Roma, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids RomaQueensland |
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Aerial view of Roma
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 Roma
Location in Queensland
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| Population | 6,838 (2021 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 87.55/km2 (226.8/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1867 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4455 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 299.4 m (982 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 78.1 km2 (30.2 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Maranoa Region | ||||||||||||||
| County | Waldegrave | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Warrego | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
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Roma is a country town and area in the Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia. It is the main administrative centre for the Maranoa Region. The town was officially started in 1867. It was named after Lady Diamantina Bowen, who was the wife of Sir George Bowen, the Governor of Queensland at that time. In 2021, Roma had a population of 6,838 people.
Contents
- Discover Roma: Location and Landscape
- A Look Back in Time: Roma's History
- Roma's People: Demographics
- Important Places: Heritage Listings
- Roma's Weather: Climate
- Roma's Economy: Industry and Business
- Media and News in Roma
- Learning in Roma: Education
- Community Life: Amenities and Facilities
- Sports and Recreation in Roma
- Fun Things to Do: Attractions
- Events and Festivals
- Famous People from Roma
- Images for kids
Discover Roma: Location and Landscape
Roma is located in the Maranoa district of South West Queensland, Australia. It sits where the Warrego and Carnarvon highways meet. This makes it an important hub for travel and trade.
How Far is Roma from Major Cities?
Roma is:
- About 515 kilometres (320 miles) by rail and road west-northwest of Brisbane.
- 355 kilometres (221 miles) west of Toowoomba.
- 269 kilometres (167 miles) west of Dalby.
- 141 kilometres (87.6 miles) west of Miles.
- 87 kilometres (54 miles) east of Mitchell.
- 176.6 kilometres (109.7 miles) east of Morven.
- 266 kilometres (165 miles) east of Charleville.
Roma is also a key town on the Western Railway Line that connects to Toowoomba and Brisbane. It is known as the centre of a rich area for farming and growing wheat.
A Look Back in Time: Roma's History
The Mandandanji People
Before British settlers arrived, the Mandandanji Nation lived in this region. The Mandandanji language is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Mandandanji people. Their traditional lands are within the Maranoa Region, including areas around Roma, Yuleba, Surat, and stretching towards Chinchilla and Mitchell.
Early British Exploration
The first British explorers to record their visit to this area were Sir Thomas Mitchell and Edmund Kennedy. This happened during their expedition in 1846. Mitchell named a nearby hill Mount Abundance because of the rich, fertile plains he found. He called these plains the Fitzroy Downs, honouring the new Governor of New South Wales, Charles Augustus FitzRoy.
Mitchell and Kennedy met about 200 Aboriginal people in the area. After some friendly talks, tensions grew. Kennedy's men had to make a group of Mandandanji leave after they tried to burn down the explorers' camp.
The Arrival of British Settlers
When Mitchell returned to Sydney, he told his friend William Macpherson about the good land. Macpherson's son, Allan Macpherson, then brought 20 men and about 10,000 sheep and cattle to the Fitzroy Downs. In October 1847, he set up the Mount Abundance pastoral station. This station was huge, covering 400,000 acres. The town of Roma now stands on part of this original station.
In August 1848, James Blyth tried to start a sheep station nearby. However, the Mandandanji people resisted, injuring Blyth and taking his sheep. This event marked the beginning of a long period of conflict between the Aboriginal people and the settlers. In late 1848, Macpherson had several clashes with Aboriginal people, resulting in deaths. By April 1849, the Mandandanji had killed seven of Macpherson's workers. The local Crown Lands Commissioner, John Durbin, and his Border Police were called in to help. Despite this, Macpherson had to leave his Mount Abundance station in May 1849.
After leaving, Macpherson and Durbin asked the government to send the new Native Police force to stop the Aboriginal resistance. In July 1849, Frederick Walker led his Native Police against the "Fitzroy Downs blacks," and many were killed in a large fight. In late 1850, the Mandandanji regrouped to attack Paddy McEnroe, who had tried to restart the Mount Abundance station. They killed one of his shepherds and took 400 cattle. Roderick Mitchell, the new Crown Lands Commissioner, led a group of police and settlers to get the cattle back. They killed 13 Aboriginal people.
