Toowoomba, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland
, Australia. It is located 127 km (78.9 mi) 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. The Toowoomba Region population in 2009 was 159,000.
A university and cathedral city, Toowoomba hosts the Australian Carnival of Flowers each September, and Easterfest is held annually over the Easter weekend. There are more than 150 public parks and gardens in Toowoomba. It has developed into a regional centre for business and government services.
Toowoomba's colonial history traces back to 1816 when English botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham
arrived in Australia from Brazil
and in June 1827 discovered 4 million acres (16,000 km²) of rich farming and grazing land, which became known as the Darling Downs, bordered on the east by the Great Dividing Range
and situated 100 miles (160 km) west of the settlement of Moreton Bay
. Thirteen years later when George and Patrick Leslie
established Toolburra Station 56 miles (90.1 km) south-west of Toowoomba the first settlers arrived on the Downs and established a township of bark-slab shops called The Springs which was soon renamed Drayton
. Land for the town was first surveyed in 1849, then again in 1853.
Towards the end of the 1840s Drayton had grown to the point where it had its own newspaper, general store, trading post and the Royal Bull's Head Inn, which was built by William Horton and still stands today. Horton is regarded as the true founder of Toowoomba, despite the fact that he was not the first man to live there. Drovers and wagon masters spread the news of the new settlement at Toowoomba. By 1858 Toowoomba was growing fast. It had a population of 700, three hotels and many stores. Land selling at £4 an acre (£988/km²) in 1850 was now £150 an acre (£37,000/km²). Governor Bowen granted the wish of locals and a new municipality was proclaimed on 24 November 1860.
The first town council election took place on 4 January 1861 and William Henry Groom won. The railway from Ipswich was opened in 1867, bringing with it business development. In 1892, the Under Secretary of Public Land proclaimed Toowoomba and the surrounding areas as a township and in 1904 Toowoomba was declared a city. Pastoralism replaced agriculture and dairying by the 1900s.
Toowoomba was named as Australia's Tidiest Town
in 2008.
and longitude
of 27°33′S 151°57′E. Toowoomba sits on the crest of the Great Dividing Range
, around 700 metres (2,296.6 ft) above sea level. A few streets are on the eastern side of the edge of the range, but most of the city is west of the divide.
The City occupies the edge of the range and the low ridges behind it. Two valleys run north from the southern boundary, each arising from springs either side of Middle Ridge near Spring Street at an altitude of around 680 m. These waterways, East Creek and West Creek flow together just north of the CBD to form Gowrie Creek.
Gowrie Creek drains to the west across the Darling Downs and is a tributary of the Condamine River
, part of the Murray-Darling Basin
. The water flowing down Gowrie Creek makes its way some 3000 km (1,864.1 mi) to the mouth of the Murray River
near Adelaide
in South Australia. Rain which falls on the easternmost streets of Toowoomba flows east to Moreton Bay
a distance of around 170 km (105.6 mi).
The rich volcanic soil in the region helps maintain the 150 public parks that are scattered across the city. Jacaranda
, Camphor laurel and Plane
trees line many of the city streets. The city's reputation as 'The Garden City' is highlighted during the Australian Carnival of Flowers festival held in September each year. Deciduous
trees from around the world line many of the parks, giving a display of autumn colour. This is particularly rare in Australia, as nearly the entire continent is forested with evergreen
s.
Toowoomba's history has been preserved in its buildings. Examples of architecture drawing from the city's wealthy beginnings include Toowoomba City Hall
which was Queensland's first purpose-built town hall, the National Trust Royal Bull's Head Inn and many examples in the heritage-listed Russell Street. Immediately to the east of the CBD is the Caledonian Estate, an area of turn of the 20th century housing, ranging from humble workers cottages to large stately homes, in the classic wooden Queenslander
style.
Toowoomba is also home to The Empire Theatre
, which was originally opened in June 1911, as a silent movie house. In February 1933, fire broke out, almost completely destroying the building. However, the Empire was rebuilt and reopened in November 1933. The architectural styling of the new Empire Theatre was art deco
, in keeping with the trend of the 1930s. After years of neglect, the Empire Theatre was extensively renovated in the late 1990s, but retains much of its art deco architecture and decorations, especially the proscenium
arch. Able to seat approximately 1,500 people, the Empire Theatre is now the largest regional theatre in Australia.
The City also is home to the Cobb & Co Museum
, hailing to the famous mail company's beginnings as a small mail run in the 1800s to transport mail and passengers to Brisbane
and beyond. It also houses Australia's largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles. The museum has undergone a A$8 million redevelopment before reopening in September 2010.
Daily maximum temperatures in Toowoomba average 27 °C (80.6 °F) in summer and 16 °C (60.8 °F) in winter. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the highest temperature ever recorded in Toowoomba was 39.3 °C (102.7 °F), while the lowest was -4.4 C. Winter temperatures seldom go below freezing
; however in a situation unique among Queensland cities, snow has been reported on the higher parts of the city on rare occasions. Light frost
will be experienced several nights each winter in the city centre, more often in the western suburbs.
Average annual rainfall, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, is 944 millimetres (37.2 in) in Toowoomba City. Rainfall in the eastern suburbs along the Great Dividing Range nudges 1000 mm (39.4 in) per year.
On 10 January 2011 the city was hit by a massive flash flood causing damage to properties, infrastructure and resulting in the deaths of two people in the CBD. The flash flood, which has been called an "Inland Tsunami", has resulted in sixteen deaths in Toowoomba and the nearby Lockyer Valley, with 14 people still missing.
. The city is represented in the Parliament of Queensland
by three seats: Toowoomba North
, Toowoomba South
and Condamine
. Toowoomba North is the only Labor held seat in Toowoomba. In the Commonwealth Parliament
, Toowoomba forms part of the Division of Groom
, which is held by Ian MacFarlane
for the Liberal Party of Australia
. The current Mayor of Toowoomba is Mayor Peter Taylor.
is also present in the local community, with the city providing housing and amenities for many of the personnel based at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre
(in Oakey, 29 km (18 mi) NW of Toowoomba) and Borneo Barracks at Cabarlah to the city's North.
Economic growth potential in the region has been identified through the development of energy resources found in the Surat Basin
and in food processing
.
State
Private/religious
Private/Religious
Toowoomba is nationally renowned for the annual Carnival of Flowers, held each year in September. Many of the city's major parks and gardens are especially prepared for the Carnival, which also includes a prominent Home Garden Competition, with persons able to visit participating homes and gardens for inspection, and a Parade with flower-themed floats. Buses bring people from around the nation, and a popular way to arrive at the Carnival from Brisbane
is on specially chartered retired steam or diesel train, which captures the yesteryear aspect of travel to Toowoomba in 19th century wooden carriages.
