Duaringa
| Duaringa Queensland |
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|---|---|
 Duaringa
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| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Population | 247 (2006 census)[1] |
| Postcode(s) | 4712 |
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Central Highlands Regional Council |
| State electorate(s) | Gregory |
| Federal Division(s) | Flynn |
Duaringa is a small town in central Queensland, Australia. It is on the Capricorn Highway, 116 kilometres (72 mi) kilometres west of Rockhampton. At the 2006 census, Duaringa had a population of 247.[1]
History
Colo Post Office opened on 10 November 1875. Next month it was renamed Duaringa.[2]
Duaringa was previously the administrative centre of the former Duaringa Shire Council, which became a part of the Emerald-based Central Highlands Regional Council upon amalgamation in March 2008.
Today
Although small in size, the town has a police station and courthouse, ambulance station, a hotel, post office and newsagency, a primary school, three churches, a sports complex, and a library.
Duaringa previously had a general store and butcher shop, but both closed down in the mid-1990s. There was also a railway station but apart from the platform, it was removed in 2007. After the removal, Queensland Rail upgraded the platform facilities for local passengers wishing to use the Spirit Of The Outback rail service which operates between Brisbane and Longreach.
The Dawson and Mackenzie Rivers flow to the east and north of the town respectively. Duaringa suffers from periodic droughts and floods, and experiences summer temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius.
Duaringa is a significant centre for Aboriginal peoples and there is a former reservation at Woorabinda. Indigenous people were granted small parcels of land under Queensland native title legislation. There are Aboriginal rock art sites at Blackdown Tableland National Park, south-west of Duaringa.
Etymology
There are two versions on how the town came to be named Duaringa. The first reasoning behind the name is that it is derived from a word in the aboriginal language used in the Burnett River area - 'djuaringe', possibly meaning to turn oneself around.
The second possibility is that the name is derived from the aboriginal words 'D'warra D'nanjie', meaning a meeting place on the swamp oaks. This is the most popular theory, and is in fact the official origin of the name Duaringa.[3]
Satellite City Proposal
In October 1996, investors and representatives from South Korean religious group Canaan Farmers met with local government representatives in Duaringa to outline plans to build a satellite city on the eastern outskirts of the Duaringa township. Originally reported to cost $30 million, it was later touted as a $230 million international village which would have housed 1500 people, and would have included a shopping centre, hotel, golf course, an international school, a church and an industrial area and a noodle factory. On the day the original plans were unveiled to the public, the development co-ordinator for the village told local media that the satellite city was the brainchild of South Korean spiritual leader, Reverend Jong-Il Kim who had the intention of promoting international goodwill.[4][5]
Duaringa Shire mayor Tom Hall accepted an offer in November 1996 to visit South Korean to publicise the Duaringa Shire in the hope of securing the international city.[6]
In December 1996, it was reported that the Korean investors were considering situating the satellite city at Blackwater, 85 kilometres west of Duaringa, because Blackwater already had many facilities in place.[7] However, attention shifted back to Duaringa when the original $30 million proposal was upgraded by the investors to a new $230 million investment. Copies of the new plans were sent to Duaringa Shire Council and the Department of Tourism, Small Business and Industry.[8]
In January 1997, a group of 30 Korean business people visited Duaringa to further discuss their plans for the satellite city. Mayor Tom Hall said that Duaringa Shire Council fully supported the development and that he hoped the city would be operational by 1998. It was reported that the project depended on the construction of a water storage facility on the Dawson River.[9]
In August 2001, it was reported that problems with land entitlements in Duaringa and political upheaval in Korea had prevented the satellite city from going ahead. However, a delegation of Chinese business executives including China Delong Group general manager Zhang Yongde were planning to visit Duaringa on September 11, 2001 to inspect land and infrastructure. They had indicated to Duaringa Shire Council that they were interested in a possible major development for the town, and had requested copies of the original proposal put forward by the South Koreans in 1996 which had failed to get off the ground.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Duaringa Shire - 100 Years of Local Government 1881-1981
- ↑ Watson, Rhett "Duaringa chosen for $30m village" The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, October 24, 1996
- ↑ Grant, Hilary "Koreans outline satellite city plan" The Blackwater Herald, Blackwater, October 29, 1996
- ↑ Grant, Hilary "Mayor's visit forges closer relations with Korean businesses" The Blackwater Herald, Blackwater, November 19, 1996
- ↑ Grant, Hilary "Blackwater in line for satellite city" The Blackwater Herald, Blackwater, December 3, 1996
- ↑ Rutherford, Michael "Mini city for west", The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, December 28, 1996
- ↑ "Koreans to visit Duaringa city site", The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, January 7, 1997
- ↑ Mitchell, Geraldine "Chinese look into Duaringa project", The Morning Bulletin, Rockhampton, August 18, 2001