In 1851, a large Native Police base was set up nearby. Officers and their troopers patrolled the Mount Abundance area, clashing with Aboriginal people. In November 1852, Mandandanji resistance in the Fitzroy Downs area was finally overcome. A large group of Aboriginal people was dispersed, and at least six, including the Mandandanji leader Possum Murray, were killed.
By 1858, the Mount Abundance station was sold to Stephen Spencer. He was able to settle there peacefully with his family and workers. A new Native Police base was formed in 1859, which helped ensure British control of the region.
The Town's Beginning
In 1862, the Government of Queensland decided to create a new town in the Maranoa Region. Surveyors Robert Austin and A.C. Gregory chose a spot next to Bungil Creek on Stephen Spencer's Mount Abundance station. This became the town of Roma. At first, it only had three public houses. It was named after Lady Diamantina Bowen, the wife of Queensland's first Governor of Queensland, George Bowen.
In 1863, Samuel Symons Bassett brought vine cuttings to Roma and started the Romavilla Winery in 1866. It was located on Bungil Creek north of Roma.
In 1864, Reverend Adam McIntyre began holding church services in the Maranoa district. He hoped to become a permanent minister in Roma, but he passed away in 1866.
Captain Starlight, a famous cattle thief, was tried in the Roma Courthouse in February 1873. He was found not guilty. No one has ever been successfully convicted of cattle rustling in Roma since then.
Roma State School, the first school in Roma, opened on March 21, 1870. It closed on December 31, 1986. St John's School was started by the Sisters of Mercy in 1881.
Roma was also the place where Australia's first oil and gas were found.
During World War II, Roma had a special fuel depot for aircraft. It was built in 1942 and closed in 1944.
Roma Special School opened in 1982 and closed in 1995.
In 2004, Roma had a very low unemployment rate of 2.9%. This was one of the lowest in Australia. Most people (68.5%) worked full-time, and 21.9% worked part-time.
The Roma State College opened on January 1, 2006. It combined the Roma Junior School and Roma Middle School, and added a new senior section.
In 2010, a project looked into putting treated coal seam gas water into Roma's underground water supply. This study was the first of its kind in Australia and was considered experimental. The project aims to inject treated water into the Gubberamunda Sandstone aquifer. Some water bores nearby had to be shut down because methane was found in the water.
Roma's People: Demographics
In 2016, Roma had a population of 6,848 people. Most people (78.2%) were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces included the Philippines (2.4%), New Zealand (1.6%), and England (1.1%). English was spoken at home by 83.1% of people. Other languages included Tagalog (1.4%) and Filipino (0.7%). The most common religions were Catholic (27.2%) and Anglican (21.8%). The average age in Roma was 33, which is younger than the national average of 38.
In 2021, the population of Roma was 6,838 people.
Important Places: Heritage Listings
Roma has several sites that are listed for their historical importance:
- 75 Arthur Street: State Butchers Shop
- 42 Bungil Street: Roma Government Complex (the old Roma State School)
- 38–44 Hawthorne Street: Hibernian Hall
- McDowall Street: Roma Court House and Police Buildings
- 86 McDowell Street: Hunter's Emporium
- 77 Northern Road: Romavilla Winery
- Warrego Highway, Bungeworgorai: Mount Abundance Homestead
- Wyndham Street: War Memorial and Heroes Avenue
Roma's Weather: Climate
Roma has a climate that is a mix of hot semi-arid and humid subtropical. This means it has hot, somewhat rainy summers and mild, dry winters with occasional frosts. The highest average temperatures are around 34.6°C (94.3°F) in January, and the lowest average is 20.5°C (68.9°F) in July.