In 1953 the Carnival of Flowers was the subject of a sponsored film produced by the Queensland Minister for Lands and Irrigation. The Carnival of Flowers depicts the floral parade, a home garden's competition and the crowning of the Floral Queen and is a wonderful portrait of life in 1950's Queensland.
Toowoomba is also home to Australia's largest Drug & Alcohol free festival, Easterfest.
. Favourite eating spots include Veraisons, Encores, Picnic Point Cafe and Restaurant, Gips, The Olive Branch, Weis, and many other dining venues.
is a popular sport in Toowoomba. A team representing Toowoomba used to compete in the Bulimba Cup tournament. Toowoomba currently does not host a team in any of the major national competitions but was home to the Toowoomba Clydesdales
in the Queensland Cup state league. Toowoomba also have a team in the Daily Telegraph Supercoach competition, Toowoomba Locusts, and are coached by Jacob Dunstan. The Clydesdales were the feeder team for Brisbane Broncos
in the National Rugby League
(NRL) from 1999 to 2006. The Clysedales dropped out of the Queensland Cup after the 2006 season due to financial difficulties and are no longer a feeder club for the Brisbane Broncos.
The city has a soccer club Toowoomba Raiders FC
that plays in the Brisbane Premier League Division 1. The Garden City Raiders are the junior soccer club.
Australian rules football
is played by four senior teams in the AFL Darling Downs competition: Coolaroo, Toowoomba Tigers, University of Southern Queensland and South Toowoomba. The sport is not as popular as the Rugby codes, but is gaining in popularity amongst juniors. In 2006, Brad Howard
became the first draftee from Toowoomba to the Australian Football League
.
Toowoomba has clubs for other sports including cricket
(Toowoomba Cricket Inc), archery
, swimming, tennis, softball
, baseball, netball
(Toowoomba Netball Association), hockey
(Toowoomba Hockey Association), gridiron
(Chargers) and basketball (Toowoomba Basketball Association). The city is also home of the Toowoomba Mountaineers Basketball Team, which participates in the Queensland Basketball League (QBL).
Toowoomba is home to Clifford Park Racecourse, one of Australia's leading provincial race tracks. Clifford Park Racecourse was acquired as a 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) block in 1861. The first meeting on it was conducted by the Darling Downs Jockey Club at the course, then known as Drayton and Toowoomba Racecourse, on 6 March 1862.
In 1882, Toowoomba Turf Club was formed and conducted its first meetings on 3 & 4 June that year. The first recorded Toowoomba Cup as run in 1919. In 1992, the club made Australian racing history by staging the first race ever run under electric lights, the Fosters Toowoomba Cup, which was won by Waigani Drive. On 4 September 1996, the club staged the first ever night race meeting in Australia. Known as the 'Home of twilight racing' Clifford Park continues to race under lights every Saturday night and hosts 57 TAB race meeting per year.
The Toowoomba Turf Club continued to make Australian racing history when on 16 February 2009 members voted in favour of the replacement of the grass course proper with a synthetic racing surface called Cushion Track. The completion of the project will take full effect on 11 July 2009 when the annual Weetwood Handicap and Toowoomba Cup meeting will be held for the first time on the cushion track surface.
Not to forget, of course Rugby Union. Toowoomba has a number of teams, including University of Southern Queensland Rugby Union Club, Toowoomba Rangers Rugby Union Club, Toowoomba City Rugby Club, which compete in the Regional Rugby Union competition, against such teams as, the Roma Echidnas, the Condamine Cods, the Dalby Wheatmen, the Goondiwindi Emus, the Warwick Water Rats and the University of Queensland Rugby Union Club (Gatton Campus).
Owners of CFM 100.7 and 4GR (Gold Radio Pty. Ltd) also own all 3 narrowcast stations in Toowoomba (91.5, 93.7 & 99.1 FM).
, Southern Cross Ten
, WIN Television
, ABC TV
(ABC1) and SBS TV
(SBS ONE).
Each broadcasts television services in both analogue and digital formats, with analogue transmissions to be deactivated in the second half of 2011.
Ten additional digital-only channels are also available: ABC2
, ABC3
, ABC News 24
, GEM
, GO!
, One HD, Eleven
, SBS Two, 7Two
, and 7mate
.
SBS offers digital high-definition
simulcasts of their main channel, SBS ONE on SBS HD.
Of the three main commercial networks, WIN airs a 30-minute local news bulletin each weeknight from its Mount Lofty studios, where bulletins for the Mackay
& Townsville
regions also originate. Both Seven Queensland and Southern Cross Ten have offices in the city with short local news updates airing on Southern Cross Ten throughout the day.
Brisbane metropolitan commercial channels BTQ-7
(Seven Network), QTQ-9
(Nine Network) and TVQ-10
(Network Ten) broadcasting from transmission towers at Mount Coot-tha can also be received in some parts of Toowoomba.
services operated by Bus Queensland (who took over from Garden City Sunbus) throughout the city from around 9:00 am to around 5:30 pm Monday to Friday. A limited service runs Saturday. There are no Sunday services.
There are frequent inter-city bus services between Toowoomba and Brisbane, and other centres.
Toowoomba is not included in TransLink
, the Southeast Queensland integrated public transport system—a matter of some local contention.
Toowoomba has a twice weekly rail service from Brisbane to Charleville, Queensland
and return on QR's Westlander.
There are no local rail or tram services, however the development of a suburban railway system has been flagged. Toowoomba is criss-crossed by several railway lines which are largely unused, or used for freight, and idle railway stations can be found in the suburbs (including Ballard, Drayton, Harlaxton and Harristown) dating to when these localities were separate centres.
Toowoomba is serviced by Toowoomba Airport
, which is used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service
and the Darling Downs Aeroclub.
Toowoomba's third water storage Cressbrook Dam was completed in 1983 and supplied water to Toowoomba in 1988. It has a full capacity of about 80,000 megalitres bringing total capacity of the three dams, Cooby, Perseverance, and Cressbrook, to 126,000 megalitres.
The city also has underground supplies in fractured basalt
. Toowoomba sits above the eastern edge of the Great Artesian Basin
and to the west underground water is available beneath agricultural alluvium
.
The average rainfall in the period 1998 to 2005 has been 30% below the long term average consistent with a prolonged drought and this trend continued through to spring of 2007. In mid 2005, the water situation for the city was becoming critical with water supply levels below 30%. Environmental flows from Cressbrook Dam into Cressbrook Creek were allowed to cease as Toowoomba approached level five water restrictions. During March 2006 the surface water storage in the dams fell below 25% of full capacity, falling even more to 12.8% as of 10 March 2008. The city's water supply was at an all time low of 7.7% in December 2009.
The previous Toowoomba Mayor Dianne Thorley
proposed a controversial potable re-use project under the Toowoomba Water Futures plan which would result in water reclaimed from the Wetalla Sewage Treatment Plant being returned to Cooby Dam to provide 25% of the potable water supply for Toowoomba. Other water supply options include importing water from Oakey Creek Groundwater Management Area (average TDS = 1660 mg/L), importing water from Condamine Groundwater Management Area (Average TDS = 740 mg/L), and water from coal seam gas production (TDS = 1200–4300 mg/L).
