Durong, Queensland

Not to be confused with Dulong, Queensland.

Durong is a rural locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.^[2] In the 2021 census, Durong had a population of 219 people.^[1]

Durong Queensland
Durong Hall and Community Library, 2001
Durong
Coordinates	26.3833°S 151.2669°E / -26.3833; 151.2669 (Durong (centre of locality))
Population	219 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	0.4392/km2 (1.1376/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4610
Area	498.6 km2 (192.5 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	55.2 km (34 mi) SW of Proston 56.7 km (35 mi) N of Jandowae 75.4 km (47 mi) WNW of Kingaroy 188 km (117 mi) NNW of Toowoomba 291 km (181 mi) NW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	South Burnett Region
State electorate(s)	Nanango
Federal division(s)	Flynn Maranoa
Suburbs around Durong: Boondooma Brigooda Coverty Burra Burri Durong Ballogie Darr Creek Chahpingah Chahpingah

Geography

The Chinchilla – Wondai Road (State Route 82) passes through from south-west to east, while the Mundubbera–Durong Road (State Route 75) enters from the north and terminates in a T-intersection with State Route 82.^[3]

Durong South is a neighbourhood in the centre of the locality (26.3942°S 151.2450°E / -26.3942; 151.2450 (Durong South (neighbourhood))).^[4]

History

Durong Provisional School opened on 3 September 1923. On 7 November 1927, it became Durong State School. The school closed briefly in 1928 due to low student numbers.^[5] The closure of Boondooma State School in 1968 enabled Durong State School to be renamed Boondooma State School in 1970, which closed in December 1999.^[5] The school was at 9359 Mundubbera Durong Road in neighbouring Boondooma.^[6][7]

Durong South State School opened on 24 May 1925.^[5]

The Durong Public Hall opened on Saturday 14 April 1934. It replaced a smaller building one quarter of the size.^[8]

Durong Baptist Church was officially opened on the weekend of 4-5 August 1934 by Alfred Hemsley Richer (President of the Queensland Baptist Union).^[9][10][11]

Sacred Heart Catholic Church was officially opened on Sunday 6 March 1966 by Archbishop Patrick O'Donnell. It was built on land donated by Mr and Mrs Graham Stuart Bond.^[12] It closed in 2022.^[13] It was at 8960 Chinchilla Wondai Road (26.3959°S 151.2471°E / -26.3959; 151.2471 (Sacred Heart Catholic Church (former))).^[14][15]

The Durong library opened in 1991.^[16]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Durong had a population of 355 people.^[17]

In the 2016 census, Durong had a population of 226 people.^[18]

In the 2021 census, Durong had a population of 219 people.^[1]

Heritage listings

Burrandowan Station Homestead, 2001

Durong has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Burrandowan Station Homestead, Kingaroy Road (26.419°S 151.3282°E / -26.419; 151.3282 (Burrandowan Station Homestead))^[19]

Education

Durong South State School, 2019

Durong South State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at 10463 Mundubbera Durong Road (26.3923°S 151.2440°E / -26.3923; 151.2440 (Durong South State School)).^[20][21] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 19 students with 5 teachers (2 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).^[22]

There are no secondary schools in Durong. The nearest government secondary schools are Jandowae State School (to Year 10) in Jandowae to the south and Proston State School in Proston to the north-east. There are no nearby secondary schools to Year 12, the nearest is Kingaroy State High School in Kingaroy to the south-east. Other options are distance education and boarding schools.^[7]

Amenities

Durong Hall is at 8940 Chinchilla Wondai (26.3957°S 151.2452°E / -26.3957; 151.2452 (Durong Hall and Library)). The South Burnett Regional Council operates a public library at the hall.^[23]

Holy Trinity Anglican Church is at 8950 Chinchilla Wondai Road (26.3957°S 151.2461°E / -26.3957; 151.2461 (Holy Trinity Anglican Church)).^[24]

Durong Bowls Club is at 8951 Chinchilla Wondai Road (26.3949°S 151.2462°E / -26.3949; 151.2462 (Durong Bowls Club)).^[25]

Attractions

Durong Dingo Sanctuary is a facility that maintains pure bred dingos, keeping them safe from 1080 baiting^{[broken anchor]}, trapping, and shooting. It can be visited by the public by appointment.^[26]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Durong (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Durong – locality in South Burnett Region (entry 46286)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
3. "Durong, Queensland" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
4. "Durong South – locality unbounded in South Burnett Regional (entry 10938)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
5. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
6. "Parish of Durong" (Map). Queensland Government. 1975. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
7. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
8. "DURONG". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. No. 19, 886. Queensland, Australia. 20 April 1934. p. 2. Retrieved 5 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "Queensland Baptist churches by date of erection/opening". Baptist Church Archives Queensland. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
10. "1934 Durong". Baptist Church Archives Queensland. Archived from the original on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
11. "BAPTIST CHURCH". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. No. 19, 981. Queensland, Australia. 10 August 1934. p. 11. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
12. "New Church for Murgon Parish" (PDF). The Catholic Leader. 10 March 1966. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
13. Martin, D. W. "Murgon Parish – History of its Churches" (PDF). Murgon Catholic Parish. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
14. "Sacred Heart Catholic Church". Churches Australia. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
15. Blake, Thom. "Sacred Heart Catholic Church". Queensland religious places database. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
16. "Queensland Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-2017" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. November 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
17. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Durong (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
18. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Durong (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
19. "Burrandowan Station Homestead (entry 600648)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
20. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
21. "Durong South State School". Durong South State School. 24 December 2020. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
22. "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
23. "Durong Library". Public Libraries Connect. 6 May 2014. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
24. "Holy Trinity Anglican Church". Churches Australia. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
25. "Durong Bowls Club" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
26. "Durong Dingo Sanctuary – Protecting and Educating". Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.

Further reading

• Coe, Jack; Back to Durong and District Committee (1977). The big scrub : a collection of stories of historic interest, Durong and district 1912 to 1977. Back to Durong and District Committee. ISBN 978-0-9595998-0-0.