Thallon, Queensland

File:StateLibQld 2 129078 Motor train at Thallon station on its way to Warwick in December 1930.jpg, December 1930]]

Thallon is in South West Queensland, {{convert|571|km|mi}} west of the state capital, Brisbane.

The town is situated in roughly towards the east of the locality. The Moonie River flows from south to north through the locality and just to the west of the town. The Carnarvon Highway passes from north to south through the locality and through the town (as Hill Street) connecting the town to St George to the north and Mungindi on the border with New South Wales. The South-Western railway line passes through the locality from east to west and the town is served for freight rail by the Thallon railway station.{{Cite QPN|33801|Thallon|railway station in the Shire of Balonne|accessdate=25 December 2018}}

Thallon is a major wheat and woolgrowing area.

File:StateLibQld 2 145859 Thallon State School group, 1923.jpg

Gamilaraay (Gamilaroi, Kamilaroi, Comilroy) is a language from South-West Queensland and North-West New South Wales. The Gamilaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Balonne Shire Council, including the towns of Dirranbandi, Thallon, Talwood and Bungunya as well as the border towns of Mungindi and Boomi extending to Moree, Tamworth and Coonabarabran in NSW.{{Cite web|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/9?embed=true|title=Indigenous Language map of Queensland|website=State Library of Queensland|access-date=23 January 2020}}

Explorer Thomas Mitchell was the first European in the Thallon district and his initials can still be found on a bloodwood tree near the Moonie River.

In 1911, the area was set aside for closer settlement and {{convert|780|acre|km2}} were gazetted as a town reserve. The town's name comes from its railway station, which in turn was named on 17 January 1911 by the Queensland Railways Department after James Forsyth Thallon (1847-1911) who was the Queensland Commissioner for Railways from 1900 to 1911.{{cite web|url=http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/destinations/western-downs/places-to-visit/thallon/|title=Thallon|publisher=Tourism Queensland|work=Western Downs - Places to visit|access-date=25 May 2007}}

File:Pine St, Thallon, circa 1954.jpg

With the coming of the railway, the town developed and shops and a hotel were established.

Thallon State School opened on 24 July 1911.{{Cite web|url=https://thallonss.eq.edu.au/|title=Thallon State School|publisher=Thallon State School|access-date=29 January 2017}}{{Cite QldSchool|accessdate=18 April 2019}}{{Cite web |date=2019-03-29 |title=History |url=https://thallonss.eq.edu.au/our-school/history |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=Thallon State School |language=en}}

St Joseph's Catholic Church was built in 1916 from timber using a "ready-to-erect" system. It was {{Convert|30 by 25|ft}}. It cost £268. It was officially opened by Archbishop James Duhig on Sunday 17 September 1916. It was in Garah Street ({{coord|-28.638697|148.865|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=St Joseph's Catholic Church}}) on a {{Convert|0.5|acre}} site donated by F. McLoughlin. In 1980, it closed due to termite damage.{{cite web |last=Blake |first=Thom |title=St Joseph's Catholic Church |url=https://www.qldreligiousplaces.net.au/View.php?id=58 |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=Queensland Religious Places}}{{cite news |date=25 April 1916 |title=LISMORE DISTRICT. |page=4 |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |issue=18,181 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20102995 |accessdate=18 July 2023 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |date=2 September 1916 |title=Thallon. |volume=X |page=3 |newspaper=Balonne Beacon |issue=69 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article215379853 |accessdate=18 July 2023 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |date=23 September 1916 |title=Thallon. |volume=X |page=2 |newspaper=Balonne Beacon |issue=75 |location=Queensland, Australia |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article215373952 |accessdate=18 July 2023 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Myrtlemount Provisional School, Warrie Provisional School and Hollymount Provisional School (all named after local pastoral stations) opened on 29 September 1919 as a group of part-time schools (sharing a teacher between them). All three schools closed in 1922 due to low student numbers.{{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}}

In the {{CensusAU|2011}}, the locality of Thallon and the surrounding area had a population of 382 people.{{Census 2011 AUS|id=SSC31603|name=Thallon (State Suburb)|accessdate=4 June 2013|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, the locality of Thallon had a population of 257 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC32805|name=Thallon (SSC)|access-date=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the locality of Thallon had a population of 231 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL32778|name=Thallon (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

File:Bullamon Homestead (1995).jpg

Thallon has the following heritage-listed sites:

• Bullamon Homestead, by the Moonie River{{Cite QHR|16443|Bullamon Homestead|601683|accessdate=5 September 2016}}

Thallon State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 15 Henry Street ({{coord|-28.6336|148.8677|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Thallon State School}}).{{cite web|url=https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997|title=State and non-state school details|date=9 July 2018|publisher=Queensland Government|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|url-status=live|access-date=21 November 2018}}{{Cite web |date=2022-08-24 |title=Thallon State School |url=https://thallonss.eq.edu.au/ |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=Thallon State School |language=en}} In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 36 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 7 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).{{cite web|url=http://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-20172c7b12404c94637ead88ff00003e0139.xlsx?sfvrsn=0|title=ACARA School Profile 2017|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|url-status=live|access-date=22 November 2018}} In 2022, the school had an enrolment of 18 students.{{Cite web |title=Annual Report 2022 |url=https://thallonss.eq.edu.au/supportandresources/formsanddocuments/annualreports/annual%20report%202022.pdf |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=Thallon State School |page=2}}