One of the difficulties with the Water Futures proposal was that it relied on Acland Coal, a subsidiary of New Hope Corporation, taking the reverse osmosis
waste stream. However, they had never agreed to this. Without their involvement, 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi) of evaporation ponds, costing at least an additional $70 million, would have been required. This amount was not included in Council's budget for the Water Futures project.
On 29 July 2006 Toowoomba City Council conducted a poll of Toowoomba residents on the proposal to use this multi-barrier filtration system for filtering sewage for drinking purposes. The poll question was: "Do you support the addition of purified recycled water to Toowoomba’s water supply via Cooby Dam as proposed by Water Futures – Toowoomba?” 38% of voters supported the proposal and 62% opposed. This meant that despite dams reaching critical levels, the city rejected the use of recycled water in a plebiscite. Since the public rejection in 2006 of adding recycled sewage to the drinking water supply, water conservation measures have included harvesting stormwater for use in public parks and adding filtered groundwater to the town water supply.The city was under level 5 water restrictions as of 26 September 2006. This prohibits residents from using town water on their lawns, gardens or cars, and residents are strongly urged to cut down on water consumption.
In 2007, the Toowoomba City Council commenced a bore drilling program to augment the dwindling dam supplies and constructed several subartesian bores across the city and one artesian bore at Wetalla in the city's north. Many of the subartesian bores provided potable water with a reliable yield and have been developed into production however the artesian bore's water quality was very poor, prohibiting development as a potable source. This was an expensive setback for the city as the cost was over A$2 million for drilling to over 700 metres. In January 2008, yield testing had been stalled due to the unavailability of appropriate pumping equipment. The Toowoomba Regional Council began supplementing the city's water supply with bore water from the Great Artesian Basin in September 2009. Groundwater
has become a significant contributor to the city's water supply needs and now constitutes one third of the total volume of water treated for reticulated supply (160 ML per week).
Also in 2007, the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water initiated a subartesian drilling program centred on Toowoomba to expand its network of groundwater monitoring stations in the Main Range Volcanics. With the increased demand for groundwater in the area from council, commercial and urban users, more information was required to effectively manage the resource whereas previously the location and density of monitoring stations would not provide enough data.
The state government has built a $187 million pipeline from Wivenhoe Dam
to Toowoomba. Water pumping along the 38 km pipeline to Cressbrook Dam began in January 2010.
; and Paju, South Korea
.
, January 1959 pp10–16
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. It is located 127 km (78.9 mi) west of Queensland's capital city, 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...
. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city. The Toowoomba Region population in 2009 was 159,000.
A university and cathedral city, Toowoomba hosts the Australian Carnival of Flowers each September, and Easterfest is held annually over the Easter weekend. There are more than 150 public parks and gardens in Toowoomba. It has developed into a regional centre for business and government services.
History
Allan Cunningham (botanist)
Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants.- Early life :...
arrived in Australia from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and in June 1827 discovered 4 million acres (16,000 km²) of rich farming and grazing land, which became known as the Darling Downs, bordered on the east by the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
and situated 100 miles (160 km) west of the settlement of Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
. Thirteen years later when George and Patrick Leslie
Patrick Leslie
Patrick Leslie was a Scottish Settler in Australia. Leslie and his two brothers were the first to settle on the Darling Downs, and he was the first person to buy land in Warwick.-Early life:...
established Toolburra Station 56 miles (90.1 km) south-west of Toowoomba the first settlers arrived on the Downs and established a township of bark-slab shops called The Springs which was soon renamed Drayton
Drayton, Queensland
Drayton is an outer southwestern suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Toowoomba Region.The first substantial settlement on the Darling Downs in c.1842...
. Land for the town was first surveyed in 1849, then again in 1853.
Towards the end of the 1840s Drayton had grown to the point where it had its own newspaper, general store, trading post and the Royal Bull's Head Inn, which was built by William Horton and still stands today. Horton is regarded as the true founder of Toowoomba, despite the fact that he was not the first man to live there. Drovers and wagon masters spread the news of the new settlement at Toowoomba. By 1858 Toowoomba was growing fast. It had a population of 700, three hotels and many stores. Land selling at £4 an acre (£988/km²) in 1850 was now £150 an acre (£37,000/km²). Governor Bowen granted the wish of locals and a new municipality was proclaimed on 24 November 1860.
Toowoomba was named as Australia's Tidiest Town
Australian Tidy Town Awards
The Australian Tidy Town Awards were launched in 1968 in Western Australia and are an initiative of Keep Australia Beautiful. These awards encourage, motivate and celebrate the achievements of rural and regional communities across Australia...
in 2008.
Geography
Toowoomba is situated at a latitudeLatitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
and longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
of 27°33′S 151°57′E. Toowoomba sits on the crest of the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
, around 700 metres (2,296.6 ft) above sea level. A few streets are on the eastern side of the edge of the range, but most of the city is west of the divide.
The City occupies the edge of the range and the low ridges behind it. Two valleys run north from the southern boundary, each arising from springs either side of Middle Ridge near Spring Street at an altitude of around 680 m. These waterways, East Creek and West Creek flow together just north of the CBD to form Gowrie Creek.
Gowrie Creek drains to the west across the Darling Downs and is a tributary of the Condamine River
Condamine River
The Condamine River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin, drains the northern portion of the Darling Downs, an area of sub-coastal southern Queensland, Australia...
, part of the Murray-Darling Basin
Murray-Darling Basin
The Murray-Darling basin is a large geographical area in the interior of southeastern Australia, whose name is derived from its two major rivers, the Murray River and the Darling River. It drains one-seventh of the Australian land mass, and is currently by far the most significant agricultural...
. The water flowing down Gowrie Creek makes its way some 3000 km (1,864.1 mi) to the mouth of the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
near Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in South Australia. Rain which falls on the easternmost streets of Toowoomba flows east to Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay
Moreton Bay is a bay on the eastern coast of Australia 45 km from Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of Queensland's most important coastal resources...
a distance of around 170 km (105.6 mi).
The rich volcanic soil in the region helps maintain the 150 public parks that are scattered across the city. Jacaranda
Jacaranda
Jacaranda is a genus of 49 species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of South America , Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It is also found in Asia, especially in Nepal...
, Camphor laurel and Plane
Platanus
Platanus is a small genus of trees native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae....
trees line many of the city streets. The city's reputation as 'The Garden City' is highlighted during the Australian Carnival of Flowers festival held in September each year. Deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
trees from around the world line many of the parks, giving a display of autumn colour. This is particularly rare in Australia, as nearly the entire continent is forested with evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
s.
