Mowbray, Queensland

{{Infobox Australian place

| type = suburb

| name = Mowbray

| city =

| state = qld

| image = Mowbray QLD 4877, Australia - panoramio.jpg

| caption = Beach at Mowbray, 2013

| coordinates = {{coord|-16.595|145.4972|type:city_region:AU-QLD|display=inline,title|name=Mowbray (centre of locality)}}

| pop = 362

| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}}

| pop_footnotes =

| established =

| postcode = 4877

| area = 92.7

| timezone = AEST

| utc = +10:00

| dist1 = 12.6

| dir1 = S

| location1 = Port Douglas

| dist2 = 21.9

| dir2 = SE

| location2 = Mossman

| dist3 = 58.2

| dir3 = NW

| location3 = Cairns

| dist4 = 1765

| dir4 = NNW

| location4 = Brisbane

| lga = Shire of Douglas

| stategov = Cook

| fedgov = Leichhardt

| near-n = Craiglie

| near-ne = Coral Sea

| near-e = Oak Beach
Coral Sea

| near-se = Wangetti

| near-s = Mona Mona

| near-sw = Mount Molloy

| near-w = Julatten

| near-nw = Cassowary

}}

Mowbray is a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia.{{cite QPN|48792|Mowbray|locality in Shire of Douglas|accessdate=27 November 2018}} In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Mowbray had a population of 362 people.

Geography

The locality is bounded to the east by Trinity Bay (part of the Coral Sea) and to the south-west by the Great Dividing Range. Oak Beach is a small township along the east coast of Mowbray which has been excised into its own locality.

Most of the terrain in Mowbray is mountainous with a number of named peaks (from north to south):

Mount Garioch ({{coord|-16.6046|145.4995|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Garioch}}) {{convert|623|m}}{{Cite web |date=12 November 2020 |title=Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland |url=https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/geographic-features-queensland-series/resource/06ff12a9-862e-4aac-bf9d-693f0a63b4c9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125215033/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/geographic-features-queensland-series/resource/06ff12a9-862e-4aac-bf9d-693f0a63b4c9 |archive-date=25 November 2020 |access-date=25 November 2020 |website=Queensland Open Data |publisher=Queensland Government}}{{cite QPN|13457|Mount Garioch|mountain in Douglas Shire|access-date=25 November 2020}}
Mount Charlie ({{coord|-16.6227|145.5228|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Charlie}}) {{convert|572|m}}{{cite QPN|6922|Mount Charlie|mountain in Douglas Shire|access-date=25 November 2020}}
Harris Peak (also known as Black Mountain) ({{coord|-16.6443|145.4899|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Harris Peak (Black Mountain)}}) {{convert|1068|m}}{{cite QPN|15442|Harris Peak|mountain in Douglas Shire|access-date=25 November 2020}}

Most of this mountain terrain is within a number of protected areas: Mowbray Conservation Park and Mowbray National Park to the west (covering the Great Dividing Range) and Macalister Range National Park for the hilly land in the east.File:Canefields, Mowbray, 1935.jpgMost of the unprotected land is in the north of the locality around the valleys of the Mowbray River and its tributary Spring Creek. The residential areas are in these valleys. The Captain Cook Highway passes through the locality from south to north, hugging the Trinity Bay coast for much of the way. The low-lying river flats are used to grow sugarcane.

The locality also has coastal features (from north to south):

Yule Point ({{coord|-16.5746|145.5126|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=Yule Point}}){{cite QPN|38781|Yule Point|point in Douglas Shire|access-date=25 November 2020}}
Pebbly Beach ({{coord|-16.5818|145.5126|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=Pebbly Beach}})
Oak Beach ({{coord|-16.6009|145.5229|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=Oak Beach}})
Pretty Beach (formerly known as Little Reef Beach) ({{coord|-16.6132|145.5336|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=Pretty Beach (Little Reef Beach)}}){{cite QPN|27485|Pretty Beach|beach in Shire of Douglas|access-date=1 October 2023}}
Turtle Creek Beach ({{coord|-16.6285|145.5516|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=Turtle Creek Beach}}){{Cite web|date=12 November 2020|title=Mountain ranges beaches and sea passages - Queensland|url=https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/geographic-features-queensland-series/resource/1db1dfe1-ab2a-4405-9164-0a54c3b31dda|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125060730/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/geographic-features-queensland-series/resource/1db1dfe1-ab2a-4405-9164-0a54c3b31dda|archive-date=25 November 2020|access-date=25 November 2020|website=Queensland Open Data|publisher=Queensland Government}}

