Killarney, Queensland

Killarney is located {{convert|35|km|mi}} south-east of Warwick on the Condamine River in the Darling Downs. Killarney is located about {{convert|8|km|mi}} from the Queensland/New South Wales border. It is close to Queen Mary Falls in the Main Range National Park, where Spring Creek plunges {{convert|40|m}} into the valley.

Mountain View is a neighbourhood within the locality of Killarney ({{Coor|-28.350|152.317|type:city_region:AU-QLD|name=Mountain View, Queensland}}).{{Cite QPN|23215|Mountain View|unbounded locality in the Southern Downs Region|access-date=19 November 2019}}

Melrose is a neighbourhood within the locality of Killarney ({{Coord|-28.360|152.254|type:city_region:AU-QLD|name=Melrose, Queensland (Scenic Rim Region)}}); it is associated with the Melrose pastoral station.{{Queensland Globe|access-date=18 November 2019}}

The Gidhabal (also known as Gidabal, Kitabal) language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Southern Downs Regional Council, particularly Warwick, Killarney and Woodenbong, extending into New South Wales.{{Cite SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/githabal-10|title=Gidhabal|author=|date=|website=Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map|access-date=23 January 2020}}

Killarney bordered on the northern boundaries of the Yetimarala people. Originally part of Canning Downs, established by the Leslie brothers in 1840, the development of the town was largely based on primary production and forestry.

The name of the district was chosen by the Hon. Peter Murray, who was visiting George Leslie at the Canning Downs pastoral station and commented that the scenery reminded him of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article82823984|title=The Early Days|date=6 March 1915|newspaper=Warwick Examiner And Times|access-date=19 November 2019|issue=4681|location=Queensland, Australia|page=7|via=National Library of Australia|archive-date=30 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730092358/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/82823984|url-status=live}}

Killarney State School was established on 17 August 1874.{{Citation|author1=Queensland Family History Society|title=Queensland schools past and present|publication-date=2010|edition=Version 1.01|publisher=Queensland Family History Society|isbn=978-1-921171-26-0}} However, it was not until 1 January 1876 that teacher Gwyther Hill was appointed and students enrolled.{{Cite QSA Agency|5388|Killarney State School|19 November 2019

}}{{Cite web |date=2020-02-27 |title=History |url=https://killarness.eq.edu.au/our-school/history |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=Killarney P-10 State School |language=en}}

The South Killarney town site was first surveyed in 1878, but the town already boasted several shops and services by this time. Many early settlers to Queensland selected land in the Killarney area with the first of these arriving in 1863. During the 1880s Killarney was described as "one of the most flourishing towns in Southern Queensland".Killarney & District Historical Society, Memories of Killarney & District. Pg 7

The first Killarney Post Office opened on 1 July 1877 (a receiving office had been open from 1875). Killarney North Post Office opened on 26 June 1889 (replacing Killarney North Railway Station receiving office open from 1887) and was renamed North Killarney in 1897. In 1905 the Killarney office was renamed Killarney South, and the North Killarney office became the second Killarney office, due to the town having moved to near the railway station.{{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 | archive-date = 15 May 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140515223132/http://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=QLD& | url-status = live }}

A branch railway was built from Warwick in 1885. The line closed in 1964.The Killarney Branch Line Armstrong, J. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, August 1976 pp166-181

Mountain View Provisional School opened circa 1886 and closed in 1892. In 1895, it reopened as Mountain View State School, finally closing on 4 July 1965. It was at 11 Mountain View Road, Killarney ({{Coord|-28.3523|152.3238|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Mountain View State School (former)}}).{{Cite QPN|23215|Mountain View|unbounded locality in the Southern Downs Region|access-date=10 January 2018}}{{Cite web |date=1943 |title=Parish of Killarney sheet 2 |url=https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-40chain-parish-killarney-sh2-1943.jpg |access-date=28 August 2022 |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map |archive-date=28 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828035131/https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-40chain-parish-killarney-sh2-1943.jpg |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=1932 |title=Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m7 Stanthorpe |url=https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-2mile-qld-2m7-stanthorpe-surv-control-1932.jpg |access-date=28 August 2022 |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map |archive-date=24 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124071040/https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-2mile-qld-2m7-stanthorpe-surv-control-1932.jpg |url-status=live }}

A Methodist church opened in 1902.{{cite news|date=30 November 1935|title=METHODISM|page=8|newspaper=Warwick Daily News|issue=5109|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article177342278|via=National Library of Australia|accessdate=10 September 2021|archive-date=11 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911003821/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177342278|url-status=live}} In 1919, the church building was relocated to Brighton (near Sandgate).{{cite news|date=30 November 1935|title=METHODISM|page=8|newspaper=Warwick Daily News|issue=5109|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article177342278|via=National Library of Australia|accessdate=10 September 2021|archive-date=11 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911003821/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177342278|url-status=live}}

Melrose State School opened in 1910 and closed circa 1931.

