The Gums, Queensland

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}

{{Use Australian English|date=July 2016}}

{{GeoGroup}}

{{Infobox Australian place

| type = town

| name = The Gums

| state = qld

| image =

| caption =

| coordinates = {{coord|-27.3402|150.205|type:city_region:AU-QLD|display=inline,title|name=The Gums (town centre)}}

| pop = 165

| pop_year = {{CensusAU|2021}}

| pop_footnotes =

| established =

| postcode = 4406

| area = 1084.4

| timezone = AEST

| utc = +10:00

| elevation=

| maxtemp =

| mintemp =

| rainfall =

| lga = Western Downs Region

| stategov = Warrego

| fedgov = Maranoa

| dist1 = 83

| dir1 = S

| location1= Miles

| dist2 = 118

| dir2 = W

| location2= Dalby

| dist3 = 200

| dir3 = W

| location3= Toowoomba

| dist4 = 328

| dir4 = W

| location4= Brisbane

| near-n = Condamine

| near-ne = Wieambilla

| near-e = Tara

| near-se = Moonie

| near-s = Moonie

| near-sw = Hannaford

| near-w = Hannaford

| near-nw = Barramornie

}}

The Gums is a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.{{cite QPN|33961|The Gums|town in Western Downs Region|access-date=27 January 2020}}{{cite QPN|47751|The Gums|locality in Western Downs Region|access-date=27 January 2020}} In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the locality of The Gums had a population of 165 people.

Geography

The town is at the junction of the Leichhardt Highway and the Surat Developmental Road{{cite web |url=http://www.australianexplorer.com/the_gums.htm |title=The Gums |publisher=australianexplorer.com |access-date=15 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306025746/http://www.australianexplorer.com/the_gums.htm |archive-date=6 March 2012 |url-status=live }} on the Darling Downs, {{convert|329|km|mi}} west of the state capital, Brisbane.

The Glenmorgan railway line passes through the locality from east (Tara) to west (Hannaford). At one point, there were three stations serving the locality: The Gums railway station (which is north of but close to the town, {{Coord|-27.3286|150.1853|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|display=|name=The Gums railway station}}),{{Cite QPN|33962|The Gums|railway station in the Western Down Region|access-date=25 December 2017}} Cabawin railway station ({{coord|-27.3294| 150.2503|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Cabawin railway station}}),{{Cite QPN|5606|Cabawin|railway station in the Western Downs Region|access-date=26 December 2017}} and South Glen railway station ({{Coord|-27.3053|150.3167|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|display=|name=South Glen railway station}}).{{Cite QPN|31458|South Glen|railway station in the Western Downs Region|access-date=25 December 2017}}

History

The name of the town was derived from The Gums railway station, on the Glenmorgan railway line from Dalby to Glenmorgan,{{cite web |url=http://www.health.qld.gov.au/workforus/profiles/Toowoomba/TB_Glenmorgan.asp |title=Location Profiles - Darling Downs-West Moreton Health Service District - GLENMORGAN |date=23 February 2010 |publisher=Queensland Government |access-date=17 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320033148/http://www.health.qld.gov.au/workforus/profiles/Toowoomba/TB_Glenmorgan.asp |archive-date=20 March 2011 |url-status=live }} used from 1924.

South Glen Provisional School opened in 1913 and closed circa 1921.{{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 Gums State School opened on 27 January 1913.

Circa February 1914, a Methodist church was opened at The Gums.{{cite news |date=27 February 1914 |title=COUNTRY TELEGRAMS. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19952611 |accessdate=15 November 2024 |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |location=Queensland, Australia |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia |issue=17,511}}{{cite news|date=31 October 1914|title=METHODIST SYNODS.|page=16|newspaper=The Brisbane Courier|issue=17,721|location=Queensland, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19993090|via=National Library of Australia|accessdate=10 September 2021}}

Cabawin Provisional School opened on 30 January 1934. In 1952 it became Cabawin State School. It closed in 1960. It was on Cabawin South Road ({{Coord|-27.3644|150.2582|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|display=|name=Cabawin State School}}).{{Cite web|url=https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-2mile-qld-2m48-admin-bdy-1955.jpg|title=Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m48|date=1955|publisher=Queensland Government|type=Map|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424213205/https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-2mile-qld-2m48-admin-bdy-1955.jpg|archive-date=24 April 2020|access-date=25 April 2020}}

Demographics

In the {{CensusAU|2006}}, the locality of The Gums and the surrounding area had a population of 169 people.{{Census 2006 AUS|id=SSC37649|name=The Gums (Tara Shire) (State Suburb)|accessdate=2008-11-04|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, the locality of The Gums had a population of 159 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC32821|name=The Gums (SSC)|accessdate=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the locality of The Gums had a population of 165 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL32793|name=The Gums (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

Education

File:The Gums State School, 2016.jpg

The Gums State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 12051 Surat Developmental Road ({{coord|-27.3414|150.1994|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=The Gums 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|publisher=Queensland Government|date=9 July 2018|access-date=21 November 2018|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}}{{Cite web |date=2020-11-29 |title=The Gums State School |url=https://thegumsss.eq.edu.au/ |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=The Gums State School |language=en}} In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 22 students with 4 teachers (2 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (2 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}}

There is no secondary school in The Gums. The nearest secondary school is Tara Shire State College in Tara.{{Queensland Globe|access-date=24 April 2020}}

Facilities

File:The Gums Cemetery, 2016.jpg

File:Alexander Davison headstone, The Gums Cemetery, 2016.jpg

The Gums has a small cemetery ({{coord|-27.3393|150.1960|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=The Gums cemetery}}). One of the headstones is for the first headmaster of The Gums State School, Alexander Davison who died on 7 November 1916.

References

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