Suburbs
- Blue Mountain HeightsBlue Mountain Heights, QueenslandBlue Mountain Heights is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located from the city centre via New England Highway.Derived from a hotel name, formerly called Blue Mountain Estate, named by Queensland Place Names Board 1 May 1975. Named and bounded by the Minister for Natural Resources 12...
- Centenary HeightsCentenary Heights, QueenslandCentenary Heights is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located from the central business district.Previously part of Middle Ridge, the area was named Centenary Heights in 1960 in honour of the separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859....
- Cotswold HillsCotswold Hills, QueenslandCotswold Hills is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located north-west of the city centre off Warrego Highway. It is a rural-residential area with homes on small acreages....
- CranleyCranley, QueenslandCranley is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located from the central business district.A railway station existed here from the 1870s, most likely named after a home, or after Cranleigh in Sussex, England The suburb is home to Baillie Henderson Hospital, which provides mental health...
- Darling HeightsDarling Heights, QueenslandDarling Heights is an outer southern suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland. Its Local Government Area is the Toowoomba Region.It lies on the southern edge of the city, on the west ridge. The land falls away steeply to the west toward Drayton, the slope being occupied by detached bungalow housing with an...
- DraytonDrayton, QueenslandDrayton is an outer southwestern suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Toowoomba Region.The first substantial settlement on the Darling Downs in c.1842...
- East ToowoombaEast Toowoomba, QueenslandEast Toowoomba is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located from the central business district.-Education:The suburb contains the main Bridge Street campus of Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE, and two elite independent schools, Toowoomba Grammar School and Fairholme College .In...
- GlenvaleGlenvale, QueenslandGlenvale is a district in Queensland, Australia, that comprises part of greater Toowoomba's western suburbs. During the 1990s and 2000s it was a hive of new construction, with new housing estates opening almost monthly.-History:...
- HarlaxtonHarlaxton, QueenslandHarlaxton is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located north of the city centre.The name originates from Harlaxton House, probably named for Harlaxton in Lincolnshire, England, and built in 1869 in what is now Munro Street as the residence of Francis Thomas Gregory...
- HarristownHarristown, QueenslandHarristown is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located to the southwest of the city centre.The suburb was officially named in 1981, and is believed to honour George Harris , a Brisbane businessman. Originally in the Shire of Drayton, the suburb was first opened as the Harristown Estate...
- Kearneys SpringKearneys Spring, QueenslandKearneys Spring is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located south of the city centre via New England Highway.The suburb was named for a family who had a dairy farm in the area...
- Middle RidgeMiddle Ridge, QueenslandMiddle Ridge is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located from the city centre.Middle Ridge was named in the 1860s, as the area between East and West Creeks where the teamsters who camped at Toowoomba turned their teams loose to graze....
- Mount KynochMount Kynoch, QueenslandMount Kynoch is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located north of the city centre. Originally a trigonometric station known as Stony Pinch, both the mountain and the suburb were named in 1981 after John Kynoch, an early chairman of the Shire of Highfields...
- Mount LoftyMount Lofty, QueenslandMount Lofty is an inner suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located north-east of the city centre.Jubilee Park, a large parkland and bushland area with numerous riding trails, forms the eastern part of the suburb. At the end of North Street is the peak of Mount Lofty, which features a...
- NewtownNewtown, Queensland (Toowoomba)Newtown is an inner suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, located directly west of the city centre.The area was the first outside the city centre to be subdivided for residential purposes, in 1865...
- North ToowoombaNorth Toowoomba, QueenslandNorth Toowoomba is an inner suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located directly north of the city centre....
- Prince Henry HeightsPrince Henry Heights, QueenslandPrince Henry Heights is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located east of the city centre. It was named for Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, who served as Governor-General of Australia from 1945 until 1947; the suburb's boundary road had been known as Prince Henry Drive well before...
- RangevilleRangeville, QueenslandRangeville is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located south-east of the city centre.As closer settlement moved further along the range from Toowoomba, the suburb appears to have been named Rangeville to distinguish it from The Range, which was the general term for the area along the...
- RedwoodRedwood, QueenslandRedwood is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located east of the city centre via Warrego Highway. Half of the suburb's area consists of Redwood Park, after which the suburb was named in 1981; the rest, to the south of the highway, is mostly crown land...
- RockvilleRockville, QueenslandRockville is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located north-west of the city centre.Rockville was named after Rockville Estate, consisting of 114 allotments in the area ranging from to , which itself was named after Rockville House. The suburb was officially named in 1981.The eastern...
- South ToowoombaSouth Toowoomba, QueenslandSouth Toowoomba is an inner suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located directly south of the city centre.The suburb is home to City Golf Course, the Downs Shopping Centre, St Saviour's College and Toowoomba South State School....
- Toowoomba CityToowoomba City, QueenslandToowoomba City is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, containing its central business district.-Education:* Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE * Toowoomba North State School...
- WilsontonWilsonton, QueenslandWilsonton is a suburb of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, located west of the central business district.The suburb, officially named in 1981, is believed to honour James T. Wilson, an 1870s businessman and supporter of the Toowoomba Agricultural Society...
Architecture and heritage
Toowoomba City Hall
The Toowoomba City Hall is the seat of the City Council of Toowoomba, Queensland , Australia. It is located on the 153 Herries Street and on 543 Ruthven Street. The building is the location for the proclamation that Toowoomba was a city and was the first purpose built city hall ever constructed in...
which was Queensland's first purpose-built town hall, the National Trust Royal Bull's Head Inn and many examples in the heritage-listed Russell Street. Immediately to the east of the CBD is the Caledonian Estate, an area of turn of the 20th century housing, ranging from humble workers cottages to large stately homes, in the classic wooden Queenslander
Queenslander (architecture)
Queenslander architecture is a modern term for the vernacular type of architecture of Queensland, Australia. It is also found in the northern parts of the adjacent state of New South Wales and shares many traits with architecture in other states of Australia but is distinct and unique...
style.
Toowoomba is also home to The Empire Theatre
The Empire Theatre
The Empire Theatre is located in Toowoomba, Queensland, and is a fine example of art deco architecture. It is a heritage site listed by the National Trust of Queensland....
, which was originally opened in June 1911, as a silent movie house. In February 1933, fire broke out, almost completely destroying the building. However, the Empire was rebuilt and reopened in November 1933. The architectural styling of the new Empire Theatre was art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
, in keeping with the trend of the 1930s. After years of neglect, the Empire Theatre was extensively renovated in the late 1990s, but retains much of its art deco architecture and decorations, especially the proscenium
Proscenium
A proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
arch. Able to seat approximately 1,500 people, the Empire Theatre is now the largest regional theatre in Australia.
The City also is home to the Cobb & Co Museum
Cobb & Co Museum
The Cobb and Co Museum is located in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. The museum was opened in 1987 when the Queensland Museum was looking for space to display its catalogue of horse drawn vehicles...
