Wondecla, Queensland

The Kennedy Highway roughly forms the south-east boundary of the locality. Longlands Gap–Herberton Road passes through the locality from north-west (coming from Herberton) to the south-east, joining the Kennedy Highway at the south-east boundary.{{Queensland Globe|accessdate=8 August 2017}}

The western part of the locality is around 900–950 metres above sea level and is flat enough to be used as farmland. The northern, eastern and southern parts of the locality are more mountainous with numerous unnamed peaks (between 1000 and 1100 metres) and are not developed. The north-east of the locality is protected as the Herberton Range National Park and the Herberton Range Conservation Park. The southern part of the locality is The Bluff State Forest.

Wondecla Creek (formerly Nigger Creek) rises in the south-east of the locality and flows through the lower parts of the locality towards the north-east where it has its confluence with the Wild River, which then becomes the locality's western boundary.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=15 November 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 }}{{Cite QPN|43373|Wondecla Creek|watercourse in the Tablelands Region|access-date=16 November 2024}}

File:Australians training with 155 mm gun Queensland Feb 1945 AWM 086726.jpeg

Wondecla was originally called Nigger Creek. It takes its current name from the former Wondecla railway station ({{coord|-17.4092|145.3920|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Wondecla railway station (former)}}) on the Tablelands railway line.{{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}} The station's name was assigned by the Queensland Railways Department on 31 July 1911. Wondecla is believed to be an Aboriginal word meaning the junction of creeks, which probably refers to the confluence of the Wild River and the Wondecla Creek given that the station was near the confluence.

The Nigger Creek Provisional School opened 7 May 1883.{{cite news |date=22 May 1884 |title=The Wild River District. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39429473 |accessdate=16 November 2024 |newspaper=Cairns Post |location=Queensland, Australia |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia |volume=II |issue=54}} On 1 January 1909, it became Nigger Creek State School. In 1922, it was renamed Wondecla State School. It closed on 20 July 1958.{{Citation|title=Queensland schools past and present|publication-date=2010|author1=Queensland Family History Society|edition=Version 1.01|publisher=Queensland Family History Society|isbn=978-1-921171-26-0}}{{Cite QSA Agency

|5921|Wondecla Station School|9 August 2017}} It was on a {{Convert|5|acre|8|sqperch|adj=on}} site on the western side of Longlands Gap Road immediately south of Wondecla Creek ({{Coord|-17.4145|145.3933|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Wondecla State School (former)}}).{{Cite web |date=1943 |title=Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m404 |url=https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/cadastral/cad-map-2mile-qld-2m404-surv-control-1943/original |access-date=16 November 2024 |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map |archive-date=8 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231008035630/https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/cadastral/cad-map-2mile-qld-2m404-surv-control-1943/original |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=1943 |title=Herberton |url=https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/topographic/topo-map-1mile-military-line-colour-herberton-1943/original |access-date=16 November 2024 |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map}}{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Land parcel; Watercourse |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=15 November 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 }}

A postal receiving office opened at Nigger Creek about 1899. Nigger Creek Post Office was opened in October 1910 and was renamed Wondecla Post Office on 1 June 1918. The post office closed 30 June 1975.{{Cite web|url=http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=QLD&filter=*Wondecla*|title=Post Office List|last=Phoenix Auctions History|publisher=Phoenix Auctions|access-date=14 March 2021}}

In World War II as part of the Atherton Project, tent encampments were established by the Australian Army (6th and 7th Divisions) near Wondecla, Wongabel, and Ravenshoe.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ww2places.qld.gov.au/theservices/theaustralianarmy/#atherton_tableland|title=The Australilan Army|last=|first=|date=30 June 2014|website=Queensland WWII Historic Places|publisher=Queensland Government|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207003902/https://www.ww2places.qld.gov.au/theservices/theaustralianarmy/|archive-date=7 February 2018|url-status=live|access-date=7 February 2018}}

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Wondecla had a population of 638 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC33150|name=Wondecla (SSC)|accessdate=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Wondecla had a population of 661 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL33120|name=Wondecla (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

There are no schools in Wondecla. The nearest government primary schools are Herberton State School in neighbouring Moonmin to the north and Ravenshoe State School in Ravenshoe to the south.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=15 November 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 }} The nearest government secondary schools are:

• Herberton State School (to Year 10) in neighbouring Herberton to the north-west
• Atherton State High School in Atherton to the north
• Malanda State High School in Malanda to the north-east
• Ravenshoe State School (to Year 10)

Drovers Lookout is a tourist attraction in the Herberton Range Conservation Park ({{coord|-17.3928|145.4640|type:landmark_region:AU-QLD|name=tourist attraction}}). It can be reached by a shared trail (vehicles, horses, and walking).{{Cite web |title=Things to do {{!}} Herberton Range National Park, Herberton Range Conservation Park, Herberton Range State Forest and Baldy Mountain Forest Reserve |url=https://parks.desi.qld.gov.au/parks/herberton-range/things-to-do |access-date=2024-11-16 |website=Parks and forests |publisher=Queensland Government}}{{Cite web |date=July 2016 |title=Shared trails map, Herberton Range Conservation Park |url=https://parks.desi.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/160449/shared-trails-map.pdf |access-date=16 November 2024 |website=Parks and forests |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map}}{{Cite web |date=18 November 2020 |title=Tourist points - Queensland |url=https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/built-features-queensland-series/resource/c0b6c26c-6bde-452c-b60a-d77b969b60d2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124222328/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/built-features-queensland-series/resource/c0b6c26c-6bde-452c-b60a-d77b969b60d2 |archive-date=24 November 2020 |access-date=24 November 2020 |website=Queensland Open Data |publisher=Queensland Government}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Citation|title=Wondecla Post Office history|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/12428469|publication-date=1976|author1=Lightfoot, Jim|author2=Australia Post|publisher=Telecom Australia, Australia Post|accessdate=9 August 2017}}

{{Commons category-inline|Wondecla, Queensland}}{{Tablelands Region}}

Category:Tablelands Region

Category:Localities in Queensland