Childers, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Childers is a town in southern Queensland
, Australia
, situated at the junction of the Bruce
and Isis Highway
s. The township lies 325 kilometres (201.9 mi) north of the state capital Brisbane
and 52 kilometres (32.3 mi) south-west of Bundaberg. Childers is located within Bundaberg Region Local Government Area. At the 2006 census
, Childers had a population of 1,350.
The township is set on a ridge overlooking fields of rich volcanic soil. Childers is renowned for its heritage character and is classified a National Trust
town. The historic colonial buildings of the main street (Bruce Highway) are set amongst large, shady leopard trees. The sugar cane industry features prominently in Childers and has sustained the town over the years. Fruit
and vegetable
cropping is common on the lands around town. Tourism
is a growing industry in Childers, with a number of the preserved historic buildings in town becoming tourist attractions.
was (as it is now) the key crop grown in the Isis
. The railway line to Childers opened in 1887 and was pivotal in the early development of the area. The town is reportedly named after Hugh Childers
, British
statesman
, who was the Auditor-General of Victoria in the 1850s. The railway line closed in 1964.
Childers has seen a number of serious fires over the years. The 1902 fire destroyed much of the town centre. The town made international headlines in June 2000, when an arsonist set fire to the Palace Backpackers Hostel
, claiming the lives of 15 tourists. The hostel reopened in 2004, and includes a memorial to those lost in the blaze. It now acts as an art gallery exhibiting works from local artists.
Childers acts as a major economic centre in the Wide Bay-Burnett
Region and is undergoing considerable growth.
Childers retains much of its historic significance, although many of the streets were redeveloped under a 'Streetscape' project that continues today.
. Childers remains one of the most picturesque small towns in Queensland.
Education in Childers consists of several primary schools, as well as the local high school, Isis District State High School
.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, situated at the junction of the Bruce
Bruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is a part of the Australian National Highway and also part of Highway 1...
and Isis Highway
Isis Highway
The Isis Highway is a state highway in southern Queensland, Australia. The highway is relatively short, and runs for 142 kilometres in a north-east direction from its junction with the Burnett Highway at Ban Ban Springs to Bundaberg...
s. The township lies 325 kilometres (201.9 mi) north of the state capital Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and 52 kilometres (32.3 mi) south-west of Bundaberg. Childers is located within Bundaberg Region Local Government Area. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Childers had a population of 1,350.
The township is set on a ridge overlooking fields of rich volcanic soil. Childers is renowned for its heritage character and is classified a National Trust
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
town. The historic colonial buildings of the main street (Bruce Highway) are set amongst large, shady leopard trees. The sugar cane industry features prominently in Childers and has sustained the town over the years. Fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
cropping is common on the lands around town. Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is a growing industry in Childers, with a number of the preserved historic buildings in town becoming tourist attractions.
History
Europeans first arrived in the area in the 1850s. Pastoralists established properties soon after to raise cattle on the fertile lands. Back then, sugarSugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
was (as it is now) the key crop grown in the Isis
Shire of Isis
The Shire of Isis was a Local Government Area located in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, to the south of Bundaberg. The Shire, administered from the town of Childers covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1887 until 2008, when it was amalgamated...
. The railway line to Childers opened in 1887 and was pivotal in the early development of the area. The town is reportedly named after Hugh Childers
Hugh Childers
Hugh Culling Eardley Childers was a British and Australian Liberal statesman of the nineteenth century. He is perhaps best known for his reform efforts at the Admiralty and the War Office...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
, who was the Auditor-General of Victoria in the 1850s. The railway line closed in 1964.
Childers has seen a number of serious fires over the years. The 1902 fire destroyed much of the town centre. The town made international headlines in June 2000, when an arsonist set fire to the Palace Backpackers Hostel
Childers Palace Backpackers Hostel fire
The Childers Palace Backpackers Hostel fire on 23 June 2000 killed 15 backpackers: nine women and six men. The hostel in the town of Childers, Queensland, Australia, is popular amongst backpackers for its fruit picking work. Robert Paul Long was arrested for lighting the fire and charged with...
, claiming the lives of 15 tourists. The hostel reopened in 2004, and includes a memorial to those lost in the blaze. It now acts as an art gallery exhibiting works from local artists.
Childers acts as a major economic centre in the Wide Bay-Burnett
Wide Bay-Burnett
Wide Bay-Burnett is a region of the Australian state of Queensland, located between 170 and 400 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The area's population growth has exceeded the state average over the past 20 years, and it is forecast to grow to more than 430,000 by 2031...
Region and is undergoing considerable growth.
Childers retains much of its historic significance, although many of the streets were redeveloped under a 'Streetscape' project that continues today.
Services
The Isis Town and Country is the town's local newspaper, being distributed once weekly. Childers is also served by a monthly community newspaper, the Childers Chit Chat, as well as its own radio station, 88.0FM Red Dirt RadioRed Dirt Radio
Red Dirt Radio is a radio station that broadcasts to the Childers, Queensland community on the frequency of 88.0 MHz.Red Dirt Radio is a narrow bandwidth radio station with a signal range of 5 km...
. Childers remains one of the most picturesque small towns in Queensland.
Education in Childers consists of several primary schools, as well as the local high school, Isis District State High School
Isis District State High School
Isis District State High School established in 1961, is located in the town of Childers, Queensland set across two campuses on approximately . It is at a mid-point between the major centres of Bundaberg and Maryborough...
.