Eungella

History

The town takes its name from a pastoral run named by explorer and pioneer Ernest Favenc in July 1876. The name is believed to be an Aboriginal word meaning land of cloud. The Eungella Range Road opened in 1909. However damage had been incurred within twelve months, and repairs and a deviation instigated. In 1923 the first car traveled on the Eungella Range in wet slippery conditions, and resorted to tying a heavy sapling behind the car to steady the car. Landslips continue to be an issue following heavy rain. Eungella Provisional School opened circa 1891, but closed circa 1899. On 31 January 1928, another Eungella Provisional School was opened and later became Eungella State School. The Eungella Post Office was opened in 1930, but had to change its name due to another post office with the same name in New South Wales. After twelve months of community consultation the name Dalrymple Heights Post Office, after the nearby Mount Dalrymple, was found acceptable by the Postmaster General's Department. Eungella was a cool retreat from the heat and humidity of the coast for picnic parties and tourists, and a venue for dances. Nineteen families from the region invested in a syndicate to build and operate the Eungella Chalet which was opened in 1933. The foundation stone of the Eungella Presbyterian Church was laid in July 1947 and it was officially opened on 23 November 1947. The church was designed to be a replica of Reverend Maitland's father's church in Victoria. The church was damaged in March 2010 in Cyclone Ului and again in February 2011 in Cyclone Yasi. The church was demolished in April 2011.

Geography

The town of Eungella sits at the top of the escarpment of the Clarke Range at above sea level, falling to an elevation of in Netherdale to the immediate east. The southern branch of Cattle Creek forms on this escarpment and creates the fertile valley to the east, where it becomes a tributary of the Pioneer River in Mirani, which eventually flows into the Coral Sea at Mackay. Due to the mountainous terrain and the protected areas, there is limited development of the land in the locality. Apart from residential use, the remaining land use is for grazing on native vegetation.

Most-observed species

• Lewin's Honeyeater

  Meliphaga lewinii (Swainson, 1837) · Aves
  2,198
• Eastern Yellow Robin

  Eopsaltria australis (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  1,657
• Laughing Kookaburra

  Dacelo novaeguineae (Hermann, 1783) · Aves
  1,393
• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

  Cacatua galerita (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  1,388
• Eastern Whipbird

  Psophodes olivaceus (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,353
• Bar-shouldered Dove

  Geopelia humeralis (Temminck, 1821) · Aves
  1,226
• Gray Fantail

  Rhipidura albiscapa Gould, 1840 · Aves
  1,150
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  1,144

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2002-04-12
  35 km NNW of Moranbah, Australia