Wynola State School was established in 1935 at River Bank {{Convert|7|mile||abbr=}} from the town of Killarney, following the discovery that several families in that district were illiterate.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35859618|title=WHY THEY ARE ILLITERATE|date=30 April 1935|newspaper=The Courier-mail|access-date=19 November 2019|issue=520|location=Queensland, Australia|page=12|via=National Library of Australia|archive-date=30 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730092402/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/35859618|url-status=live}} It is presumed the school was in the vicinity of the Wynola pastoral station ({{Coord|-28.313|152.350|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=Wynola pastoral station}}) to the north-east of the town on the Condamine River Road. The school building from the closed Melrose State School was relocated to establish the new school.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article177390855|title=ILLITERATE COLONY|date=3 July 1935|newspaper=Warwick Daily News|access-date=20 November 2019|issue=4981|location=Queensland, Australia|page=4|via=National Library of Australia|archive-date=30 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730092401/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177390855|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article177395028|title="WYNOLA" STATE SCHOOL|date=23 August 1935|newspaper=Warwick Daily News|access-date=20 November 2019|issue=5025|location=Queensland, Australia|page=4|via=National Library of Australia|archive-date=30 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730092402/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177395028|url-status=live}} The school was officially opened on 19 October 1935 by John Healy, the Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Warwick.{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article177339021|title=OPENING OF NEW SCHOOL|date=19 October 1935|newspaper=Warwick Daily News|access-date=20 November 2019|issue=5074|location=Queensland, Australia|page=3|via=National Library of Australia|archive-date=30 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730092400/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/177339021|url-status=live}} The school closed circa 1941.

The town was hit by a destructive tornado on Friday 22 November 1968, which destroyed many of the original buildings.{{Cite news

| last=Oconnor

| first=T

| title=1968 The Year that Shook the World

| newspaper=The Courier-Mail

| volume=2

| pages=001

| date=25 April 1998

| url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AUNB:ACMB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=0FD87E30DA218800&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=D03C879D46054B7A8E580E50AACBBC33

| access-date=19 November 2019

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304221922/http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid%2Fiw.newsbank.com%3AAUNB%3AACMB&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=0FD87E30DA218800&svc_dat=InfoWeb%3Aaggregated5&req_dat=D03C879D46054B7A8E580E50AACBBC33

| archive-date=4 March 2016

| url-status=live

}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/killarney-reflects-47-years-after-devastating-torn/2849400/#/0|title=The day a tornado smashed the Darling Downs|last=Brown|first=Jayden|date=23 November 2015|work=Warwick Daily News|access-date=9 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809051047/https://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news/killarney-reflects-47-years-after-devastating-torn/2849400/|archive-date=9 August 2019|url-status=live}} The main street buildings that survived the storm: the Butter Factory, the Co-op Building, Mackenzie's Emporium (now a Saint Vincent de Paul shop), former Commercial Bank (opposite the Post Office), the Post Office and the Killarney Hotel, hint at the town's former glory.Killarney & District Historical Society, Memories of Killarney & District. The former National bank building did survive the storm but was relocated to a suburb of Brisbane in 1977. The old Bank Vault foundation stones remain on the vacant block in the building's original location, adjacent to the St Vincent de Paul shop. November 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of this storm.{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2008/11/21/2426737.htm?site=southqld |title=Killarney commemorates fortieth anniversary of tornado |author=Peter Gunders |date=21 November 2008 |publisher=ABC Southern Queensland |access-date=5 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108151136/http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2008/11/21/2426737.htm?site=southqld |archive-date=8 November 2012 |url-status=live }}

In the {{CensusAU|2011}}, the locality of Killarney had a population of 984 people,{{Census 2011 AUS|id=SSC30880|name=Killarney (SSC)|accessdate=19 November 2019|quick=on}} while the town of Killarney had a population of 773 people.{{Census 2011 AUS|id=UCL321063 |name=Killarney (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)|accessdate=29 October 2015|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, the locality of Killarney had a population of 954 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC31546|name=Killarney (SSC)|accessdate=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the locality as a whole had a population of 918 people,{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL31531 |name=Killarney (QLD)|accessdate=10 May 2024|quick=on}} while the town of Killarney had a population of 685 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=UCL321060|name=Killarney (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)|accessdate=10 May 2024|quick=on}}