History

File:Mowbray Bridge after the 1911 cyclone, Queensland.jpg

The locality of Mowbray was originally known as Mowbray River (which flows through the locality).{{Queensland Globe|access-date=14 December 2023}}

On Thursday 16 March 1911, a cyclone hit the area doing considerable damage. The bridge which carried the tramway over the Mowbray River was swept away.{{cite news |date=5 April 1911 |title=After the Cyclone |volume=XXV |page=3 |newspaper=Cairns Post |issue=984 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39879007 |accessdate=14 December 2023 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |date=20 March 1911 |title=Cyclone Calamities |volume=XXV |page=4 |newspaper=Cairns Post |issue=971 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39860026 |url-status=live |accessdate=2 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107084732/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/39860026 |archive-date=7 January 2022 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |date=22 March 1911 |title=WRECK OF PORT DOUGLAS |volume=LIII |page=7 |newspaper=Darling Downs Gazette |issue=91643 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article182701452 |url-status=live |accessdate=2 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107084733/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/182701452 |archive-date=7 January 2022 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |date=25 March 1911 |title=CYCLONE IN THE NORTH |page=37 |newspaper=The Queenslander |issue=2349 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22291269 |url-status=live |accessdate=2 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107084735/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22291269 |archive-date=7 January 2022 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |date=24 March 1911 |title=The Port Douglas Disaster |volume=XXV |page=2 |newspaper=Cairns Post |issue=975 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39883658 |accessdate=14 December 2023 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-date=17 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217041436/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/39883658 |url-status=live }}

Children from the Mowbray attended the school at Craiglie until that settlement declined and the majority of the children attending the school were from the Mowbray area.Finn, pp. 28-31 Mowbray River State School opened on 20 May 1925 under head teacher Alexander Larcombe Edwards.{{cite news |date=1 August 1924 |title=NEW SCHOOLS. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20746705 |accessdate=28 December 2024 |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |location=Queensland, Australia |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia |issue=20,756}} It had an initial enrolment of 13 students, rising to 21 students by the end of 1925.Finn, p. 36 With fears of a Japanese invasion in 1942, many families evacuated and by March 1942 with only 2 students enrolled, the school was closed. In March 1944, the school reopened with 15 students. In 1961, the school had only 8 students at a time when the Queensland Education Department was introducing a new approach where bus transport would be provided for students to attend schools in larger centres. The school closed permanently at the end of 1961. In 1963, there was an auction selling the school's 5-acre site and building.{{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}} The school was at 264 Mowbray River Road ({{Coord|-16.56561|145.46745|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Mowbray River State School (former)}}).The school building is still on the site, forming part of a house.{{Cite web |title=264 Mowbray River Road, Mowbray, Qld 4877 |url=https://www.realestate.com.au/sold/property-house-qld-mowbray-138401919 |access-date=17 December 2023 |website=Realestate.com.au}}

Demographics

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Mowbray had a population of 321 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC32063|name=Mowbray (SSC)|access-date=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Mowbray had a population of 362 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL32045|name=Mowbray (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

Education

There are no schools in Mowbray. The nearest government primary school is Port Douglas State School in Port Douglas to the north. The nearest government secondary school is Mossman State High School in Mossman to the north-west.

References

= Sources =

{{cite book |last=Finn |first=Marie |url=https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/11l3i0/alma99183367187402061 |title=No load to carry : the history of Craiglie, Mowbray River and Killaloe State Schools 1888-1962 |date=2005 |publisher=Home Hill, Queensland}}

Category:Shire of Douglas

Category:Coastline of Queensland

Category:Localities in Queensland