Rathdowney, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Rathdowney is a small town in south-eastern Queensland
, Australia
. It is on the Mount Lindesay Highway
32 km south of Beaudesert
at the base of the McPherson Range
. It is located in the Scenic Rim Local Government Area. At the 2006 census
, Rathdowney had a population of 198.
The town was named after Rathdowney
, Ireland
. The Beaudesert railway line was extended to Rathdowney in 1911 (although, at that time it was a tramway - the cross-border railway line, passing approximately 3 kilometres outside town, was not completed for another twenty years). Timber clearing was the first major industry in the area. Cattle
grazing and dairy
farming are now the main industries.
It is also close to some of the areas of greatest biodiversity in Australia, and a gateway to various National Parks such as Border Ranges National Park
and Mount Barney National Park
with a variety of lush rainforest, eucalypt forest, mountain heath and other habitats. There are many tours, farm stays, guest houses and other opportunities available for visitors to experience this region, which is about a 90 minute drive from Brisbane
or the Gold Coast
. In Autumn every year the population rises by several thousand for one day at the Rathdowney Heritage Festival, organised by the Rathdowney and District Historical Association (RADHA), who also run an information centre with information on natural heritage, indigenous heritage and history of white settlement from the time of the first pioneers to present day.
Currently the small town has a police station, a small shop, a pub, a service station, a post office, memorial grounds, information centre, a bowls club and a small school. The Rathdowney Primary School has a 25 m swimming pool in which every spring and summer the swimming club has races on a Friday night. The swimming club also has swimming training during the week after 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...
. It is on the Mount Lindesay Highway
Mount Lindesay Highway
The Mount Lindesay Highway is a highway in Queensland which has been given the national route number 13. It runs from Brisbane, where it leaves Ipswich Road in the suburb of Moorooka , to the New South Wales border where it becomes the Summerland Way heading south to Kyogle.The highway used to...
32 km south of Beaudesert
Beaudesert, Queensland
Beaudesert is a town located on the Mount Lindesay Highway, some 64 km south of Brisbane. It is possibly named after Beau Desert Park, the property of Charles Henry Alexander Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey in Staffordshire, England...
at the base of the McPherson Range
McPherson Range
The McPherson Range is an extensive mountain range, a spur of the Great Dividing Range, heading in an easterly direction from near Wallangarra to the Pacific Ocean coastline. It forms part of the Scenic Rim on the border between the states of New South Wales and Queensland. Further west of the...
. It is located in the Scenic Rim 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,...
, Rathdowney had a population of 198.
The town was named after Rathdowney
Rathdowney
Rathdowney or Rathdowny is a town in southwest County Laois, Ireland. It lies some 32 km southwest of Portlaoise in the Irish Midlands, at the point where the R433 regional road from Abbeyleix to Templemore is crossed by the R435 from Borris-in-Ossory to Johnstown...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The Beaudesert railway line was extended to Rathdowney in 1911 (although, at that time it was a tramway - the cross-border railway line, passing approximately 3 kilometres outside town, was not completed for another twenty years). Timber clearing was the first major industry in the area. Cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
grazing and dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
farming are now the main industries.
It is also close to some of the areas of greatest biodiversity in Australia, and a gateway to various National Parks such as Border Ranges National Park
Border Ranges National Park
Border Ranges National Park, 150 km south of Brisbane, Australia, is in northern New South Wales with a small portion located in Queensland....
and Mount Barney National Park
Mount Barney National Park
Mount Barney National Park is a national park in Queensland , 90 km southwest of Brisbane. It amalgamated the adjacent Mount Lindesay National Park in 1980. It is part of the Scenic Rim Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance in the conservation...
with a variety of lush rainforest, eucalypt forest, mountain heath and other habitats. There are many tours, farm stays, guest houses and other opportunities available for visitors to experience this region, which is about a 90 minute drive from 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...
or the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
. In Autumn every year the population rises by several thousand for one day at the Rathdowney Heritage Festival, organised by the Rathdowney and District Historical Association (RADHA), who also run an information centre with information on natural heritage, indigenous heritage and history of white settlement from the time of the first pioneers to present day.
Currently the small town has a police station, a small shop, a pub, a service station, a post office, memorial grounds, information centre, a bowls club and a small school. The Rathdowney Primary School has a 25 m swimming pool in which every spring and summer the swimming club has races on a Friday night. The swimming club also has swimming training during the week after school.