Isisford, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids IsisfordQueensland |
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Main street of Isisford
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Population | 218 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 0.02075/km2 (0.0537/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 4731 | ||||||||||||||
Elevation | 202 m (663 ft) | ||||||||||||||
Area | 10,506.8 km2 (4,056.7 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
Location |
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LGA(s) | Longreach Region | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Gregory | ||||||||||||||
Federal Division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
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Isisford is a rural town and locality in the Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Isisford had a population of 218 people.
Geography
Isiford is located on the Barcoo River, and is approximately 120 kilometres (75 mi) south east of the town of Longreach.
Small sections of both Idalia National Park and Welford National Park are located within the boundary of the town.
History
The first European in the area was the explorer Thomas Mitchell, who travelled through the area in 1846. Settlers followed and established a township in the 1870s. In the late 1870s, the town was named after a nearby ford on the Barcoo, and because the Isis Downs property was in proximity to it.
In 1878, the town was surveyed. A post office and telegraph line were operating by 1881. Isis Downs Post Office opened on 1 June 1868, was replaced by the Wittown office in 1876 which was renamed Isisford in 1878. In the following years the town progressed with the growth of the pastoral industry.
Isisford State School opened on 19 October,1881.
In September 1956, a deliberately lit fire at the Isisford Hotel resulted in the deaths of a mother and her child.
In the mid-1990s, the first fossils of Isisfordia, an extinct genus of crocodile-like animals, was discovered in a dry creek close to the town. The discovery was made by the town's former Deputy Mayor, Ian Duncan, after which the new species was named.
Facilities
Isisford has a public library, swimming pool and visitor information centre
Heritage listings
Isisford has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Isisford-Blackall Road: Isis Downs Woolshed
Education
Isisford State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 14 St Helena Street (24°15′37″S 144°26′22″E / 24.2602°S 144.4395°E). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 9 students with 2 teachers and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).
There is no secondary school in Isisford. The nearest government secondary schools are in Longreach and Blackall but are sufficiently distant that distance education and boarding school would be alternatives.