The local economy is underpinned by agriculture, transport and more recently tourism. Previously the abattoir was the largest employer (closed in February 2011).{{cite news|date=10 February 2010|first=Jon|last=Condon|url=http://qcl.farmonline.com.au/news/state/livestock/news/pittsworth-killarney-abattoirs-close/1747771.aspx |title= Pittsworth, Killarney abattoirs close |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218032823/http://qcl.farmonline.com.au/news/state/livestock/news/pittsworth-killarney-abattoirs-close/1747771.aspx|archive-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=dead|work =Queensland Country Life |publisher=Fairfax Agricultural Media| access-date=3 August 2013}}

Water to the town is supplied from a small weir on Spring Creek.{{Citation needed|date=April 2007}} In April 2007, the Courier Mail newspaper reported that the town might have to be evacuated due to water shortages caused by years of extreme drought.[http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21621315-952,00.html Towns face drought death blow] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427042338/http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21621315-952,00.html|date=27 April 2007}} by Tuck Thompson. 26 April 2007. Retrieved on 28 April 2007. In January 2008 the Condamine River broke its banks after a week of steady rain and buildings in the main street were flooded.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2139824.htm |title=Floods bring relief to Killarney district |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106031116/http://www.abc.net.au/rural/content/2007/s2139824.htm|archive-date=6 November 2012|url-status=dead|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|first=Amy |last=Phillips |date=16 January 2008}} Despite the problems created by the floods, the water was beneficial to the farmers who had been in difficulties due to drought conditions before the flood.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2146961.htm |title=The silver lining to summer's storm clouds |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314152340/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2007/s2146961.htm|archive-date=14 March 2008| url-status=dead| website=7:30 Report|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=12 May 2024}}

Killarney P-10 State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at 7 Acacia Street ({{coord|-28.3413|152.2978|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Killarney P-10 State School}}).{{Cite web |date=2020-11-29 |title=Killarney P-10 State School |url=https://killarness.eq.edu.au/ |access-date=2025-06-04 |website=Killarney P-10 State School |language=en}}{{cite web|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|date=9 July 2018|publisher=Queensland Government|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}}{{cite web|title=Killarney P-10 State School|url=https://www.killarness.eq.edu.au|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326165302/http://www.killarness.eq.edu.au/|archive-date=26 March 2012|access-date=21 November 2018}} In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 149 students with 15 teachers (14 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff (11 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}} It includes a special education program.

There is no secondary school in Killarney offering Years 11 and 12; the nearest secondary school offering Years 11 and 12 is Warwick State High School in Warwick.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=4 June 2025 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government}}

Several key buildings remain in Willow St. The Killarney Post Office was built in 1905. The CWA building, formerly the School of Arts, was built in 1888 on stilts over Gravel Creek and is testament to how crowded the main street had become at the town's height. The historic Killarney Hotel is located in Willow St and is the third hotel to sit on this site.

The Killarney branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 12 Willow Street. It celebrated its 100th anniversary in March 2024.{{Cite web|url=http://www.qcwa.org.au/branch-locations/|title=Branch Locations|publisher=Queensland Country Women's Association|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226010724/http://www.qcwa.org.au/branch-locations/|access-date=26 December 2018|archive-date=26 December 2018|url-status=live}}

Image:Queen Mary Falls.jpg

The five waterfalls surrounding Killarney make this area a popular scenic destination, the Teviot Falls, Queen Mary Falls, Dagg's Falls, Browns Falls and Upper Brown's Falls. During wet weather there are two additional falls, Black Fella Falls and Jack Brunton's Falls, which can be seen tumbling down the cliffs surrounding Killarney at the bottom of the Cambanoora Gorge.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

The annual agricultural show; rodeos; various horse-related events; the Killarney Bonfire Night; the Border Ranges Trail Ride; the Pedal, Waddle and Saddle; and the Untamed Border Run are major events that attract substantial numbers of visitors to the town.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

Killarney has a cool subtropical climate, like most of inland south-east Queensland. Winters can be cold and frosty, while summers are warm but rarely hot.

• Jackie Howe, champion shearer, born in Killarney
• Otto Madsen, politician
• Steph Hancock, footballer
• Rohan Hancock, footballer
• Hugh Cornish, Australian celebtrity, born in Killarney

{{-}}

{{reflist|2}}

{{Portal|Queensland}}

• {{cite web|url=http://queenslandplaces.com.au/killarney|title=Killarney|publisher=Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland|website=Queensland Places}}
• [https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-town-killarney-1976.jpg Town map of Killarney, 1976]

{{Southern Downs Region}}

{{Darling Downs}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in the Darling Downs

Category:1878 establishments in Australia

Category:Southern Downs Region

Category:Populated places established in 1878

Category:Localities in Queensland