Bundaberg Central, Queensland

Bundaberg Central is the central suburb and central business district of Bundaberg in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2021 census, Bundaberg Central had a population of 162 people.[1]

Bundaberg Central
BundabergQueensland
Bourbong Street Bundaberg, circa 1890
Bundaberg Central is located in Queensland
Bundaberg Central
Bundaberg Central
Map
Coordinates24°52′04″S 152°21′04″E / 24.8677°S 152.3511°E / -24.8677; 152.3511 (Bundaberg Central (centre of suburb))
Population162 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density125/km2 (323/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4670
Area1.3 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location363 km (226 mi) N of Brisbane CBD
LGA(s)Bundaberg Region
State electorate(s)Bundaberg
Federal division(s)Hinkler
Suburbs around Bundaberg Central:
Bundaberg North Bundaberg North Bundaberg North
Bundaberg West Bundaberg Central Bundaberg East
Bundaberg West Bundaberg South Bundaberg South

Geography

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The suburb is bounded by the Burnett River to the north, Bundaberg Creek to the east, Saltwater Creek to the south and the North Coast railway line to the west.[3]

History

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In 1869, a cemetery was established a block bounded by Woongarra, Maryborough, Woondooma and McLean Streets (24°52′07″S 152°20′47″E / 24.8686°S 152.3465°E / -24.8686; 152.3465 (First Bundaberg Cemetery)). But it was quickly recognised this could not be a long-term option and a new site of 40 acres (16 ha) was reserved for a new cemetery (now within Millbank) and burials commenced there in 1873.[4] In 1881 the deteriorating condition of the old cemetery led to calls to exhume and relocate the burials from the old cemetery to the new, with the rationale that the proceeds of selling the land of the old cemetery would outweigh the cost of relocating the graves. The relocation of the graves was completed by January 1882.[5]

Bundaberg South State School opened on 6 February 1875. On 30 June 1885, it closed and split into two schools: Bundaberg South Boys State School and Bundaberg South Girls and Infants State School. Circa November 1894, both of these schools were renamed to be Bundaberg Central Boys State School and Bundaberg Central Girls and Infants State School. In 1926, the two schools were combined to create Bundaberg Central State School.[6]

 
Methodist Church in Barolin Street, created from the physical combination of the Walla Street Primitive Methodist Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Maryborough Street, circa 1908
 
Opening Ceremony of the Bundaberg Methodist Church, 1937
 
Interior of Bundaberg Methodist Church, 1937

Reverend William NcNaught of the Primitive Methodist Church was appointed as its first minister in Bundaberg. He conducted his first service there on 12 August 1875.[7] A "primitive" slab-and-shingle church was built in Walla Street (which did not keep the rain out). In 1878, Reverend J. Williams became the minister and a new "handsome" church was built on the Walla Street site.[7] In 1882, the Wesleyan Methodist Church commenced services in the Victoria Hall in December 1882, later they used the Congregational Church for their services, and finally they erected their first church at the lower end of Maryborough Street in late 1885.[7] The union of the Methodist denominations occurred in 1902 and the two Methodist churches in Bundaberg were amalgamated in 1904. The two church buildings were then physically relocated to the current site in Barolin Street and joined to accommodate the combined congregations with a stump-capping ceremony held on Thursday 7 April 1904.[8][9][10] A parsonage was built beside the combined church in 1908.[7] In 1936, the congregation began to raise funds to build a new brick church building capable of seating 500 people and to be designed by Brisbane architect Walter Kerrison and constructed by C. J. Vandenberg.[11][12][13] On Thursday 30 July 1936, the Governor-General Lord Gowrie laid the foundation stone of the new church.[14] On Saturday 7 August 1937, the new church was officially opened by Reverend Hubert Hedley Trigge, the Master of King's College at the University of Queensland.[15] The former combined church building was retained for use as a hall, being replaced by a brick hall in 1964.[10] The church was part of the amalgamation that created the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, becoming the Bundaberg Uniting Church.[16]

The first Anglican church in Bundaberg was in Quay Street and was completed in March 1876.[17] Christ Church Anglican was consecrated on Sunday 4 April 1880 by Bishop Stanton.[18][19] In July 1898, it was proposed to relocate the church to a more central site.[20] In 1899, the church building was relocated close to the site of the present church. On Sunday 8 August 1920, the foundation stone for a new church was laid by Bishop Henry Le Fanu.[21] However, it was not until Sunday 20 February 1927 that the new church was opened and dedicated by Archbishop Gerald Sharp.[22][23] It was consecrated on Sunday 23 February 1936 by Archbishop William Wand.[24][25][26][27]

