Karara, Queensland

The town is on the Darling Downs on the Cunningham Highway, {{convert|208|km|mi}} south west of the state capital, Brisbane. The highway passes through the locality from the east to the south-west. The Toowoomba–Karara Road (State Route 48) connects the highway through to the north of the locality to Leyburn and ultimately through to Toowoomba. The South Western railway line passes through the locality roughly parallel and to the north of the highway with the locality served by two railway stations:

• Durikai railway station, now abandoned ({{coord|-28.1896|151.6153|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Durikai railway station}}){{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}}
• Karara railway station, serving the town ({{coord|-28.2091|151.5636|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Karara railway station}}).

Both the line and Karara railway station are no longer in active use.{{Queensland Globe|access-date=28 August 2022}}

The Durakai State Forest occupies the southern and eastern areas within the locality; otherwise it is freehold land predominantly used for farming apart from a small urban centre. There are a number of creeks running south to north through the locality which is in the drainage basin of the Condamine River.

The name Karara is believed to be an Aboriginal name for Canal Creek.

The South Western railway line from Warwick to Karara was opened in 1904.{{cite web|title=Southern Downs Region|url=http://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/southern-downs-region|work=Queensland Places|publisher=Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland|access-date=12 July 2015}}{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Karara State School opened on 20 July 1908.{{Cite QldSchool|access-date=12 July 2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://kararass.eq.edu.au/Pages/default.aspx|title=Karara SS|access-date=30 January 2017}}

Karara Post Office opened on 1 July 1927 (a receiving office had been open from 1909) and closed in 1990.{{Cite web | last = Premier Postal History | title = Post Office List | publisher = Premier Postal Auctions | url = https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=QLD&country= | access-date = 10 May 2014}}

In the {{CensusAU|2006}}, the locality of Karara and the surrounding area had a population of 140 people.{{Census 2006 AUS|id=SSC36399|name=Karara (Warwick Shire) (State Suburb)|accessdate=2009-01-19|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2011}}, the locality of Karara had a population of 278 people.{{Census 2011 AUS|id=SSC30850 |name=Karara|accessdate=12 July 2015|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, the locality of Karara had a population of 123 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC31502|name=Karara (SSC)|access-date=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the locality of Karara had a population of 128 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL31487|name=Karara (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

The Southern Downs Regional Council operates a mobile library service which visits the Recreation Reserve.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/living-here/libraries/library-details|title=Library Details|website=Southern Downs Regional Council|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131032450/http://www.sdrc.qld.gov.au/living-here/libraries/library-details|archive-date=31 January 2018|url-status=live|access-date=31 January 2018}}

The Karara branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the Karara Public Hall at 33 School Street.{{Cite web|url=http://www.qcwa.org.au/branch-locations/|title=Branch locations|website=Queensland Country Women's Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226010724/http://www.qcwa.org.au/branch-locations/|archive-date=26 December 2018|url-status=live|access-date=26 December 2018}}

Karara State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Karara School Road ({{coord|-28.2037|151.5652|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Karara State School}}).{{cite web |date=9 July 2018 |title=State and non-state school details |url=https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121065959/https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997 |archive-date=21 November 2018 |access-date=21 November 2018 |publisher=Queensland Government}}{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=Karara State School |url=https://kararass.eq.edu.au/ |access-date=2022-08-28 |website=Karara State School |language=en}} In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 5 students with 3 teachers (2 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (1 full-time equivalent).{{cite web |title=ACARA School Profile 2017 |url=http://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-20172c7b12404c94637ead88ff00003e0139.xlsx?sfvrsn=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181122010027/http://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-20172c7b12404c94637ead88ff00003e0139.xlsx?sfvrsn=0 |archive-date=22 November 2018 |access-date=22 November 2018}} In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 8 students with 2 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).{{cite web |title=ACARA School Profile 2018 |url=https://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-2018.xlsx |access-date=28 January 2020 |publisher=Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority |archive-date=27 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827085246/https://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-2018.xlsx |url-status=dead }}

There are no secondary schools in Karara. The nearest government secondary schools are Warwick State High School (to Year 12) in Warwick to the east, Inglewood State School (to Year 10) in Inglewood to the south-west, Millmerran State School (to Year 10) in Millmerran to the north-west, Clifton State High School (to Year 12) in Clifton to the north-east, and Allora State School (to Year 10) in Allora to the north-east.

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• [https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-town-karara-1964.jpg Town map of Karara, 1964]

{{Southern Downs Region}}

{{Darling Downs}}

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Category:Towns in Queensland

Category:Southern Downs Region

Category:Towns in the Darling Downs

Category:Localities in Queensland