Taroom, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Taroom is a town on the Dawson River in Queensland
. Australia
in the Shire of Banana
. The town is located on the Leichhardt Highway
, 485 kilometres (301.4 mi) north west of the state capital, Brisbane
, 302 kilometres (187.7 mi) from Rockhampton
and 341 kilometres (211.9 mi) from Toowoomba
. At the 2006 census
, Taroom had a population of 629.
Prussia
n explorer Ludwig Leichhardt
passed through the district in 1844, carving his initials and date on a coolibah tree
that now stands in the centre of town. Leichhardt's carving is no longer visible following an alleged attempt to remove bark growing over the initials that removed the initials as well. Reporting the rich soils in the area, settlers began taking up land in 1845 and by 1850 a town had been established at a popular camping spot near the Dawson River.
Originally named Bonners Knob the town was officially renamed Taroom, possibly after the nearby Taroom cattle station, on completion of the first post office in 1856. The name Taroom is said to be an aboriginal word for native fruit trees in the area. Situated 40 km west of Taroom is Hornet Bank Station which was the site of the 1857 Hornet Bank massacre
, the reprisals for which led to the extinction of the Yeeman Indigenous language group and people.
Taroom is a major centre for the Queensland beef industry. Other industry includes prime hard wheat and forestry
.
Taroom has a rare windmill of unusual design located on the banks of the Dawson River. The windmill was produced by the Steel Wings Company, in North Sydney between 1907 and 1911, one of only six models ever erected. The windmills comprise a steel frame and fan which turns to the wind between a bearing at the bottom and a swivel at the top, all supported by guy-wires. Along with a windmill in Jerilderie
in the Riverina
, the fully restored windmills are the only two known working examples in the world designed so their fan is contained and spins within the fully pivoting frame.
Isla Gorge National Park
, Precipice National Park
and Expedition National Park
are all nearby.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the Shire of Banana
Shire of Banana
The Shire of Banana is a Local Government Area located in the Capricorn region of Queensland, Australia, inland from the regional city of Gladstone. The shire was named after the burial site of a huge dun coloured bullock named 'Banana'...
. The town is located on the Leichhardt Highway
Leichhardt Highway
The Leichhardt Highway is a major transport route in Queensland, Australia. It is a continuation northward from Goondiwindi of the Newell Highway....
, 485 kilometres (301.4 mi) north west of the state capital, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, 302 kilometres (187.7 mi) from Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
and 341 kilometres (211.9 mi) from Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Taroom had a population of 629.
Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n explorer Ludwig Leichhardt
Ludwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
passed through the district in 1844, carving his initials and date on a coolibah tree
Eucalyptus coolabah
Eucalyptus coolabah is a eucalypt of riparian zones and is found throughout Australia from arid inland to coastal regions. The plant is commonly called coolibah or coolabah, the name being a loanword from the Indigenous Australian Yuwaaliyaay word, gulabaa.Propagation is dependent on periods of...
that now stands in the centre of town. Leichhardt's carving is no longer visible following an alleged attempt to remove bark growing over the initials that removed the initials as well. Reporting the rich soils in the area, settlers began taking up land in 1845 and by 1850 a town had been established at a popular camping spot near the Dawson River.
Originally named Bonners Knob the town was officially renamed Taroom, possibly after the nearby Taroom cattle station, on completion of the first post office in 1856. The name Taroom is said to be an aboriginal word for native fruit trees in the area. Situated 40 km west of Taroom is Hornet Bank Station which was the site of the 1857 Hornet Bank massacre
Hornet Bank massacre
The Hornet Bank massacre of eleven Europeans, including eight members of the Fraser family, took place about dawn on 27 October 1857 at a station on the upper Dawson River in central Queensland, Australia...
, the reprisals for which led to the extinction of the Yeeman Indigenous language group and people.
Taroom is a major centre for the Queensland beef industry. Other industry includes prime hard wheat and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
.
Taroom has a rare windmill of unusual design located on the banks of the Dawson River. The windmill was produced by the Steel Wings Company, in North Sydney between 1907 and 1911, one of only six models ever erected. The windmills comprise a steel frame and fan which turns to the wind between a bearing at the bottom and a swivel at the top, all supported by guy-wires. Along with a windmill in Jerilderie
Jerilderie, New South Wales
Jerilderie is a town of 768 people in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the only town in the Jerilderie Shire Local Government Area....
in the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
, the fully restored windmills are the only two known working examples in the world designed so their fan is contained and spins within the fully pivoting frame.
Isla Gorge National Park
Isla Gorge National Park
Isla Gorge is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 415 km northwest of Brisbane....
, Precipice National Park
Precipice National Park
Precipice is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 377 km northwest of Brisbane....
and Expedition National Park
Expedition National Park
Expedition is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 490 km northwest of Brisbane. It is named for the Expedition Range of mountains....
are all nearby.