, hailing to the famous mail company's beginnings as a small mail run in the 1800s to transport mail and passengers to 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...
and beyond. It also houses Australia's largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles. The museum has undergone a A$8 million redevelopment before reopening in September 2010.
Climate
Toowoomba has a temperate climate with warm summers and cool winters and it enjoys four distinct seasons. Compared to most of Queensland, the town is cooler, mainly because of its high elevation.Daily maximum temperatures in Toowoomba average 27 °C (80.6 °F) in summer and 16 °C (60.8 °F) in winter. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the highest temperature ever recorded in Toowoomba was 39.3 °C (102.7 °F), while the lowest was -4.4 C. Winter temperatures seldom go below freezing
Freezing
Freezing or solidification is a phase change in which a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. The reverse process is melting....
; however in a situation unique among Queensland cities, snow has been reported on the higher parts of the city on rare occasions. Light frost
Frost
Frost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
will be experienced several nights each winter in the city centre, more often in the western suburbs.
Average annual rainfall, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, is 944 millimetres (37.2 in) in Toowoomba City. Rainfall in the eastern suburbs along the Great Dividing Range nudges 1000 mm (39.4 in) per year.
On 10 January 2011 the city was hit by a massive flash flood causing damage to properties, infrastructure and resulting in the deaths of two people in the CBD. The flash flood, which has been called an "Inland Tsunami", has resulted in sixteen deaths in Toowoomba and the nearby Lockyer Valley, with 14 people still missing.
Governance
Toowoomba is located in and is the seat of the Toowoomba Region local government areaLocal Government Areas of Queensland
This is a list of local government areas in Queensland, sorted by region. For the history and responsibilities of local government in that state, see Local government in Queensland.-LGAs sorted by region:...
. The city is represented in the Parliament of Queensland
Parliament of Queensland
The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. According to the state's constitution, the Parliament consists of the Queen and the Legislative Assembly. It is the only unicameral state parliament in the country, the upper chamber, the Legislative Council, having been...
by three seats: Toowoomba North
Electoral district of Toowoomba North
The district of Toowoomba North is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. It was created with the 1972 redistribution...
, Toowoomba South
Electoral district of Toowoomba South
The district of Toowoomba South is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. It was created with the 1972 redistribution, and replaced the abolished Toowoomba East....
and Condamine
Electoral district of Condamine
The district of Condamine is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.Condamine takes in areas to the north-west, west and south of Toowoomba. It includes the towns of Dalby, Oakey, Pittsworth and Clifton. The district is named for the Condamine River...
. Toowoomba North is the only Labor held seat in Toowoomba. In the Commonwealth Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
, Toowoomba forms part of the Division of Groom
Division of Groom
The Division of Groom is anAustralian Electoral Division in Queensland.The division was created in 1984, when the old Division of Darling Downs was abolished, and is named in honour of Sir Littleton Groom, a long-serving member for Darling Downs....
, which is held by Ian MacFarlane
Ian Macfarlane (politician)
Ian Elgin Macfarlane , is an Australian politician. He was elected as a member of the Australian House of Representatives in October 1998, representing the Division of Groom, Queensland for the Liberal National Party...
for the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
. The current Mayor of Toowoomba is Mayor Peter Taylor.
Economy
The largest industry employers in Toowoomba (2004) are retail trade (17.8%); health and community services (13.3%); manufacturing (12.2%); and education (11.1%). Professional employment was the most prominent occupation (18.2%) followed by clerical, sales and service workers (17.7%) and tradespersons and related workers (13.3%). The Australian Defence ForceAustralian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
is also present in the local community, with the city providing housing and amenities for many of the personnel based at the Oakey Army Aviation Centre
Oakey Army Aviation Centre
Oakey Army Aviation Centre is situated approximately 3 km from the town centre of Oakey in Queensland, Australia. It provides a training establishment for Australian Army Aviation, and also hosts a Singapore Armed Forces Helicopter Squadron, namely the 126 Squadron.-History:The base has a...
(in Oakey, 29 km (18 mi) NW of Toowoomba) and Borneo Barracks at Cabarlah to the city's North.
Economic growth potential in the region has been identified through the development of energy resources found in the Surat Basin
Surat Basin
The Surat Basin is a part of the Great Artesian Basin of Australia. The Surat Basin extends across an area of 270,000 square kilometres and the southern third of the basin occupies a large part of northern New South Wales, the remainder is in Queensland. It comprises Jurassic through to Cretaceous...
and in food processing
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
.
Primary
There are numerous primary schools in Toowoomba. Among these are:State
- Darling Heights State School
- Drayton State SchoolDrayton State SchoolDrayton State School is one of the oldest schools in Queensland, Australia. It was established as a National School in 1851, and became part of the Queensland state education system in 1860....
is the oldest school in Toowoomba. - Fairview Heights State School
- Gabbinbar State School
- Glenvale State School
- Harlaxton State School
- Harristown State Primary School
- Middle Ridge State School
- Newtown State School
- Rangeville State School
- Rockville State School
- Toowoomba East State School
- Toowoomba North State School
- Toowoomba South State SchoolToowoomba South State SchoolToowoomba South State School is a primary school located on the southern edge of the Toowoomba CBD in Queensland, Australia.Toowoomaba South is one of the oldest primary schools in Queensland. It is the oldest State School in Toowoomba proper . It was first opened in 1865, as school number 112...
is the oldest school in Toowoomba proper. - Wilsonton State School
- Wyreema State School
Private/religious
- St Thomas More's School
- Mater DeiMater DeiMater Dei is Latin for "Mother of God", referring to the Virgin Mary as Theotokos. The term has been used to name various institutions, often Catholic, including:-Educational institutions:*Mater Dei Academy, a Catholic K-8 school in Wickliffe, OH...
- Toowoomba Preparatory SchoolToowoomba Preparatory SchoolToowoomba Preparatory School is a private co-educational primary school located in Toowoomba, Queensland. It has an average enrolment of approximately 500 students. It has three sporting ovals and a multipurpose court...
- Christian Outreach College ToowoombaChristian Outreach College ToowoombaChristian Outreach College Toowoomba is independent, co-educational, Christian day school, located in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia which offers education from kindergarten through grade 12. COCT is a private school located in Toowoomba, QLD which caters for approximately 800 students...
- Fairholme CollegeFairholme CollegeFairholme College is an independent, day and boarding school for girls, located in Toowoomba, one of Australia's largest provincial cities, in South East Queensland, Australia....
- The Glennie School
- Glenvale Christian School
- Grammar Junior
- Concordia Lutheran College (2 campuses)
- St Anthony's Primary School Toowoomba
- Sacred Heart School
- Our Lady of Lourdes SchoolOur Lady of Lourdes SchoolOur Lady of Lourdes School may refer to several schools:*Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, Miami, Florida, USA*Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School, Guelph, Ontario, Canada*Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School , USA...
