Bakers Creek, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bakers Creek Queensland
Bakers Creek Location in Queensland
Population	1,161 (2016 census locality)
• Density	56.36/km2 (146.0/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4740
Area	20.6 km2 (8.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	8 km (5 mi) S of Mackay
LGA(s)	Mackay Region
State electorate(s)	Mirani
Federal Division(s)	Capricornia
Localities around Bakers Creek: Racecourse Ooralea Paget Te Kowai Bakers Creek Coral Sea Sandiford Rosella McEwens Beach

Bakers Creek is a rural town and coastal locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Bakers Creek had a population of 1,161 people.

Geography

Bakers Creek is located 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Mackay on the Bruce Highway. The Bakers Creek watercourse runs through the township.

At the 2006 census, Bakers Creek had a population of 770.

History

The locality was named after the creek, which in turn was named after John T. Baker, a customs officer in Mackay in 1863.

Dundula State School opened on 28 August 1922 with 37 children enrolled on the first day, with 45 enrolled by the end of 1922. The first headmaster was Courtney Hoffman.

Bakers Creek Post Office opened on 1 July 1927 (a receiving office had been open since 1909) and closed in 1979.

In 1943, a USAAF aircraft crashed in the locality, killing 40 of the 41 people on board. The Bakers Creek air crash is Australia's worst aviation disaster by death toll. A memorial to the disaster was built in 1981 and is located in the grounds of the Bakers Creek Community Hall.

Economy

The main industry is a large meat processing plant operated by Thomas Borthwick & Sons (Aust) Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of NH Foods. Cattle are obtained from the Central Highlands and Coalfields through to the Atherton Tablelands, North Western Districts onto the Gulf of Carpentaria. The plants supplies the domestic market as well as export markets including Chin Europe Union, Japan, the Middle East, and the United States of America. The plant is certified to produce halal meat.

Education

Dundula State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 1 Main Street (21°12′06″S 149°08′55″E / 21.2016°S 149.1487°E / -21.2016; 149.1487 (Dundula State School)). In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 48 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 8 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 68 students with 5 teachers (4 full-time equivalent) and 10 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent).