Purga, Queensland

Purga is a rural locality in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.^[2] In the 2021 census, Purga had a population of 561 people.^[1]

Purga Queensland
Hughes Road, 2015
Purga
Coordinates	27.6983°S 152.7130°E / -27.6983; 152.7130 (Purga (centre of locality))
Population	561 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	9.912/km2 (25.67/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4306
Area	56.6 km2 (21.9 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	12.1 km (8 mi) S of Ipswich CBD 50.7 km (32 mi) SW of Brisbane CBD
LGA(s)	City of Ipswich
State electorate(s)	Scenic Rim Ipswich
Federal division(s)	Blair
Suburbs around Purga: Amberley Amberley Yamanto Willowbank Purga Deebing Heights Mutdapilly Peak Crossing Goolman

Geography

Purga is on the south-western outskirts of the urban area of Ipswich.^[3]

The western boundary of Purga follows Warrill Creek.^[3] Purga Creek enters the locality from the south (Peak Crossing) and then flows north, exiting the locality to north (Amberley / Yamanto) where it becomes a tributary of Warrill Creek.^[3]

The Cunningham Highway enters the locality from the north (Yamanto / Deebing Heights) and travels west, exiting the locality to the north-west (Willowbank / Amberley).^[3]

Ipswich – Boonah Road (State Route 93) enters the locality from the north-east (Yamanto), then runs south through the locality, before exiting to the south-east (Peak Crossing / Goolman).^[4][3]

The predominant land use is grazing on vegetation.^[3]

History

The area was named after the parish which was derived from the Aboriginal word pur-pur, meaning a meeting place.^[2]

Purga Creek State School was opened on 1 September 1871. It was renamed Purga State School about 1945. It closed in 1967. It was at 68 Purga School Road (27.71238°S 152.73230°E / -27.71238; 152.73230 (Purga State School)).^[5][6][7]

Residents in the Fassifern Valley petitioned the Queensland Government to build a railway line to their district, and the first section of the Dugandan railway line was opened on 10 July 1882 as far as Harrisville. This is considered to be Queensland's first branch railway. Purga was served by three stations:^[5][8]

• Loamside railway station on the Ipswich Boonah Road (27.6711°S 152.7364°E / -27.6711; 152.7364 (Loamside railway station))
• Hampstead railway station on the Ipswich Boonah Road (27.69364°S 152.73846°E / -27.69364; 152.73846 (Hampstead railway station))
• Purga railway station on the Ipswich Boonah Road (27.71008°S 152.73864°E / -27.71008; 152.73864 (Purga railway station))

The branch was extended to Dugandan on 12 September 1887.^[9][10] The line closed in 1964.^[9][5]

Deebing Creek Provisional School opened on 21 January 1895. In 1924, it became Purga Aboriginal State School. It closed circa 1948.^[6] It was within an Aboriginal reserve to the west of Ipswich Boonah Road (approx 27.7158°S 152.7381°E / -27.7158; 152.7381 (Purga Aboriginal State School (former))).^[11][3]

Demographics

In the 2011 census, Purga and surrounding suburbs had a population of 600.^[12]

In the 2016 census, Purga had a population of 576 people.^[13]

In the 2021 census, Purga had a population of 561 people.^[1]

Heritage listings

Purga United Church and hall, 2015

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

• Purga United Church, 68 Purga School Road (27.7124°S 152.7323°E / -27.7124; 152.7323 (Purga United Church))^[14]
• Purga Aboriginal Cemetery, 133-145 Carmichaels Road (27.7198°S 152.7512°E / -27.7198; 152.7512 (Purga Aboriginal Cemetery))^[15]

Education

There are no current schools in Purga. The nearest government primary schools are Amberley District State School in neighbouring Yamanto to the north-east and Peak Crossing State School in neighbouring Peak Crossing to the south. The nearest government secondary school is Bremer State High School in Ipswich CBD to the north-east. ^[16]

Facilities

There is a sewage treatment plant at 2540-2576 Cunningham Highway (27.6595°S 152.7016°E / -27.6595; 152.7016 (sewage treatment plant)).^[17]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Purga (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Purga – locality in City of Ipswich (entry 45070)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
3. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
4. Purga, Queensland (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
5. "Purga and Purga Shire". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, The University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
6. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
7. "Map 40: Two-mile series" (Map). Queensland Government. 1952. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
8. "Map 40: Two-mile series" (Map). Queensland Government. 1952. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
9. Kerr, John (1990). Triumph of narrow gauge : a history of Queensland Railways. Boolarong Publications. pp. 57–58, 224. ISBN 978-0-86439-102-5.
10. Johnson, M.; Saunders, K. (2007). "Working The Land: An historical overview of Boonah and its northern district" (PDF). State of Queensland. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 September 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
11. "Ipswich" (Map). Queensland Government. 1945. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
12. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Purga (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
13. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Purga (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
14. "Purga United Church (entry 601616)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
15. "Purga Aboriginal Cemetery (entry 602434)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
16. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
17. "Landmark Areas - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 21 November 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.

External links

Media related to Purga, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons