St George, Queensland
Encyclopedia
St George is a town of approximately 2400 people in south-western Queensland
, Australia
. It is the administrative centre for the Shire of Balonne. It was named by Major Thomas Mitchell who crossed the Balonne River
on St George's Day, 23 April 1846. At the 2006 census
, St George had a population of 2,410.
The town is a centre for cotton
growing, as well as sheep and wheat
. It sits on the Balonne River which is reputedly an excellent fishing site for fish such as the Murray cod
.
It sits at the junction of several highway
s including the Castlereagh Highway
, the Moonie Highway
, the Carnarvon Highway
and the Balonne Highway
. The only crossing of the Balonne River
is the Andrew Nixon Bridge
on the Balonne Highway.
It gained national attention with the election of local accountant Barnaby Joyce
to the Australian Senate
following the 2004 federal election.
The St George show is celebrated every year over the Labour Day long weekend (weekend of the first Monday in May), Everyone is encouraged to go and locals have a great time sharing stories at the bar and watching the rodeo.
The town was severely affected by flooding in March 2010 and again in December 2010 - January 2011
.
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 the administrative centre for the Shire of Balonne. It was named by Major Thomas Mitchell who crossed the Balonne River
Balonne River
The Balonne River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin system, is a short but important part of the inland river group of south-eastern Queensland. This river is a continuation of the Condamine River. After flowing through Surat the river flows south south-westerly down through the E.J...
on St George's Day, 23 April 1846. 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,...
, St George had a population of 2,410.
The town is a centre for cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
growing, as well as sheep and wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
. It sits on the Balonne River which is reputedly an excellent fishing site for fish such as the Murray cod
Murray Cod
The Murray cod is a large Australian predatory freshwater fish of the Maccullochella genus and the Percichthyidae family. Although the species is a called cod in the vernacular, it is not related to the northern hemisphere marine cod species...
.
It sits at the junction of several highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s including the Castlereagh Highway
Castlereagh Highway
The Castlereagh Highway is a state highway in New South Wales, Australia, also extending some kilometres into Queensland. It has been given the route number 55. The highway was recently extended past Gilgandra to include state route 86...
, the Moonie Highway
Moonie Highway
The Moonie Highway is a state highway of Queensland, Australia. It leaves the Warrego Highway at Dalby and runs for over 250 km until it reaches St George. From there, it continues as the Balonne Highway...
, the Carnarvon Highway
Carnarvon Highway
The Carnarvon Highway is a state highway of Queensland, linking Moree south of the NSW/QLD border, via the town of St George, eventually to the township of Rolleston. North of Roma it is known as the Carnarvon Developmental Road. National Route 46 runs from Moree to St George...
and the Balonne Highway
Balonne Highway
The Balonne Highway, a state highway of Queensland, is the continuation westward of the Moonie Highway from the town of St George to its termination at Cunnamulla. It follows the Balonne River for the most part and is named after it. There are no settlements of any real size between St George and...
. The only crossing of the Balonne River
Balonne River
The Balonne River, part of the Murray-Darling Basin system, is a short but important part of the inland river group of south-eastern Queensland. This river is a continuation of the Condamine River. After flowing through Surat the river flows south south-westerly down through the E.J...
is the Andrew Nixon Bridge
Andrew Nixon Bridge
The Andrew Nixon Bridge is a road bridge over the Balonne River in St George, Queensland, Australia.The bridge, which is part of the Balonne Highway, is the only river crossing in the area....
on the Balonne Highway.
It gained national attention with the election of local accountant Barnaby Joyce
Barnaby Joyce
Barnaby Thomas Gerald Joyce , Australian politician, has been a National Party member of the Australian Senate representing the state of Queensland since July 2005...
to the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
following the 2004 federal election.
The St George show is celebrated every year over the Labour Day long weekend (weekend of the first Monday in May), Everyone is encouraged to go and locals have a great time sharing stories at the bar and watching the rodeo.
The town was severely affected by flooding in March 2010 and again in December 2010 - January 2011
2010–2011 Queensland floods
A series of floods hit Australia, beginning in December 2010, primarily in the state of Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least seventy towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was...
.