Erakala, Queensland
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox Australian place
| type = suburb
| name = Erakala
| city =
| state = qld
| image =
| caption =
| coordinates = {{coord|-21.1322|149.1155|type:city_region:AU-QLD|display=inline,title|name=Erakala (centre of locality)}}
| pop = 763
| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}}
| established =
| postcode = 4740
| area = 12.4
| timezone = AEST
| utc = +10:00
| dist1 = 9.4
| dir1 = W
| location1 = North Mackay
| dist2 = 10.2
| dir2 = WNW
| location2 = Mackay CBD
| dist3 = 990
| dir3 = NNW
| location3 = Brisbane
| dist4 =
| dir4 =
| location4 =
| lga = Mackay Region
| stategov = Whitsunday
| fedgov = Dawson
| near-n = Farleigh
| near-ne = Glenella
| near-e = Foulden
| near-se = Racecourse
| near-s = Te Kowai
| near-sw = Alexandra
| near-w = Dumbleton
| near-nw = Farleigh
}}
Erakala is a mixed-use locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.{{cite QPN|48432|Erakala|locality in Mackay Region|access-date=29 October 2019}} In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Erakala had a population of 763 people.
Geography
Located approximately {{Convert|10|km}} west of the Mackay CBD, the locality is bounded to the south by the Pioneer River.{{Queensland Globe|access-date=6 September 2023}}
The Mackay Ring Road crosses the river from the south (Te Kowai / Racecourse) and is the south-eastern boundary of the locality before continuing north through the locality exiting to Glenella to the north-east.
The Bruce Highway forms two short segments of the locality's northern boundary entering from the north-east (Glenella) and exiting to the north-west (Farleigh).
The North Coast railway line enters the locality from the east (Foulden) heading north-west, forming part of the locality's north-eastern boundary before crossing the Bruce Highway and exiting to the north (Fairleigh / Glenella). The locality was historically served by the former Erakala railway station ({{coord|-21.1271|149.1334|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Erakala railway station (former)}}).{{Cite web|date=2 October 2020|title=Railway stations and sidings - Queensland|url=https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/transport-features-queensland-series/resource/84fff9a0-e315-4844-9c4d-63934562a9bd|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005070354/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/transport-features-queensland-series/resource/84fff9a0-e315-4844-9c4d-63934562a9bd|archive-date=5 October 2020|access-date=5 October 2020|website=Queensland Open Data|publisher=Queensland Government}}
Most of the land in the south of the locality is low-lying (approx {{Convert|10|m}} above sea level), particularly the land near the river. This land is almost entirely used for growing sugarcane and there is a network of cane tramways to transported the harvested sugarcane to the local sugar mills.
The northern parts of the locality are more elevated, rising to {{Convert|140|m}}. This land is increasingly used for rural residential and suburban housing.{{Cite news |date=25 August 2019 |title=A sought-after, prized area in Mackay |work=Townsville Bulletin |url=https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/queensland/mackay/property/a-soughtafter-prized-area-in-mackay/news-story/06c8d7b826b05d4993778c364221b5f1 |access-date=7 September 2023 |archive-date=6 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906200936/https://insight.adsrvr.org/track/up?adv=vrges6n&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.townsvillebulletin.com.au%2Fsubscribe%2Fnews%2F1%2F%3FsourceCode%3DTBWEB_WRE170_a%26dest%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.townsvillebulletin.com.au%252Fnews%252Fqueensland%252Fmackay%252Fproperty%252Fa-soughtafter-prized-area-in-mackay%252Fnews-story%252F06c8d7b826b05d4993778c364221b5f1%26memtype%3Danonymous%26mode%3Dpremium&upid=0lofzfp&upv=1.1.0 |url-status=live }}
History
The locality takes its name from the former Erakala railway station, which in turn was named on 12 January 1927 by J. Strachan, the Mackay railway traffic manager of Queensland Railways Department. It is an Aboriginal word meaning "flat".{{cite news |date=9 December 1922 |title=District Place Names |volume=56 |page=8 |newspaper=Daily Mercury |issue=562 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article169201356 |accessdate=7 September 2023 |via=National Library of Australia}}
Demographics
In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Erakala had a population of 547 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC30990|name=Erakala (SSC)|access-date=20 October 2018|quick=on}}
In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Erakala had a population of 763 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL30981|name=Erakala (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}
Education
There are no schools in Erakala. The nearest government primary schools are Farleigh State School in neighbouring Farleigh to the north and Glenella State School in neighbouring Glenella to the north-east. The nearest government secondary school is Mackay North State High School in North Mackay to the north-east.