2 February 1948. Most of the first students were from Italian families who worked in the local sugarcane farms. The Sisters stopped teaching at the school in 1987, and regular teachers took over.
Who Lives in Silkwood?
In 2016, there were 391 people living in Silkwood. By 2021, the population had grown slightly to 407 people.
Schools in Silkwood
Silkwood has two primary schools for children:
Silkwood State School
Silkwood State School is a government school for students from Prep (the first year of school) to Year 6. It teaches both boys and girls. In 2018, the school had 62 students. They were taught by 6 teachers.
St John's School
St John's School is a Catholic primary school, also for students from Prep to Year 6. It is run by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns. In 2018, this school had 67 students and 9 teachers.
For high school, students from Silkwood usually go to schools in nearby towns like Innisfail or Tully.
Places to Visit and Things to Do
Silkwood Castle
Silkwood Castle is a unique building at 18 Margaret Street. An engineer named John Nielsen started building it in 2009 after he retired. He wanted to create something different. People have said it looks like something from a "Disney fairytale" or even a "mosque." He worked on it for many years until he passed away.
Smallest Bank Building
The old National Australia Bank building in Silkwood is said to be the smallest bank building in all of Australia! It opened in the 1930s and was a working bank until 1999. Today, it's a small museum where you can learn about its history.
Fun Events in Silkwood
Feast of the Three Saints
Every year, on the first Sunday of May, Silkwood celebrates the Feast of the Three Saints. These saints are St Alfio, St Filadelfo, and St Cerino.
The tradition started in 1939. A local woman named Alfia Tornabene became very sick after having her baby. Her husband, Rosario, had a dream where the three saints told him his wife would get better. Rosario promised that if she recovered, he would bring statues of the saints from Sicily to Silkwood. Alfia did recover!
In 1947-1948, Rosario arranged for an artist in Sicily to carve the statues from cherry trees. These statues were copies of ones in a church in Sicily. The first time the feast was celebrated in Silkwood was in 1950.
Today, the festival usually includes a special church service, a parade with the statues through the streets, music, dancing, and fireworks. It's a big celebration for the community!
