Thargomindah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ThargomindahQueensland |
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Outback roadhouse of Thargomindah
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 Thargomindah
Location in Queensland
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| Population | 270 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.0177/km2 (0.046/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1860s | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4492 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation | 130 m (427 ft) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 15,213 km2 (5,873.8 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Bulloo | ||||||||||||||
| County | Wellington | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Warrego | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
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Thargomindah (frequently shortened to Thargo) is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Bulloo, Queensland, Australia. The town of Thargomindah is the administrative centre for the Shire of Bulloo. In the 2016 census, Thargomindah had a population of 270 people. It was founded on Wongkumara and Kalali territory.
On 17 April 2020 the Queensland Government decided to reorganise the nine localities in the Shire of Bullo, resulting in six localities. Thargomindah, previously being 43.0 square kilometres (16.6 sq mi) of the area immediately surrounding the town of Thargomindah, was enlarged through the incorporation of all of Bullawarra (except for a small portion in the south of Bullawarra which was absorbed into Bulloo Downs), all of Dynevor and all of Norley, creating a locality of 15,213 square kilometres (5,874 sq mi).
Facilities
An information centre is located in the historic mud brick building of the former hospital. The collection and arrangement of antique household items is a local attraction. The present hospital, located on Dowling Street, is run by dual Directors of Nursing, Alan Thompson and Chris Dodd. Sports grounds, caravan park and the powerhouse demonstration are available. The nearby river offers trees and water biotopes in the vicinity. Thargomindah has a public library open to the general public.
Heritage listings
Thargomindah has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Bulloo River, Bulloo Downs: Dr Ludwig Becker's Grave
- Nappa Merrie Station: Burke and Wills Dig Tree
- Wilson Street, Noccundra: Noccundra Hotel
Water
Thargomindah has a pressurised hot spring from a bore into the Great Artesian Basin and has produced hydroelectric power from the basin in the past. After 2 years of drilling, a good supply of water was found in 1893. The temperature was 86 °C (187 °F). In 1924, it was recorded that the bore had a daily output of 2,500 cubic metres (88,000 cu ft) and today of 1,300 cubic metres (46,000 cu ft) at 84 °C (183 °F). There is a plentiful water supply for the population and the arid area available for irrigation in front and backyards and public warm showers are provided.
History
The town was first settled in the 1860s at a crossing of the Bulloo River. A post office was established in 1870 and a telegraph line connected the town to Cunnamulla in 1881. The 1890s saw the town prosper as the service and administrative centre of a pastoral district.
Thargomindah was one of the first towns in Australia to produce hydroelectric power from 1898 until 1951, which then was taken over by diesel generators until 1988. The town was later connected to the national power grid via Cunnamulla. The old bore was a source of energy when electric street lights were lit and coupled to a turbine driven by the bore's natural water pressure. The generator was taken from a unit powered by a steam engine and purchased by the Bulloo Divisional Board becoming the first municipality owned power plant. The power station is still operating with a daily opening to the public.
Transport
Thargomindah Airport is located to the north of the town on Kerr Street (27°59′14″S 143°48′56″E / 27.9872°S 143.8156°E). It is operated by the Bulloo Shire Council and there are 2 scheduled flights from Brisbane each week on Regional Express Airlines. There is a sealed runway 1,463-metre (4,800 ft) long and an unsealed runway 846 metres (2,776 ft) long. It was completely rebuilt in 2018.
The Dynevor Downs Airport (ICAO: YDNV) is located immediately to the east of the Dynevor Downs Homestead (28°05′28″S 144°22′10″E / 28.0912°S 144.3695°E) with three unsealed runways (north–south, east–west, and NE–SW), the longest being 1,050 metres (3,440 ft), the others being about 800 metres (2,600 ft).
Climate
Thargomindah has a hot semi-arid climate.
| Climate data for Thargomindah | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 48.8 (119.8) |
46.0 (114.8) |
43.8 (110.8) |
38.9 (102.0) |
32.2 (90.0) |
30.4 (86.7) |
28.5 (83.3) |
36.3 (97.3) |
39.2 (102.6) |
41.2 (106.2) |
45.4 (113.7) |
45.0 (113.0) |
48.8 (119.8) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 38.5 (101.3) |
36.0 (96.8) |
33.5 (92.3) |
29.5 (85.1) |
23.8 (74.8) |
20.0 (68.0) |
20.1 (68.2) |
22.9 (73.2) |
27.8 (82.0) |
31.1 (88.0) |
33.8 (92.8) |
36.4 (97.5) |
29.5 (85.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 25.5 (77.9) |
24.0 (75.2) |
21.2 (70.2) |
16.6 (61.9) |
10.6 (51.1) |
7.5 (45.5) |
6.7 (44.1) |
8.3 (46.9) |
12.8 (55.0) |
16.6 (61.9) |
20.6 (69.1) |
23.0 (73.4) |
16.1 (61.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 17.2 (63.0) |
12.3 (54.1) |
9.4 (48.9) |
6.5 (43.7) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
0.1 (32.2) |
4.7 (40.5) |
6.2 (43.2) |
9.7 (49.5) |
13.7 (56.7) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 39.1 (1.54) |
47.9 (1.89) |
45.5 (1.79) |
17.5 (0.69) |
14.4 (0.57) |
16.7 (0.66) |
13.6 (0.54) |
8.0 (0.31) |
9.8 (0.39) |
14.1 (0.56) |
40.7 (1.60) |
30.3 (1.19) |
300.4 (11.83) |
| Average precipitation days | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 42.0 |
Education
Thargomindah State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at Dowling Street (27°59′43″S 143°49′36″E / 27.9952°S 143.8267°E). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 24 students with 3 teachers and 5 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).
The nearest government secondary (8–12) school is Cunnamulla P-12 State School.