Rainfall is moderate, averaging 560.9 millimetres (22.08 inches) per year. Most rain falls in summer due to frequent showers and thunderstorms. Even though Roma is far inland, it can still experience heavy rain. For example, on March 2, 2010, 132.8 millimetres (5.23 inches) of rain fell, causing major flooding. Temperatures have ranged from a very hot 45.8°C (114.4°F) in January 2014 to a very cold -5.8°C (21.6°F) in August 1995.
| Climate data for Roma (26º33'00"S, 148º46'12"E, 307 m AMSL) (1985-2024 normals, extremes 1957-2024) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 45.8 (114.4) |
45.0 (113.0) |
42.9 (109.2) |
36.7 (98.1) |
33.2 (91.8) |
32.8 (91.0) |
29.7 (85.5) |
36.5 (97.7) |
40.9 (105.6) |
42.2 (108.0) |
43.7 (110.7) |
45.5 (113.9) |
45.8 (114.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 34.6 (94.3) |
33.1 (91.6) |
31.7 (89.1) |
28.2 (82.8) |
23.8 (74.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
20.5 (68.9) |
22.8 (73.0) |
26.8 (80.2) |
30.0 (86.0) |
32.2 (90.0) |
33.6 (92.5) |
28.2 (82.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.1 (70.0) |
20.1 (68.2) |
17.6 (63.7) |
12.4 (54.3) |
7.7 (45.9) |
5.0 (41.0) |
3.7 (38.7) |
4.8 (40.6) |
9.3 (48.7) |
13.6 (56.5) |
17.1 (62.8) |
19.3 (66.7) |
12.6 (54.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 9.2 (48.6) |
9.5 (49.1) |
4.3 (39.7) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
1.4 (34.5) |
4.2 (39.6) |
7.8 (46.0) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 66.2 (2.61) |
86.0 (3.39) |
61.3 (2.41) |
30.9 (1.22) |
31.2 (1.23) |
27.4 (1.08) |
22.7 (0.89) |
21.8 (0.86) |
27.0 (1.06) |
49.9 (1.96) |
60.7 (2.39) |
75.3 (2.96) |
560.9 (22.08) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.1 | 6.0 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 48.2 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 34 | 41 | 34 | 33 | 37 | 41 | 38 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 32 | 33 | 34 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) |
14.4 (57.9) |
11.4 (52.5) |
7.9 (46.2) |
6.0 (42.8) |
5.1 (41.2) |
3.3 (37.9) |
1.8 (35.2) |
3.3 (37.9) |
5.2 (41.4) |
8.9 (48.0) |
11.4 (52.5) |
7.7 (45.8) |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology (1985-2024 normals, extremes 1870-2024) | |||||||||||||
Flooding in Roma
Roma is located on Bungil Creek, which flows into the Condamine River. In March 2010, Roma experienced its worst floods in over 100 years. Flooding also happened in April 2011, which was a year of record rainfall for Roma. In early February 2012, Roma was hit by its worst floods ever, even worse than 2010. About 444 homes were flooded.
Because of these repeated floods, one insurance company announced in May 2012 that it would not offer new insurance policies to Roma residents unless steps were taken to reduce the flood risk.
Roma's Economy: Industry and Business
Roma is the main business centre for the Maranoa District in South West Queensland. It is on the edge of the Surat Basin energy and resources boom.
Agriculture in the Maranoa
The agriculture industry in the Maranoa region is worth about $620 million each year. Most of this (64.3%) comes from crops. Over half (58.7%) of the businesses in the Maranoa are in farming, forestry, and fishing. These industries employ 32.7% of the region's workers.
In 2005, Roma's cattle saleyards had a record year, processing 390,000 head of cattle. Roma is home to the largest cattle saleyards in the Southern Hemisphere. Cattle sales happen on Tuesdays (for big sales) and Thursdays (for fat cattle). Forestry in the area includes Hardwood and Cypress Pine trees. Roma and the Maranoa region are known for having Australia's most active native Cypress Pine sawmilling.
Oil and Gas Discoveries
In 1906, natural gas was first used for lighting in Roma. The industry has grown as more gas reserves were found.
Origin Energy has a Coal Seam Gas Development about 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Roma. This project includes an 87-kilometre (54-mile) gas pipeline to the nearby town of Wallumbilla. From there, it connects to the 434-kilometre (270-mile) Roma to Brisbane Pipeline.
Origin Energy is also planning a large power station called Spring Gully Power Station. It will cost $870 million and produce 1,000 megawatts of electricity for South-East Queensland. Being close to the gas source, the power station can use the leftover water from other gas operations.
Santos GLNG is also developing coal seam gas fields in the area. This project involves many wells, underground gas storage, and pipelines for gas and water.