- Toowoomba Christian College
Secondary
State high- Centenary Heights State High School
- Clifford Park Special School
- Harristown State High School
- Toowoomba State High SchoolToowoomba State High SchoolToowoomba State High School is a co-educational State High School located in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.Established in 1919, the school consists of two campuses, the Mount Lofty campus, and the Wilsonton campus, with 1902 students....
(2 campuses) - Toowoomba Flexi School (annexe of Centenary Heights State High School)
Private/Religious
- Christian Outreach College Christian co-educational school.
- Concordia CollegeConcordia College, ToowoombaConcordia Lutheran College is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding school of the Lutheran Church of Australia, located in Toowoomba on the Darling Downs of Queensland, Australia....
'
- Darling Downs Christian School
- Downlands CollegeDownlands CollegeDownlands College, officially Downlands Sacred Heart College, is a private, secondary, coeducational, day and boarding school in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Founded by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1931, the College began as a boarding school for boys with a total enrolment of...
independent Catholic Co-educational Day and Boarding school - Fairholme CollegeFairholme CollegeFairholme College is an independent, day and boarding school for girls, located in Toowoomba, one of Australia's largest provincial cities, in South East Queensland, Australia....
a Presbyterian Church of Queensland school. - The Glennie School- Anglican day and boarding school
- St Joseph's College
- St Mary's College
- St Saviour's, Toowoomba's oldest Catholic school
- St Ursula's College Independent Catholic day and boarding school for girls
- Toowoomba Christian College
- Toowoomba Grammar SchoolToowoomba Grammar SchoolToowoomba Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding grammar school for boys, in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia....
, independent grammar school (est.1875).
Tertiary
- University of Southern QueenslandUniversity of Southern QueenslandThe University of Southern Queensland is based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. The institution was established in 1967 as the Queensland Institute of Technology...
- Southern Queensland Institute of TAFESouthern Queensland Institute of TAFESouthern Queensland Institute of TAFE Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE (SQIT]] is an Australian vocational college for teaching Tertiary and Further Education. It covers a wide area, with campuses in Toowoomba, Roma, Warwick, Kingaroy, Dalby, Chinchilla,...
(SQIT) has extensive campuses to the east of the CBD. - University of QueenslandUniversity of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
has a small centre in Toowoomba. - There are several private post-secondary colleges and training providers in Toowoomba.
Festivals
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...
is on specially chartered retired steam or diesel train, which captures the yesteryear aspect of travel to Toowoomba in 19th century wooden carriages.
In 1953 the Carnival of Flowers was the subject of a sponsored film produced by the Queensland Minister for Lands and Irrigation. The Carnival of Flowers depicts the floral parade, a home garden's competition and the crowning of the Floral Queen and is a wonderful portrait of life in 1950's Queensland.
Toowoomba is also home to Australia's largest Drug & Alcohol free festival, Easterfest.
Food
Toowoomba is well served by a great selection of restaurants, cafe's and eateries throughout the city. Toowoomba also is home to the Weis Bar and the LamingtonLamington
A lamington is a sponge cake of Australian origin in the shape of a cuboid, coated in a layer of traditionally chocolate icing then desiccated coconut. Lamingtons are sometimes served as two halves with a layer of cream and/or strawberry jam between, and are commonly found in South African and...
. Favourite eating spots include Veraisons, Encores, Picnic Point Cafe and Restaurant, Gips, The Olive Branch, Weis, and many other dining venues.
Sport
Rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
is a popular sport in Toowoomba. A team representing Toowoomba used to compete in the Bulimba Cup tournament. Toowoomba currently does not host a team in any of the major national competitions but was home to the Toowoomba Clydesdales
Toowoomba Clydesdales
The Toowoomba Clydesdales are a rugby league football club based in Toowoomba, Queensland, named after the Scottish horse breed. They played in the Queensland Wizard Cup since the competition began in 1996 but no longer play in this competition....
in the Queensland Cup state league. Toowoomba also have a team in the Daily Telegraph Supercoach competition, Toowoomba Locusts, and are coached by Jacob Dunstan. The Clydesdales were the feeder team for Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
in the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
(NRL) from 1999 to 2006. The Clysedales dropped out of the Queensland Cup after the 2006 season due to financial difficulties and are no longer a feeder club for the Brisbane Broncos.
The city has a soccer club Toowoomba Raiders FC
Toowoomba Raiders FC
Toowoomba Raiders Football Club are an Australian football club from Toowoomba, Queensland. The club was formed in 1996, and currently have teams in the Brisbane Premier League Division 1 league. They finished 12th in 2010, however despite only being 1 place above the drop zone, they did have a...
that plays in the Brisbane Premier League Division 1. The Garden City Raiders are the junior soccer club.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
is played by four senior teams in the AFL Darling Downs competition: Coolaroo, Toowoomba Tigers, University of Southern Queensland and South Toowoomba. The sport is not as popular as the Rugby codes, but is gaining in popularity amongst juniors. In 2006, Brad Howard
Brad Howard
Brad Howard is an Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .-AFL career :...
became the first draftee from Toowoomba to the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Toowoomba has clubs for other sports including cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
(Toowoomba Cricket Inc), archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, swimming, tennis, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, baseball, netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
(Toowoomba Netball Association), hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
(Toowoomba Hockey Association), gridiron
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
(Chargers) and basketball (Toowoomba Basketball Association). The city is also home of the Toowoomba Mountaineers Basketball Team, which participates in the Queensland Basketball League (QBL).
Toowoomba is home to Clifford Park Racecourse, one of Australia's leading provincial race tracks. Clifford Park Racecourse was acquired as a 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) block in 1861. The first meeting on it was conducted by the Darling Downs Jockey Club at the course, then known as Drayton and Toowoomba Racecourse, on 6 March 1862.
In 1882, Toowoomba Turf Club was formed and conducted its first meetings on 3 & 4 June that year. The first recorded Toowoomba Cup as run in 1919. In 1992, the club made Australian racing history by staging the first race ever run under electric lights, the Fosters Toowoomba Cup, which was won by Waigani Drive. On 4 September 1996, the club staged the first ever night race meeting in Australia. Known as the 'Home of twilight racing' Clifford Park continues to race under lights every Saturday night and hosts 57 TAB race meeting per year.
The Toowoomba Turf Club continued to make Australian racing history when on 16 February 2009 members voted in favour of the replacement of the grass course proper with a synthetic racing surface called Cushion Track. The completion of the project will take full effect on 11 July 2009 when the annual Weetwood Handicap and Toowoomba Cup meeting will be held for the first time on the cushion track surface.
Not to forget, of course Rugby Union. Toowoomba has a number of teams, including University of Southern Queensland Rugby Union Club, Toowoomba Rangers Rugby Union Club, Toowoomba City Rugby Club, which compete in the Regional Rugby Union competition, against such teams as, the Roma Echidnas, the Condamine Cods, the Dalby Wheatmen, the Goondiwindi Emus, the Warwick Water Rats and the University of Queensland Rugby Union Club (Gatton Campus).
