Gowrie Junction

History

The name Gowrie comes from the Gowrie pastoral station operated by Henry Hughes and Frederick N. Isaac who used the name from 1847. It is thought to be a corruption of an Aboriginal word cowarie which might refer either to Gowrie Creek or mean freshwater mussel. Gowrie Junction Post Office opened on 24 April 1876, was renamed Gowrie in 1961 and closed in 1972. Gowrie Junction State School opened on 1 March 1878. On 2 April 1963, it was renamed Gowrie State School. St John's Anglican Church was dedicated and consecrated on 9 July 1882 by Bishop Matthew Hale. Prior to this, Anglican services had been held in the home of George Downs, who was largely responsible for establishing the church. George King (owner of the Gowrie pastoral station) was one of its lay readers; his wife donated its organ. Its last service was held on 22 December 1968. In January 1896, Mr John Fahy of the hotel called for tenders to erect a wooden hall in Gowrie Junction. It was in operation by July 1896. In November 1898, the Gowrie Colliery established a public hall for the benefit of the community. On Sunday 9 September 1900, Archbishop Robert Dunne opened and dedicated the Holy Family Catholic Church. It was destroyed in a storm in 1969.

Geography

The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing passes through the southern part of the locality with no intersections. Tilgonda railway station is a closed railway station on the railway line in the west of the locality ().

Most-observed species

• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  4,481
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  4,051
• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  3,530
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  3,362
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  3,317
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  3,173
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  3,152
• Pale-headed Rosella

  Platycercus adscitus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  3,051