Mungindi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mungindi New South Wales
Main street
Mungindi Location in New South Wales
Population	611 (2021 census)
Postcode(s)	2406
Location	738 km (459 mi) NW of Sydney 511 km (318 mi) WSW of Brisbane 133 km (83 mi) S of St George 122 km (76 mi) NW of Moree
LGA(s)	Moree Plains Shire (NSW) Balonne Shire (QLD) Goondiwindi Region (QLD)
County	Benarba (NSW) Belmore (QLD)
State electorate(s)	Northern Tablelands (NSW) Warrego (QLD)
Federal Division(s)	Parkes (NSW) Maranoa (QLD)
Localities around Mungindi: Dirranbandi (Qld) Thallon (Qld) Daymar (Qld) South Talwood (Qld) Collarenebri (NSW) Mungindi Boomi (NSW) Collarenebri (NSW) Bullarah (NSW) Weemelah (NSW)

Mungindi is a town located right on the border between New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, Australia. It's a unique place because it's the only town in the Southern Hemisphere with the same name on both sides of a state border! The town is mostly in the Moree Plains Shire in New South Wales. On the Queensland side, it's split between the Shire of Balonne and the Goondiwindi Region.

Mungindi sits on the Carnarvon Highway and is divided by the Barwon River. This river actually forms the border between New South Wales and Queensland. In 2021, Mungindi had a total population of 611 people.

Discover Mungindi's Location

The name Mungindi comes from the Kamilaroi Aboriginal language, meaning "water hole in the river." This makes sense, as the town is built around the Barwon River.

Mungindi is special because the state border runs right down the middle of the Barwon River and under the Mungindi Bridge. There's no exact marker on the bridge to show where one state ends and the other begins!

Nearby towns in New South Wales include Moree, and in Queensland, you'll find St George. Other smaller villages nearby are Weemelah and Boomi in NSW, and Thallon and Dirranbandi in Queensland. Mungindi also has its own airport, located on the New South Wales side.

A part of the Carnarvon Highway that passes through Mungindi is actually the shortest route from Sydney to Darwin.

Mungindi's Climate

Mungindi experiences a climate with hot summers and mild winters.

Mungindi's Rich History

Mungindi and the areas around it were originally home to the Kamilaroi (Gamilaraay) Aboriginal people. Their traditional lands stretched from the Barwon River south towards Gunnedah. The Gamilaraay language is spoken in parts of South-West Queensland and North-West New South Wales. Another related language, Yuwaalaraay, is also spoken in this region.

In the 1830s, explorer Thomas Mitchell passed through Mungindi while looking for new farming lands. By the 1850s, the ford (a shallow place to cross a river) at Mungindi became a main crossing point for drovers moving livestock. The riverbanks were a popular camping spot, and the Gamilaroi people had used this area as an important meeting place for a very long time.

Early Settlement and Services

As more drovers and settlers came, people started to offer services. The first known business was a hotel, built in 1863 by Alexander Grant Walker. It was on the south side of the river. Alexander also opened a store and stables.

When Queensland became a separate colony in 1859, mail services started. By 1865, Alexander Walker was appointed postmaster for Mungindi, Queensland. A year later, he also became postmaster for Mungindi, NSW, because he couldn't handle letters with NSW stamps from his Queensland post office. This shows how tricky it was to live on the border!

In 1876, a bank agency opened in his NSW Post Office. When a bridge was built over the Barwon River, Alexander moved his store closer to the new crossing. This shop was also near the Customs House, which collected taxes on goods traded between the colonies until Australia became a federation in 1900.

Alexander Walker, often called the 'Founder of Mungindi', died in 1878. His family continued to run the Post Office, store, and hotel. His wife, Mrs. Walker, was known as the 'Queen of Mungindi'. Stories say she would break up fights outside the hotel by letting horses loose with a broom!

Town Growth and Development

In the 1880s, stagecoach services began, and a telegraph office opened in 1881, improving communication. The Queensland side of the town was surveyed in 1885, and land blocks were sold. On the NSW side, Mungindi was officially declared a village in 1886, and the first town blocks were sold at auction in 1888.

The town grew quickly after that. Even though a big flood hit in 1890, causing difficulties, many new businesses and families moved to Mungindi.

Schools in Mungindi

By 1894, Mungindi had two schools: one in NSW and one in Queensland. The NSW school became a full public school, and the Queensland Provisional School opened with 22 students. The Queensland school later became Mungindi State School but closed in 1968.

St Brigid's Catholic School opened in 1924, run by the Sisters of Mercy. It later changed its name to St. Joseph’s. Today, the Sisters of St Joseph’s continue to operate the school.

Life in the Early 1900s

At the start of the 1900s, Mungindi was a busy town with about 250 residents. It had its own newspaper, a hospital, a doctor, and many shops and services. There were two police stations (one in each state!), two race clubs, and several hotels. People enjoyed many activities like balls, dances, fairs, concerts, and sports like fishing, horse racing, and cricket.

Railway and Recent Events

The Mungindi railway line opened in 1914, connecting the town to Sydney. However, the line between Weemelah and Mungindi closed in 1974 due to flooding.

During the Spanish flu pandemic in 1919 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, the Queensland border at Mungindi had restrictions. Police checkpoints were set up to control who could enter Queensland and help prevent the spread of illness.

Sadly, on September 1, 2020, a fire destroyed many shops on St George Street, including the grocery store and butcher.

Mungindi's Population

In 2016, Mungindi had a total population of 747 people (601 in NSW and 146 in Queensland). By 2021, the total population was 611 people (487 in NSW and 124 in Queensland).

Heritage Sites

Mungindi has a special heritage-listed site:

• Cameron's 1 Ton Survey Post, located at the Barwon River, Queensland.

Education in Mungindi

• Mungindi Central School is a school for students from pre-school all the way to Year 12. It's located on Wirrah Street in New South Wales. Children living in Queensland can also attend this school.
• St Joseph's Primary School is a Catholic primary school for boys and girls on Bucknell Street.

Amenities and Services

Mungindi's main street, St George Street, has a supermarket, hairdresser, pharmacy, clothing store, butcher, bakery, and a hardware and agricultural store. There's also a petrol station. The town has a hospital, a library, and offers various sports activities.

The Two Mile Hotel, which was rebuilt after a fire, is just outside town on the Queensland side.

Because Mungindi is on the border, it has two time zones during daylight saving! The town's pre-school is in Queensland, while other schools are in NSW. The hospital is on the Queensland side, and there are hotels on both sides of the river. The area is also important for growing cotton, raising beef cattle, and producing wheat.

Fun Attractions

• The One Ton Post is a cool landmark located about 5 kilometers west of town. It was put up by surveyor John Brewer Cameron in 1881 to mark the completion of a long survey project. This post is where the border fence leaves the river and goes straight west for 700 kilometers to the South Australian border.
• You can also visit the local History Park on the edge of Mungindi, which has many interesting items on display.
• The Neeworra Historical Site, about 11 kilometers south-east of town on the Carnarvon Highway, is where the old Neeworra Wine Shanty used to be.

Transport Connections