Radio
- 4QSABC Local RadioABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites...
– AM 747 (part of the ABC Local RadioABC Local RadioABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites...
Queensland network) - 4GR – AM 864 (commercial – part of the Macquarie Regional RadioWorksMacquarie Regional RadioWorksSouthern Cross Austereo is an Australian company formed in July 2011 by the merger of Southern Cross Media Group and Austereo Group.Southern Cross Media was previously known as Macquarie Regional RadioWorks, prior to the absorption of the remaining assets of Southern Cross Broadcasting that were...
network.) - 4AK – AM 1242 (commercial) – Based in Oakey, located 20 km (12.4 mi) west of Toowoomba CBD.
- 4WK – AM 1359 (commercial) – Relay of 4WK Warwick.
- Radio 2Radio 2 (Australian radio station)Radio 2 was an Australian radio network transmitting via a series of 50 AM stations throughout Australia, operating on frequencies above 1602 kHz. Radio 2 also transmitted via pay television audio services on Austar and Foxtel, on the WorldSpace service, via the AsiaStar satellite, and also via its...
1620 (commercial)- Relay of Radio 2 network Sydney. - C FMSea FM (Australian radio network)Sea FM is a commercial Australian radio network, consisting of stations in Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania and is owned by Southern Cross Austereo. Some Sea FM stations were later sold to meet media ownership requirements...
100.7 (commercial) – Named "C" fm rather than SEA due to Toowoomba's inland location - CITY FM (narrowcast) 87.6 – Nostalgia Music
- POWER FM (narrowcast) 88.0 – Non-community FM station
- Triple JTriple Jtriple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
FM 104.1 – Also available 103.3 from Warwick and 107.7 from Brisbane - ABC Radio NationalRadio NationalABC Radio National is an Australia-wide non-commercial radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Radio National broadcasts national programming in areas that include news and current affairs, the arts, social issues, science, drama and comedy...
FM 105.7 - ABC Classic FMABC Classic FMABC Classic FM is a classical music radio station available in Australia, and internationally online. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation . It was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" , before adopting its current name...
107.3 - Country FM 91.5 (narrowcast)
- Voice FM 92.9 : The Light (Christian community)
- 93.7 FM (narrowcast – racing)
- 99.1 (narrowcast) Kids FM – exclusively kids music and stories
- 4DDB4DDB4DDB is a community radio station operating in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, transmitting in the FM band at a frequency of 102.7 MHz.-History:4DDB was established in the 1970s by a dedicated band of volunteers and radio broadcasting enthusiasts....
FM 102.7 (community)
Owners of CFM 100.7 and 4GR (Gold Radio Pty. Ltd) also own all 3 narrowcast stations in Toowoomba (91.5, 93.7 & 99.1 FM).
Television
Toowoomba is serviced by three commercial national network stations and two national non-commercial network stations. These are Seven QueenslandSeven Queensland
Seven Queensland is an Australian television station, licensed to, and serving the regional areas of Queensland. The station is owned and operated by the Seven Network from studios located in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast, using the callsign STQ, which stands for Sunshine Television,...
, Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The channel is owned by the Macquarie Media Group as is affiliated to Network Ten...
, WIN Television
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
, ABC TV
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
(ABC1) and SBS TV
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
(SBS ONE).
Each broadcasts television services in both analogue and digital formats, with analogue transmissions to be deactivated in the second half of 2011.
Ten additional digital-only channels are also available: ABC2
ABC2
ABC2 is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia...
, ABC3
ABC3
-Future shows:Programming confirmed for future broadcast will include:* After School Care * Bindi's Boot Camp * Bushwacked! * Dance Academy * Dancing Down Under...
, ABC News 24
ABC News 24
ABC News 24 is an Australian 24-hour news channel launched and owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The channel replaced the former ABC High Definition simulcast of ABC1 and commenced broadcasting at 7:30pm 5:30 on Thursday, 22 July 2010.-Pre-launch:The ABC announced in January 2010...
, GEM
GEM (Australian TV channel)
GEM is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 26 September 2010 at 6am...
, GO!
Go! (Australian TV channel)
GO! is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel launched by the Nine Network on Sunday 9 August 2009.-Origins:...
, One HD, Eleven
Eleven (TV channel)
Eleven is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel, which was launched by ElevenCo, on 11 January 2011.-Joint venture:...
, SBS Two, 7Two
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
, and 7mate
7mate
7mate is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010.The network stated that 7mate would contain sport and regular programs aimed primarily at a male audience, with programming drawn from a combination of new...
.
SBS offers digital high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
simulcasts of their main channel, SBS ONE on SBS HD.
Of the three main commercial networks, WIN airs a 30-minute local news bulletin each weeknight from its Mount Lofty studios, where bulletins for the Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
& Townsville
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
regions also originate. Both Seven Queensland and Southern Cross Ten have offices in the city with short local news updates airing on Southern Cross Ten throughout the day.
Brisbane metropolitan commercial channels BTQ-7
BTQ-7
BTQ is the Brisbane station of the Australian Seven Network. BTQ was the second television station to launch in Brisbane, going to air on 1 November 1959, after QTQ launched three months earlier....
(Seven Network), QTQ-9
QTQ-9
QTQ is an Australian television station, licensed to, and serving Brisbane, Queensland. It is owned by the Nine Entertainment Co., and is part of the Nine Network. It broadcasts on VHF channel 9 and VHF channel 8 . QTQ began broadcasting on 16 August 1959, the first of the Brisbane stations to...
(Nine Network) and TVQ-10
TVQ-10
TVQ is the Brisbane television station of Network Ten in Australia.The channel was allocated channel 0 on the VHF band and was launched on 1 July 1965 as TVQ-0...
(Network Ten) broadcasting from transmission towers at Mount Coot-tha can also be received in some parts of Toowoomba.
Transport
There are extensive suburban busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services operated by Bus Queensland (who took over from Garden City Sunbus) throughout the city from around 9:00 am to around 5:30 pm Monday to Friday. A limited service runs Saturday. There are no Sunday services.
There are frequent inter-city bus services between Toowoomba and Brisbane, and other centres.
Toowoomba is not included in TransLink
TransLink (South East Queensland)
The TransLink Transit Authority is the authority introduced by the Queensland Government in June 2003 as a section of Queensland Transport to coordinate and integrate rail, bus and ferry services. TransLink works with Airtrain, Brisbane Transport, Brisbane Ferries, QR Citytrain and 17 other...
, the Southeast Queensland integrated public transport system—a matter of some local contention.
Toowoomba has a twice weekly rail service from Brisbane to Charleville, Queensland
Charleville, Queensland
Charleville is a town in south western Queensland, Australia, 758 kilometres by road west of Brisbane . It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Murweh Shire, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres...
and return on QR's Westlander.
