Toonpan, Queensland

The locality is bounded to the west by the Mount Isa railway line and the Flinders Highway.{{Queensland Globe|access-date=8 February 2024}}

The terrain varies from {{Convert|50 to 190|m}} above sea level with the higher elevations in the east of the locality, the foothills of Mount Elliot.

The land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation with a small amount of crop growing.

The first section of the Great Northern railway line opened on 20 December 1880 and followed a southerly path from Townsville to Reid River via Stuart, Antill Plains, Toonpan, Woodstock and Calcium.{{cite news |date=18 December 1880 |title=Townsville. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article892221 |accessdate=5 February 2024 |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |location=Queensland, Australia |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=XXXV |issue=4,237}}{{cite news |date=21 December 1880 |title=Townsville. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article85757983 |accessdate=5 February 2024 |newspaper=The Darling Downs Gazette And General Advertiser |location=Queensland, Australia |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=XX |issue=4089}} Toonpan railway station was at {{Coord|-19.50129|146.83617}} (now within the present-day boundaries of the suburb of Ross River).{{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}}

Toonpan Provisional School opened circa 1895,{{cite news |date=21 July 1904 |title=The Kennedy Schools. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214349693 |accessdate=4 February 2024 |newspaper=The Evening Telegraph |location=Queensland, Australia |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=4 |issue=1031}} becoming Toonpan State School on 1 January 1909. Between 1920 and 1923, it operated as a half-time school with Manton Provisional School (meaning the two schools shared a single teacher). It resumed as a full-time state school in 1923. It closed in circa 1940.{{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}} It was located immediately south-west of the railway station.{{Cite web |date=1944 |title=Manton |url=https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/topographic/topo-map-4mile-military-line-bandw-manton-temp-ed-1944/original |access-date=5 February 2024 |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map}}{{Cite web |date=1922 |title=County of Elphinstone |url=https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/cadastral/cad-map-2mile-county-elphinstone-1922/original |access-date=5 February 2024 |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map}}

During World War II, the 29th Brigade of the Australian Army was based in Toonpan from May to September 1942. After September it moved to the Black River area, north of Townsville, before going to Papua New Guinea in January 1943.Personal history of William Harold Mann 1920 - 1998, member 7 Field Ambulance, 29 Brigade {{full citation needed|date=July 2021}}The Unit Guide, Australian war Memorial, page 3,026{{full citation needed|date=July 2021}}{{full citation needed|date=July 2021}}

In the 1980s, the second stage of the Ross River Dam necessitated a deviation of the Flinders Highway and Mount Isa railway line (which otherwise ran straight north–south) further east. This was completed by 1986 and resulted in the closure of Toonpan and Barringha railway stations on the removed route; they were not re-established on new route.{{Cite web |title=Ross River Dam |url=https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/water-waste-and-environment/water-supply-and-dams/ross-river-dam |access-date=2024-02-08 |publisher=Townsville City Council}}{{Cite web |date=1942 |title=Mount Elliott (Special) |url=https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/topographic/topo-map-1mile-military-line-colour-mt-elliott-special-1942/original |access-date=8 February 2024 |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map |archive-date=21 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921230558/https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/topographic/topo-map-1mile-military-line-colour-mt-elliott-special-1942/original |url-status=live }}

The locality was officially named and bounded on 27 July 1991.

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Toonpan had a population of 57 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC32881|name=Toonpan (SSC)|access-date=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Toonpan had a population of 62 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL32852|name=Toonpan (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

There are no schools in Toonpan. The nearest government primary school is Woodstock State School in Woodstock to the south. The nearest government secondary school is William Ross State High School in Annandale, Townsville, to the north.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=28 December 2024 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}

{{commons category|Toonpan, Queensland}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |title=Woodstock State School centenary, 1890-1990 : including Manton, Reid River & Toonpan schools. |vauthors= |date=1990 |publisher=Woodstock Centenary Committee |isbn=0646008374}} — [https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/1dejkfd/alma997249934702061 via State Library of Queensland]

{{Suburbs of Townsville}}

Category:City of Townsville

Category:Localities in Queensland