St Joseph's Catholic School was established in June 1876 by two Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart.[6] It initially operated in St Mary's Church of the Holy Rosary with student numbers reaching 60 by the end of the first year of operation. Disagreements between Mary McKillop, the leader of the Sisters of St Joseph, and the Catholic bishops in Queensland led to the Sisters of St Joseph leaving Queensland with operation of the school passing in 1987 to five Sisters of Mercy from All Hallows' School in Brisbane. The school relocated in 1908 and then again in 1918 to its current site in Barolin Street adjacent to the Holy Rosary Church. The Sisters of Mercy reduced their involvement with the operation of the school with the first lay principal appointed in 1985.[28]

Buss Park officially opened on Saturday 20 December 1930 replacing the former Market Square that had been an eyesore for many years. The site had originally been used for the first school. After World War I, there was a proposal to build a memorial hall on the site but this did not come to fruition. Local businessman Horace Buss then donated £500 towards city beautification with a particular desire to see the Market Square be converted into a public park and the park was named in his honour.[29][30]

 
Museum at Bundaberg Central State School, 2015

Following the death of Bundaberg-born aviator Bert Hinker in 1933, a public meeting held in Bundaberg in 1934 decided to honour Hinkler with a monument. A public appeal raised about £1,000 with the Queensland Government donating a further £500. The monument was designed by Brisbane architect RP Cummings and was built by Messrs A Armitage & CoIt in the centre of Buss Park. It required about 40 tons of granite quarried at Gracemere. On 30 July 1936, it was officially unveiled by the Governor-General Lord Gowrie in front of a crowd of 3,000 people.[31]

The Bundaberg Library opened in 1994 with a major refurbishment in 2012.[32]

In 2015, Bundaberg Central State School established a museum in a former storeroom.[33]

Demographics

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At the 2006 census, Bundaberg Central had a population of 256 people.[34]

In the 2016 census, Bundaberg Central had a population of 316 people.[35]

In the 2021 census, Bundaberg Central had a population of 162 people.[1]

Heritage listings

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Bundaberg Central has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Education

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Aerial view of Bundaberg Central State School, 2022

Bundaberg Central State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 13 Crofton Street (24°52′11″S 152°20′54″E / 24.8698°S 152.3482°E / -24.8698; 152.3482 (Bundaberg Central State School)).[49][50] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 75 students with 6 teachers (5 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (7 full-time equivalent).[51]

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at the corner Barolin and Woondooma Streets (24°52′05″S 152°21′00″E / 24.8681°S 152.3500°E / -24.8681; 152.3500 (St Joseph's Catholic Primary School)).[49][52] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 162 students with 15 teachers (12 full-time equivalent) and 10 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent).[51]

There is no government secondary school in Bundaberg Central. The nearest government secondary school is Bundaberg State High School in neighbouring Bundaberg South to the south.[3]

Amenities

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The Bundaberg Regional Council operates a public library at 49 Woondooma Street.[53]

The Bundaberg branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the QCWA Hall at 15 Quay Street, Bundaberg Central.[54] The Hinkler branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the McDonalds Central Bundaberg on the corner of Woongarra & Targo Street, Bundaberg Central.[54]

Christ Church Anglican is on the corner of Woongarra and Maryborough Streets (24°52′03″S 152°20′50″E / 24.8675°S 152.3473°E / -24.8675; 152.3473 (Christ Church Anglican)).[55] Services are conducted on five days each week.[56]

Bundaberg Uniting Church is at 34 Barolin Street (24°52′13″S 152°21′02″E / 24.8703°S 152.3506°E / -24.8703; 152.3506 (Bundaberg Uniting Church)).[57][58][59]