There are no local rail or tram services, however the development of a suburban railway system has been flagged. Toowoomba is criss-crossed by several railway lines which are largely unused, or used for freight, and idle railway stations can be found in the suburbs (including Ballard, Drayton, Harlaxton and Harristown) dating to when these localities were separate centres.
Toowoomba is serviced by Toowoomba Airport
Toowoomba Airport
Toowoomba Airport is an airport located 4 km west from the CBD of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.-Other Services:*Southern Queensland base for Royal Flying Doctor Service *Darling Downs Aeroclub*RACQ CareFlight South West-Future Development:...
, which is used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia is an emergency and primary health care service for those living in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia...
and the Darling Downs Aeroclub.
Health
Toowoomba is serviced by one public hospital, Toowoomba Base Hospital, and two private hospitals – St. Andrew's Toowoomba Hospital and St. Vincents Hospital. There is also the Toowoomba Hospice which is a community based private healthcare facility which provides palliative care to the terminally ill.Water
Combined water supply for the City (current as of 10 January 2011): 99.8% or 126,467 ML.Toowoomba's third water storage Cressbrook Dam was completed in 1983 and supplied water to Toowoomba in 1988. It has a full capacity of about 80,000 megalitres bringing total capacity of the three dams, Cooby, Perseverance, and Cressbrook, to 126,000 megalitres.
The city also has underground supplies in fractured basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
. Toowoomba sits above the eastern edge of the Great Artesian Basin
Great Artesian Basin
The Great Artesian Basin provides the only reliable source of freshwater through much of inland Australia. The basin is the largest and deepest artesian basin in the world, stretching over a total of , with temperatures measured ranging from 30°C to 100°C...
and to the west underground water is available beneath agricultural alluvium
Alluvium
Alluvium is loose, unconsolidated soil or sediments, eroded, deposited, and reshaped by water in some form in a non-marine setting. Alluvium is typically made up of a variety of materials, including fine particles of silt and clay and larger particles of sand and gravel...
.
The average rainfall in the period 1998 to 2005 has been 30% below the long term average consistent with a prolonged drought and this trend continued through to spring of 2007. In mid 2005, the water situation for the city was becoming critical with water supply levels below 30%. Environmental flows from Cressbrook Dam into Cressbrook Creek were allowed to cease as Toowoomba approached level five water restrictions. During March 2006 the surface water storage in the dams fell below 25% of full capacity, falling even more to 12.8% as of 10 March 2008. The city's water supply was at an all time low of 7.7% in December 2009.
The previous Toowoomba Mayor Dianne Thorley
Dianne Thorley
Dianne "Di" Thorley is an Australian politician and a former mayor of Toowoomba, Queensland.Thorley trained as a nurse in Brisbane and later took up a nursing position at Stanthorpe Hospital. She also spent some time working as a governess in Blackall...
proposed a controversial potable re-use project under the Toowoomba Water Futures plan which would result in water reclaimed from the Wetalla Sewage Treatment Plant being returned to Cooby Dam to provide 25% of the potable water supply for Toowoomba. Other water supply options include importing water from Oakey Creek Groundwater Management Area (average TDS = 1660 mg/L), importing water from Condamine Groundwater Management Area (Average TDS = 740 mg/L), and water from coal seam gas production (TDS = 1200–4300 mg/L).
One of the difficulties with the Water Futures proposal was that it relied on Acland Coal, a subsidiary of New Hope Corporation, taking the reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a membrane technical filtration method that removes many types of large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The result is that the solute is retained on the pressurized side of the membrane and...
waste stream. However, they had never agreed to this. Without their involvement, 6 square kilometres (2.3 sq mi) of evaporation ponds, costing at least an additional $70 million, would have been required. This amount was not included in Council's budget for the Water Futures project.
On 29 July 2006 Toowoomba City Council conducted a poll of Toowoomba residents on the proposal to use this multi-barrier filtration system for filtering sewage for drinking purposes. The poll question was: "Do you support the addition of purified recycled water to Toowoomba’s water supply via Cooby Dam as proposed by Water Futures – Toowoomba?” 38% of voters supported the proposal and 62% opposed. This meant that despite dams reaching critical levels, the city rejected the use of recycled water in a plebiscite. Since the public rejection in 2006 of adding recycled sewage to the drinking water supply, water conservation measures have included harvesting stormwater for use in public parks and adding filtered groundwater to the town water supply.The city was under level 5 water restrictions as of 26 September 2006. This prohibits residents from using town water on their lawns, gardens or cars, and residents are strongly urged to cut down on water consumption.
In 2007, the Toowoomba City Council commenced a bore drilling program to augment the dwindling dam supplies and constructed several subartesian bores across the city and one artesian bore at Wetalla in the city's north. Many of the subartesian bores provided potable water with a reliable yield and have been developed into production however the artesian bore's water quality was very poor, prohibiting development as a potable source. This was an expensive setback for the city as the cost was over A$2 million for drilling to over 700 metres. In January 2008, yield testing had been stalled due to the unavailability of appropriate pumping equipment. The Toowoomba Regional Council began supplementing the city's water supply with bore water from the Great Artesian Basin in September 2009. Groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
has become a significant contributor to the city's water supply needs and now constitutes one third of the total volume of water treated for reticulated supply (160 ML per week).
Also in 2007, the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water initiated a subartesian drilling program centred on Toowoomba to expand its network of groundwater monitoring stations in the Main Range Volcanics. With the increased demand for groundwater in the area from council, commercial and urban users, more information was required to effectively manage the resource whereas previously the location and density of monitoring stations would not provide enough data.
The state government has built a $187 million pipeline from Wivenhoe Dam
Wivenhoe Dam
Wivenhoe Dam is a dam across the Brisbane River a little way upstream from Locker Creek. The dam creates the artificial Lake Wivenhoe. The dam wall is located about by road from the centre of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
to Toowoomba. Water pumping along the 38 km pipeline to Cressbrook Dam began in January 2010.
Sister cities
Toowoomba has sister city relations with three international cities: Wanganui, New Zealand; Takatsuki, JapanTakatsuki, Osaka
is a city located in Osaka, Japan.As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 353,881 and the density of 3,360 persons per km². The total area is 105.31 km².The city was founded on January 1, 1943 and is located almost directly between Kyoto and Osaka...
; and Paju, South Korea
Paju
Paju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county .The city is located just south of Panmunjeom on the 38th parallel. To defend the Korean capital, Seoul, many US and Korean army bases are set up in the city. In 2002, the northernmost...
.
Further reading
Toowoomba as a Railway Centre, Knowles, J Australian Railway Historical Society BulletinAustralian Railway History
Australian Railway History , is the premier magazine covering railway history in Australia...
, January 1959 pp10–16