Water Supply
The town's water comes from bores that tap into the Artesian Basin.
Media and News in Roma
Roma has several local radio stations. 4ZR broadcasts on 1476 AM. Hit 95.1 Maranoa is the main FM radio station, broadcasting on 95.1 FM.
The Western Star is Roma's local newspaper.
Roma also receives free-to-air TV channels like ABC, SBS, Southern Cross Austereo, Imparja, and Central Digital Television.
Learning in Roma: Education
Roma State College is a government school for students from early childhood (Kindergarten) to Year 12. In 2017, it had 871 students. The college operates from three separate campuses:
- Junior Campus (Early Childhood to Year 2) at 28 Bowen Street.
- Middle Campus (Years 3-6) on Cottell Street.
- Senior Campus (Years 7-12) on Timbury Street.
A special education program for students with disabilities is available at all three campuses.
St John's School is a Roman Catholic school for students from Preparatory (Kindergarten) to Year 12. It is located on Bowen Street. In 2017, the school had 697 students.
Community Life: Amenities and Facilities
Roma has many hotels, pubs, and churches in the town centre. Most of the ten hotels are close to each other.
St Paul's Anglican Church is a copy of a 13th-century English church. It is shaped like a crucifix.
Roma Uniting Church is at 48–50 Bungil Road. The Roma Lutheran congregation also holds its services at the Uniting Church.
The Roma Public Library is located with the Roma Community Arts Centre at 38-44 Hawthorne Street. It is part of the Maranoa Regional Council Library Service. The library offers online resources and public WiFi.
The Roma branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 57 Arthur Street.
The town has four caravan parks for visitors: Villa Holiday Park, Big Rig Tourist Park, Roma Clay Target Club Caravan Park, and Ups N Downs Caravan Park.
The Roma Airport has regular flights from Brisbane.
Roma also offers a swimming pool, golf course, bowling green, Bassett Park showground, a visitor information centre, and various sporting clubs and community facilities.
Sports and Recreation in Roma
'Cities' is a rugby league team that plays in the Roma and District rugby league competition. Both their B grade and A grade teams have won championships. Darren Lockyer, a famous rugby league player, once captained this team before being scouted for the Brisbane Broncos. The 'Roma Tomatoes' is a mixed-gender Touch Rugby team founded in 2009.
Roma also has a rugby union team. They compete in the Darling Downs Rugby Union competition against teams like the University of Southern Queensland Rugby Union Club and the Dalby Wheatmen.
Fun Things to Do: Attractions
Local tourist attractions include the Big Rig and Oil and Gas Museum, Romavilla Winery, and Roma Saleyards. The Romavilla Winery is the oldest winery in Queensland.
Roma is also famous for its bottle trees. One specific bottle tree on Edwardes Street has a huge trunk, measuring 9.51 metres (31.2 feet) around. It is a popular tourist spot.
Events and Festivals
Since 1977, Roma has hosted an annual 'Easter in the Country' event. The annual Roma Show is held every May.
Famous People from Roma
Many notable people have connections to Roma:
- Samuel Symons Bassett: Started the Romavilla Winery.
- Arthur Beetson: Australian rugby league captain and an "Immortal" player.
- Willie Carne: Australian rugby league international.
- Albert Fuller Ellis: Phosphate prospector.
- Malcolm Farr: Political journalist and commentator.
- Wally Fullerton-Smith: Australian rugby league international.
- Arthur 'Nat' Gould: Military aviator.
- A. M. Hertzberg: Businessman and mayor.
- Ray Higgs: Australian rugby league international.
- Patrick Holland: Novelist.
- Darren Lockyer: Australian rugby league legend and captain of the Brisbane Broncos and Kangaroos.
- Fabian "Fabe" McCarthy: Australian rugby union international.
- Ray Meagher: Actor and amateur rugby player.
- Bruce Scott: Politician.
- Brent Tate: Australian rugby league international.
- Robin Thorne: Australian rugby league player.
Images for kids
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Romavilla Winery, founded in 1866
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Kueyers vineyard Roma c 1898
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Queens Arms Hotel and Hunters Emporium building in Roma, Queensland 1975
