Morella was a rural locality within Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] Since January 2019, it has been amalgamated into the locality of Longreach.

Morella
Queensland
Landscape, 2019
Morella is located in Queensland
Morella
Morella
Coordinates22°59′53″S 143°51′18″E / 22.9980°S 143.8550°E / -22.9980; 143.8550 (Morella (centre of locality))
Population33 (2016 census)[1]
Postcode(s)4730
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Longreach Region
State electorate(s)Gregory
Federal division(s)Maranoa
Suburbs around Morella:
Chorregon Chorregon Bangall
Vergemont Morella Camoola
Maneroo Maneroo Longreach

Geography edit

The Landsborough Highway passed from south-east to north-west through the locality.[3]

History edit

Morella railway station (22°58′56″S 143°52′06″E / 22.9823°S 143.8682°E / -22.9823; 143.8682 (Morella railway station)) on the Central Western railway line was named by the Queensland Railways Department on 7 August 1925. It is an Aboriginal word meaning small hill.[4]

Morella Post Office opened on 1 July 1927 and closed in 1979.[5]

Town lots were sold in November 1948 centred on 22°58′52″S 143°52′06″E / 22.9812°S 143.8683°E / -22.9812; 143.8683 (Township of Morella).[6]

Local women formed the Morella branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association in October 1944. Initially they met at the Hereward and Tandara homesteads.[7] About September 1951 they opened their own hall (22°58′50″S 143°52′03″E / 22.9805°S 143.8676°E / -22.9805; 143.8676 (Morella QCWA Hall)).[8]

Evesham State School opened on 23 January 1967. It was mothballed on 31 December 2009 and then permanently closed on 31 December 2010.[9][10] The school was on Silsoe Road. The school's website was archived.[11]

In the 2016 census, Morella had a population of 33 people.[1]

In January 2019, it was decided to reduce the number of localities within Longreach Region by amalgamating the localities to the north and west of the town of Longreach into the locality of Longreach. The localities amalgamated were: Camoola, Chorregon, Ernestina, Maneroo, Morella, Tocal, and Vergemont.[12] As a consequence of this amalgamation, the Longreach Region has only three localities: Longreach, Ilframcombe and Isisford.[13]

Heritage listings edit

 
Darr River Downs woolshed, 1998

Morella had a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Amenities edit

 
Queensland Country Women's Association hall, Morella, 2019

There was a branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association in Morella off Morella Road (22°58′50″S 143°52′03″E / 22.9805°S 143.8674°E / -22.9805; 143.8674 (Morella Country Women's Association)).[15]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Morella (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  2. ^ "Morella (entry 47054)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Morella – railway station in the Longreach Region (entry 22796)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  5. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  6. ^ "MORELLA TOWNSHIP BLOCKS FOR SALE". Queensland Country Life. Vol. 14, no. 13. Queensland, Australia. 7 October 1948. p. 7. Retrieved 21 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Q.C.W.A." The Longreach Leader. Vol. 22, no. 1177. Queensland, Australia. 21 October 1944. p. 5. Retrieved 21 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Mobile Meeting Supports Divisional Loans". The Longreach Leader. Vol. 30, no. 1858. Queensland, Australia. 5 September 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 21 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Evesham school's $250K upgrade on hold". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 September 2009. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Evesham State School". Evesham State School. 10 January 2007. Archived from the original on 10 January 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Recent place name decisions: Job number 17-050: Longreach". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  14. ^ "Darr River Downs (entry 600666)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  15. ^ "Branch locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.

Further reading edit

  • Mims, Jeanne M; Queensland Country Women's Association. Morella Branch (1992), Morella memories : a local history, Q.C.W.A. Morella Branch, ISBN 978-0-646-11367-8

External links edit

  Media related to Morella, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons