Collinsville

History

Biri (Birri) is an Aboriginal language of Central Queensland and North Queensland. Biri refers to a language chain extending from Central Queensland towards Townsville and is often used as a universal name for other languages and/or dialects across the region. The language area includes the towns of Bowen, Ayr, Collinsville and Nebo. European settlement of the region began in 1861 with the opening of the lands to pastoralists, with some cattle stations still in operation. Coal was discovered in 1866 but it was not until 1912 that large-scale mining operations commenced. The town was originally known as Moongunya, an aboriginal word that roughly translates to place of coal. Collinsville Post Office opened on 21 May 1923 (a receiving office had been open from 1922). The foundation stone of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church was laid on Sunday 3 April 1927 by Reverend Father Eveney. On Sunday 17 July 1927 Bishop Joseph Shiel officially opened the church in the presence of many people, including almost 500 people who had travelled from Bowen on a special train arranged for the occasion accompanied by the Bowen Brass Band. Methodist services were being held in Collinsville by the Methodist minister based in Bowen since at least 1935. In December 1946 tenders were called to erect a Methodist church in Sonoma Street. In 1947 the foundation stone for the Collinsville Methodist Church was laid. On 7 February 1948 the church was officially opened. When the Methodist Church amalgamated into the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, it became the Collinsville Uniting Church. The St John Bosco Catholic School was established in 1936 under the Sisters of Mercy. The school is named after Saint John Bosco, a Roman Catholic priest who devoted himself to the betterment of…

Geography

Collinsville is in the coal-rich Bowen Basin region of Central Queensland, north of Brisbane and south-west of the coastal town of Bowen. The Bowen Developmental Road passes through the town connecting with Bowen to the north-east and the Gregory Highway at Belyando Crossing to the south-west. The Newlands railway system passes through Collinsville serving local mines. The line passes through the town itself but the Collinsville railway station is only a siding near the junction of Station Street and Railway Road ().

Most-observed species

• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  36
• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  28
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  28
• Pale-headed Rosella

  Platycercus adscitus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  26
• Pied Butcherbird

  Cracticus nigrogularis (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  26
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  25
• Blue-faced Honeyeater

  Entomyzon cyanotis (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  23
• Black Kite

  Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  22

Most recent

• M 4.3 — 2011-09-17
  44 km NNW of Collinsville, Australia
• M 4 — 2011-04-16
  45 km NNW of Collinsville, Australia
• M 5 — 2011-04-16
  Queensland, Australia