Prairie, Queensland

{{Infobox Australian place

| type = town

| name = Prairie

| state = qld

| image = Prairie Hotel Motel.jpg

| caption = Prairie Hotel Motel

| coordinates = {{coord|-20.8694|144.6022|type:city_region:AU-QLD|display=inline,title|name=Prairie (town centre)}}

| pop = 116

| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}}

| pop_footnotes =

| established =

| postcode = 4821

| area = 8318.3

| timezone = AEST

| utc = +10:00

| dist1 = 44.1

| dir1 = E

| location1 = Hughenden

| dist2 = 339

| dir2 = WSW

| location2 = Townsville

| dist3 = 566

| dir3 = E

| location3 = Mount Isa

| dist4 = 1424

| dir4 = NW

| location4 = Brisbane

| lga = Shire of Flinders

| stategov = Traeger

| fedgov = Kennedy

| elevation =

| elevation_footnotes =

| maxtemp =

| maxtemp_footnotes =

| mintemp =

| mintemp_footnotes =

| rainfall =

| rainfall_footnotes =

| near-n = Porcupine

| near-ne = Torrens Creek

| near-e = Torrens Creek

| near-se = Aramac

| near-s = Muttaburra

| near-sw = Corfield

| near-w = Tangorin

| near-nw = Hughenden

}}

Prairie is a rural town and locality in the Flinders Shire, Queensland, Australia.{{cite QPN|27449|Prairie|town in Flinders Shire|accessdate=27 December 2020}}{{cite QPN|42487|Prairie|locality in Flinders Shire|accessdate=27 December 2020}} In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the locality of Prairie had a population of 116 people.

Geography

The town is located in the north of the locality. The Flinders Highway enters the locality from the north-east (Torrens Creek), passes through the town and exits to the north-west (Hughenden).{{Queensland Globe|access-date=6 March 2021}}

The Great Northern railway line runs parallel and immediately south of the highway, with the following railway stations (east to west):

Warreah railway station, in the north-east of the locality ({{coord|-20.8280|144.8026|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Warreah 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}}
Karoon railway station, now abandoned ({{coord|-20.8453|144.7258|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Karoon railway station (former)}})
Prairie railway station, serving the town ({{coord|-20.8717|144.6009|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Prairie railway station}}){{Cite QPN|27451|Prairie|railway station in the Shire of Hughenden|access-date=6 March 2021}}
Baronta railway station, now abandoned ({{coord|-20.8778|144.5175|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Baronta railway station (former)}})
Tolkuru railway station, now abandoned ({{coord|-20.8757|144.4535|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Tolkuru railway station (former)}})
Tindo railway station, in the north-west of the locality ({{coord|-20.8719|144.4166|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Tindo railway station}}){{cite QPN|34626|Tindo|rail station in Flinders Shire|accessdate=27 December 2020}}
Jardine Valley railway station, now abandoned ({{coord|-20.8694|144.3902|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Jardine Valley railway station (former)}})

History

The name Prairie comes from a pastoral station established by James Gilson who named it after the appearance of the local countryside.

Prairie State School opened in 1894.{{cite web | url=http://queenslandplaces.com.au/flinders-shire | title=Flinders Shire | publisher=Centre for the Government of Queensland | work=Queensland Places | accessdate=22 April 2012 | archive-date=5 May 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505090850/http://queenslandplaces.com.au/flinders-shire | url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=https://prairiess.eq.edu.au/Pages/default.aspx|title=Prairie SS|last=|first=|date=|website=|publisher=|access-date=29 January 2017|archive-date=2 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202060000/https://prairiess.eq.edu.au/Pages/default.aspx|url-status=live}}

Demographics

In the {{CensusAU|2006}}, the locality of Prairie and the surrounding area had a population of 103 people.{{Census 2006 AUS|id=SSC37223|name=Prairie (Flinders Shire) (State Suburb)|accessdate=22 April 2012|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, the locality of Prairie had a population of 143 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC32382|name=Prairie (SSC)|accessdate=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the locality of Prairie had a population of 116 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL32358|name=Prairie (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

Education

Prairie State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Savage Street ({{coord|-20.8707|144.6053|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Prairie 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|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121065959/https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997|archivedate=21 November 2018|accessdate=21 November 2018|publisher=Queensland Government}}{{cite web|title=Prairie State School|url=https://prairiess.eq.edu.au/|url-status=live|accessdate=21 November 2018|archive-date=18 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318110012/https://prairiess.eq.edu.au/}} In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 7 students with 1 teacher and 2 non-teaching staff (1 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|accessdate=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=live}}

There is no secondary school in Prairie. The nearest is Hughenden State School (to Year 12) in neighbouring Hughenden to the north-west.

Given the size of the locality, these schools will be too distant from those living in the south of the locality. Distance education or boarding schools would be options.

Amenities

The town is serviced by a hotel/motel (pub) and a cafe/post office.{{cite web|title=Prairie|url=http://www.flinders.qld.gov.au/web/guest/prairie|accessdate=22 April 2012|publisher=Shire of Flinders|archive-date=20 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420071110/http://www.flinders.qld.gov.au/web/guest/prairie|url-status=live}}

References

External links

{{cite web|url=https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-town-prairie-1983.jpg|title=Town map of Prairie|date=1983|publisher=Queensland Government}}

Category:Towns in Queensland

Category:Shire of Flinders (Queensland)

Category:Localities in Queensland