Attractions

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Buss Park is on the corner of Bourbong Street and Maryborough Street (24°52′01″S 152°20′51″E / 24.8669°S 152.3474°E / -24.8669; 152.3474 (Buss Park)). It contains a memorial to Bert Hinkler.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Bundaberg Central (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  2. ^ "Bundaberg Central – suburb in Bundaberg Region (entry 44692)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Cemeteries". Bundaberg Regional Council. Archived from the original on 9 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Bundaberg General Cemetery: a history". Arts Bundaberg. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  6. ^ a b Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  7. ^ a b c d Methodist Church of Australasia. Bundaberg Circuit (1925), Jubilee souvenir 1875-1925, The Church
  8. ^ "Advertising". The Bundaberg Mail And Burnett Advertiser. No. 2805. Queensland, Australia. 6 April 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 3 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "The Methodist Church Stump Gapping". The Bundaberg Mail And Burnett Advertiser. No. 2806. Queensland, Australia. 8 April 1904. p. 3. Retrieved 3 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ a b Methodists' centenary in Bundaberg, 1875-1975, Methodist Church of Australasia, 1975, p. 5
  11. ^ "Easter Sunday". The Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 11 April 1936. p. 19 (SPORTS FINAL). Retrieved 2 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "VISIT TO BUNDABERG". The Courier-mail. No. 909. Queensland, Australia. 29 July 1936. p. 14. Retrieved 2 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "NEW METHODIST CHURCH FOR BUNDABERG". Sunday Mail. No. 328. Queensland, Australia. 2 August 1936. p. 25. Retrieved 2 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ "Near and Far". Daily Mercury. Vol. 70, no. 187. Queensland, Australia. 6 August 1936. p. 14. Retrieved 2 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "£10,000 METHODIST CHURCH DEDICATED AT BUNDABERG". Sunday Mail. No. 381. Queensland, Australia. 8 August 1937. p. 8. Retrieved 2 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ Blake, Thom. "Bundaberg Methodist Church". Queensland religious places database. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  17. ^ "BUNDABERG". The Telegraph. No. 1, 078. Queensland, Australia. 22 March 1876. p. 3. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ^ "Current News". The Queenslander. Vol. XVII, no. 243. Queensland, Australia. 10 April 1880. p. 453. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "EARLY BUNDABERG". The Bundaberg Mail. Vol. 50, no. 6, 992. Queensland, Australia. 17 February 1920. p. 4. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ "Brisbane Diocesan Council". The Queenslander. Vol. XXXIV, no. 667. Queensland, Australia. 14 July 1888. p. 61. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ "CHRIST CHURCH". The Bundaberg Mail. Vol. 50, no. 7, 148. Queensland, Australia. 9 August 1920. p. 5. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ "BUNDABERG CHURCH DEDICATED". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. No. 17, 817. Queensland, Australia. 21 February 1927. p. 4. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ "The Churches". The Telegraph. No. 16, 922. Queensland, Australia. 26 February 1927. p. 14 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ "What the Churches Are Doing". The Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 8 February 1936. p. 14 (LAST WEEK END FINAL ALL THE NEWS). Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. ^ "BUNDABERG CHURCH JUBILEE". The Courier-mail. No. 776. Queensland, Australia. 24 February 1936. p. 17. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. ^ a b "Christ Church, Bundaberg" (PDF). Local Heritage Register. Bundaberg Regional Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  27. ^ "Year Book" (PDF). Anglican Archdiocese of Brisbane. 2019. p. 135. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  28. ^ "St Joseph's History". St Joseph's Catholic Primary School. Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  29. ^ a b "The History of Buss Park". Arts Bundaberg. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  30. ^ "Bourbong Street and Buss Park: a photographic timeline". Arts Bundaberg. Archived from the original on 8 March 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  31. ^ Heidrich, Wayne (14 December 2019). "1936 opening of Hinkler Monument – Bundaberg Now". Bundaberg Now. Bundaberg Regional Council. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  32. ^ "Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-17" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. State Library of Queensland. November 2017. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  33. ^ "School celebrates history". Bundaberg NewsMail. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  34. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Bundaberg Central (Bundaberg City) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  35. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Bundaberg Central (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  36. ^ "Bourbong Street Weeping Figs (entry 602065)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  37. ^ "Bundaberg War Memorial (entry 600364)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  38. ^ "Kennedy Bridge (entry 600367)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  39. ^ "Bundaberg Post Office (Place ID 106125)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  40. ^ "Bundaberg School of Arts (entry 600362)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  41. ^ "Commercial Bank of Sydney (former) (entry 600363)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  42. ^ "Bundaberg Central State School (entry 601533)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  43. ^ "Fallon House (entry 602814)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  44. ^ "St Andrews Uniting Church (entry 602489)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  45. ^ "Bundaberg Police Station Complex (former) (entry 601762)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  46. ^ "Burnett Bridge (entry 600368)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  47. ^ "Saltwater Creek Railway Bridge (entry 600370)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  48. ^ "4BU Radio Station (former) (entry 601284)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
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  50. ^ "Bundaberg Central State School". Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  51. ^ a b "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  52. ^ "St Josephs Bundaberg". St Josephs Catholic School. Archived from the original on 27 October 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  53. ^ "Locations & Hours". Bundaberg Regional Council. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  54. ^ a b "Branch Locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  55. ^ "Contact Us". Anglican Parish of Bundaberg. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  56. ^ "Worship". Anglican Parish of Bundaberg. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  57. ^ "Bundaberg Uniting Church". Bundaberg Uniting Church. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  58. ^ "Bundaberg Uniting Church". Churches Australia. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  59. ^ "Find a Church". Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.