Quilpie

History

Quilpie is believed to lie on the border of the Bunthamurra and Margany Indigenous Australian tribal areas. Margany (also known as Marganj, Mardigan, Marukanji, Maranganji) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Margany people. The Margany language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Quilpie Shire, taking in Quilpie, Cheepie and Beechal extending towards Eulo and Thargomindah, as well as the properties of Dynevor Downs and Ardoch. The township of Toompine was surveyed in 1870. The name Toompine is an Indigenous language word meaning leech. Quilpie was gazetted as a town in 1917 owing to the Western railway line that was laid down from Brisbane. It takes its name from the Indigenous Australian word for stone curlew, quilpeta. The name was proposed by pastoralist James Hammond of Tenham Station. The town and station name were standardised to Quilpie on 16 June 1917 by the Governor in Council. Quilpie State School opened on 10 September 1918. The first post office was opened in 1921. Two years later the telephone reached Quilpie . St Finbarr's Catholic Church was officially opened and dedicated on Sunday 14 December 1930 by the Bishop of Toowoomba, James Byrne. It was built from timber. In 1972, it was replaced with a brick church designed by W. Durack. A bore was sunk into the Great Artesian Basin in 1933. It provided drinking water for the town and between 1952 and 1963 the hot water was used to generate electricity for the town. It was built from timber and could seat 100 people. The church bell was donated by the people of Cunnamulla. From 1954 to 1994, The Westlander was split at Charleville. the Quilpie Section (3Q02) was known as the "Flying Flea" and it consisted of two passenger carriages, a guards van…

Geography

Quilpie is in Channel Country on the banks of the Bulloo River. It is on the Diamantina Developmental Road, west of Charleville, west of Toowoomba and west of the state capital, Brisbane. Quilpie is the administrative centre of the Quilpie Shire. The town of Quilpie is in the north of the locality, while the smaller town of Toompine () is in the south of the locality.

Most-observed species

• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  311
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  268
• Crested Pigeon

  Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck, 1822) · Aves
  242
• White-plumed Honeyeater

  Ptilotula penicillata (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  198
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  175
• Whistling Kite

  Haliastur sphenurus (Vieillot, 1818) · Aves
  171
• Australian Raven

  Corvus coronoides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  159
• Yellow-throated Miner

  Manorina flavigula (Gould, 1840) · Aves
  157