There is no secondary school in Thallon; the nearest is in neighbouring St George.{{Queensland Globe|accessdate=25 December 2018}}

File:ThallonPostOffice.JPG

File:ThallonPublicHall.JPG

Thallon has a post office, hotel, community hall, showground, park and sportsground.{{cite web |title=Thallon |url=http://www.balonne.qld.gov.au/residentinfo/publicfacilities/index.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113013846/http://www.balonne.qld.gov.au/residentinfo/publicfacilities/index.shtml |archive-date=13 November 2013 |access-date=12 November 2013 |publisher=Balonne Shire Council |df=dmy-all}}

Balonne Shire Council operates a library in William Street.{{Cite web |title=Library location and hours |url=http://www.balonne.qld.gov.au/library-locations |access-date=8 May 2017 |publisher=Balonne Shire Council}}{{Cite web |title=Thallon Library |url=http://www.plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au/networking/directory-of-public-libraries/branches/balonne/thallon_library |access-date=29 January 2017 |website=Public Libraries Connect |publisher=State Library of Queensland}}

File:ThallonCWARooms.JPG

The Thallon-Daymar branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 47 William Street.{{Cite web |title=Branch locations |url=http://www.qcwa.org.au/branch-locations/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226010724/http://www.qcwa.org.au/branch-locations/ |archive-date=26 December 2018 |access-date=26 December 2018 |website=Queensland Country Women's Association}} Daymar is a neighbouring town, {{Convert|12|km|}} east of Thallon.

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File:William the wombat.png

In 2015, the town of Thallon decided to build a large statue of a northern hairy-nosed wombat as one of Australia's Big Things to attract tourists and to highlight the critically endangered status of the species which had once inhabited the Thallon area but is now extinct in that area. The statue is {{convert|2|x|3.5|m|abbr=on|ft}} and was built by David Joffe at Natureworks in Brisbane. It arrived in Thallon in October 2017 and is on display in the park.{{Cite web|url=https://www.southernqueenslandcountry.com.au/destinations/thallon/attractions/william-the-wombat|title=William the Wombat|website=Southern Queensland Country Tourism|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326033350/http://www.southernqueenslandcountry.com.au/destinations/thallon/attractions/william-the-wombat|archive-date=26 March 2018|url-status=live|access-date=7 October 2018}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/william-the-wombat-to-put-town-on-map/3242697/|title=William the Wombat to put town on map|last=Amy-Lyne|date=19 October 2017|work=Toowoomba Chronicle|access-date=7 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019084835/https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/william-the-wombat-to-put-town-on-map/3242697/|archive-date=19 October 2017|url-status=live}}

There is a small population of the wombats at the Richard Underwood Nature Refuge, located between St George and Surat, established in 2009.{{cite web | last=Robinson | first=Lucy | title='Precious, eccentric, easy to love': Northern hairy-nosed wombat numbers reach 300 | website=ABC News|publisher= Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date=6 May 2021 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-07/rare-hairy-nosed-wombat-numbers-reach-300/100120212 | access-date=21 May 2021}}

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File:AU-Qld-Thallon-town sign north-2021.jpg|Northern entrance to the town (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-Pine Street-2021.jpg|Pine Street (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-state school-2021.jpg|Thallon State School, Henry Street (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-state school oval-2021.jpg|Thallon State School oval, Henry Street (2021).

File:ThallonFrancisHotel.JPG|Francis Hotel, Pine Street (2008).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-Anglican church-2021.jpg|Anglican church (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-town water tower-2021.jpg|Town water tower (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-fire station-2021.jpg|Fire station (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-police station-2021.jpg|Police station (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-cemetery-2021.jpg|Town cemetery (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-silo murals-2021.jpg|Painted murals on grain silos (2021).

File:Thallon silo art - The Watering Hole, 2021, 03.jpg|Painted murals on grain silos (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-war memorial-2021.jpg|War memorial (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-Moonie River in flood downstream-2021.jpg|Moonie River in flood downstream (2021).

File:AU-Qld-Thallon-Noondoo-Thallon Road-2021.jpg|Noondoo-Thallon Road (2021).

{{reflist}}

• {{Citation|author1=Kershaw, Hilary|title=75th anniversary of Thallon|publication-date=1986|publisher=75th Anniversary Committee|isbn=978-1-86252-429-3}}
• {{Citation|author1=O'Flynn|first=Melanie A|title=Before the line : the Thallon district before 1911|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/200684404|publication-date=2011|publisher=M. O'Flynn}}
• {{Citation|author1=Trevethan, Jane|title=Thallon centenary : 100 years down the line 1911-2011|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/154910398|publication-date=2011|publisher=Thallon State School P & C Committee}}

{{Commons category-inline|Thallon, Queensland}}

• [https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-town-thallon-1974.jpg Town map of Thallon, 1974]

{{Shire of Balonne}}

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Category:Towns in Queensland

Category:Shire of Balonne

Category:Localities in Queensland