Marian, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids MarianQueensland |
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Pioneer River at the Marian Sugar Mill in the Mackay district, circa 1915
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 Marian
Location in Queensland
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| Population | 3,903 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 47.08/km2 (121.9/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4753 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 82.9 km2 (32.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Mackay Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mirani | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Capricornia | ||||||||||||||
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Marian is a rural town and locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Marian had a population of 3,903 people.
Geography
The town is located on the south bank of the Pioneer River approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) west of Mackay. The river forms part of the northern boundary. In the east is Mount Vince which remains vegetated. Surrounding the town is farmland, mostly growing sugar cane, which is serviced by a network of rail lines. These lines lead to the Marian Mill which was constructed in 1885.
History
The town name Marian comes from the name of the (now closed) Marian railway station, which in turn reportedly derived its name from a local property called Mary Ann.
Marian Mill Post Office opened by 1 January 1909 (a receiving office had been open from 1886) and was renamed Marian in 1910.
In December 1882, Helen Porter Mitchell (later Dame Nellie Melba) married Charles Armstrong, the manager of the Marian Sugar Mill. A house was built for them beside the mill. It was not a happy marriage as they separated in December 1883. Their home was later relocated to a riverbank location on Eungella Road in Edward Lloyd Park two kilometres from the centre of Marian and named Melba House. It serves as a museum to Nellie Melba and as the Pioneer Valley Visitor Information Centre.
The Marian Mill Provisional School opened on 15 November 1886. In 1899 it became the Marian State School.
Economy
Mackay Sugar operates the Marian sugar mill where over 2 million tonnes of sugar is crushed every year, making it one of the largest sugar mills in Australia.
Marian was one of the many towns across Central Queensland that were affected by the mining boom in Central Queensland. During this time the Nabilla Riverlink Estate was developed in Marian, and now holds a large portion of Marian’s population.
Education
Marian State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 137 Anzac Avenue (21°08′43″S 148°57′31″E / 21.1454°S 148.9585°E). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 564 students with 42 teachers (38 full-time equivalent) and 34 non-teaching staff (18 full-time equivalent).
Pioneer Valley Cluster Special Education Program is a primary and secondary (Prep-12) special education program operated from the Marian State School.
