Meringandan

History

Meringandan is a corruption of the aboriginal words, Moorin meaning fire and Gandan meaning clay. Therefore, Meringandan means 'place of fire and clay'. About 1875, the German settlers established a Lutheran church. St Gregory's Anglican Church was established in 1886. A Congregational Church opened in 1909. A Church of Christ opened in 1919. Meringandan State School opened on 24 January 1876. It was built in 1875 by Jack Maag. Isaac John Thomas was appointed the first head teacher of the school. The enrolment for that year was 80 pupils. It is now within the suburb boundaries of Meringandan West. A branch railway line was constructed from Toowoomba to Cabarlah, and the first train ran in September 1883. As Meringandan had a railway station, the settlers in the Goombungee and Haden areas used it to forward their goods. Most farmers did their carting, but well-known carriers were Jack Wieck, Herman Lau, George Klein and Jack Lange. In the early 1900s, a line of teams stretching for half a mile, waiting to load or unload at the railway station, was a familiar sight. However, the construction of the Haden railway line to Haden in 1910 reduced the need to use Meringandan's railway station; meanwhile, the use of motor transport was increasing. Following the closure of the railway yards, the railway station was replaced with a park.St Gregory's Anglican Church was consecrated on Sunday, 12 September 1886 by Bishop William Webber. It was located on a piece of land near the railway station, donated by Mr Foland. Mr Maag built it, and it was and could seat 150 people. In 1905, it was relocated to Kingsthorpe, where it was re-consecrated as St Gregory's by Archbishop St Clair Donaldson on 20 October 1905. It closed circa 1982. On Sunday, 2 February 1896, a new Lutheran…

Geography

The locality is on the Darling Downs near Highfields, NNW of Toowoomba. It is drained by the meandering Meringandan Creek, which forms most of the boundary with Meringandan West.

Most-observed species

• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  2,703
• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  2,532
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,506
• Lewin's Honeyeater

  Meliphaga lewinii (Swainson, 1837) · Aves
  2,372
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  2,047
• Pied Currawong

  Strepera graculina (Shaw, 1790) · Aves
  2,040
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,009
• Superb Fairywren

  Malurus cyaneus (Ellis, 1782) · Aves
  1,972