Darling Downs Queensland
Fields of crops cover the open plains of the Darling Downs.
Established:	1840
State District:	Electoral district of Cunningham, Electoral district of Southern Downs
Federal Division:	Division of Groom

The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of eleven major regions of Queensland. Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie retiring as of 13. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2080x1544, 722 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Darling Downs, Queensland Agriculture in Australia User:DavidMarsh/gallery Metadata This file contains additional information, probably... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... State Electoral District is a term used to refer to a voting area within Australian states. ... Cunningham is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. ... The Australian House of Representatives is elected from 150 single-member districts called Divisions. ... The Division of Groom is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. ... Darling Downs, Western Australia is an outer suburb of Perth, Western Australia, within the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale. ... For other uses, see Farm (disambiguation). ... The Great Divide runs around the entire eastern and south-eastern edge of Australia The Great Dividing Range, also known as the Eastern Highlands, is Australias most substantial mountain range. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie retiring as of 13. ... The South East Queensland region. ... Map of official regions of Queensland. ...

The region was named after the then Governor of New South Wales, Ralph Darling by Allan Cunningham, an early Australian explorer.^[1] General Sir Ralph Darling, Governor NSW (1825–1831). ... Portait of Allan Cunningham Allan Cunningham (13 July 1791 – 27 June 1839) was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants. ...

The landscape is dominated by rolling hills covered by pastures of many different vegetables, legumes and other crops including cotton, wheat, barley and sorghum. Between the farmlands there are long stretches of crisscrossing roads, bushy ridges, winding creeks and many herds of cattle. There are farms with beef and dairy cattle, pigs, sheep and lamb stock. Other notable features include irrigation systems, windmills serving as bore pumps to get water from the Great Artesian Basin, light planes crop-dusting, a rusty old woolshed and other scattered remnants from a bygone era of early exploration and settlement. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A plate of vegetables Vegetable is a culinary term which generally refers to an edible part of a plant. ... Varieties of soybean seeds, a popular legume Pea pods A legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or a fruit of these plants. ... For other uses, see Cotton (disambiguation). ... Species T. aestivum T. boeoticum T. compactum T. dicoccoides T. dicoccon T. durum T. monococcum T. spelta T. sphaerococcum T. timopheevii References:   ITIS 42236 2002-09-22 For the indie rock group see: Wheat (band). ... Binomial name L. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an annual cereal grain, which serves as a major animal feed crop, with smaller amounts used for malting and in health food. ... Species About 30 species, see text Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, some of which are raised for grain and many of which are utilised as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. ... Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Pig (disambiguation). ... Species See text. ... It has been suggested that Lambing be merged into this article or section. ... Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. ... Bore may refer to: A wave in a river caused by an incoming tide - see tidal bore The diameter of a pipe or tube, or the caliber of a gun The diameter of a cylinder and piston in a piston engine (See also: Stroke) A person who is boring The... Lightning Ridge bathing thermes supplied by artesian bore water Hot water bore hole into the Great Artesian Basin in Thargomindah The Great Artesian Basin provides the only reliable source of water through much of inland Australia. ... A crop is any plant that is grown in significant quantities to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, or for another economic purpose. ... The exterior of an Australian shearing shed An Australian shearing shed in the late 1800s Shearing sheds are large sheds found on sheep stations to accommodate large scale sheep shearing. ...

Geography

The principal town is Toowoomba about 140 km west of Brisbane. Other towns situated on the Downs include Dalby, Warwick, Roma, Oakey, Mitchell, Pittsworth, Allora, Clifton, Cecil Plains, Drayton, Millmerran, Nobby, and Chinchilla in the west. Toowoomba (also known as the The Garden City) is a city in South East Queensland, Australia. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... Dalby is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, and is located approximately 210 kilometres west of the state capital, Brisbane at the junction of the Warrego, Moonie and Bunya Highways. ... Warwick is a town in Queensland, Australia, lying 130 km south-west of Brisbane. ... Location of Roma in Queensland (red) Roma (26°33′S 148°48′E) is a town and Local Government Area in the western Darling Downs area of Queensland, Australia, 515 km (318 miles) by rail W.N.W. of Brisbane. ... Oakey (, postcode 4401) is a rural town situated in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. ... Mitchell is my name Mitchell is a town in the Western Downs region of Queensland, Australia. ... The town of Pittsworth () is a rural Shire of 1,087 square kilometers located on the rich agricultural area of the Darling Downs in southern Queensland, Australia. ... Allora is a town in Queensland, Australia, on the Darling Downs 161 km south-west of the state capital, Brisbane. ... Clifton is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. ... Cecil Plains is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. ... Township in Queensland, Australia. ... Millmerran is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. ... Nobby is a small village on the Darling Downs, Queensland with a population of about 350 people. ... The town of Chinchilla (approximately 300 kilometres NW of Brisbane) was established in 1878. ...

The central business district of the region's largest city, Toowoomba

It is in the drainage basin of the Condamine River and Maranoa River and tributaries. On the northern boundaries of the Downs are the Bunya Mountains and the Bunya Mountains National Park. The region to the north is the South Burnett and the Maranoa lies to the west. A section of the western downs lies over coal deposits of the Surat Basin. Toowoomba CBD looking South File links The following pages link to this file: Toowoomba, Queensland Categories: GFDL images ... Toowoomba CBD looking South File links The following pages link to this file: Toowoomba, Queensland Categories: GFDL images ... Toowoomba (also known as the The Garden City) is a city in South East Queensland, Australia. ... The Condamine River drains the northern portion of the Darling Downs, an area of sub-coastal southern Queensland. ... The Bunya Mountains are a distinctive set of peaks forming an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland. ... Bunya Mountains is a national park in Queensland (Australia). ... The South Burnett is a peanut growing and wine-producing region on the Great Dividing Range, north of the Darling Downs, in Queensland. ... The Surat Basin is a part of the Great Artesian Basin of Australia. ...

To the south lie the rocky formations of the Granite Belt, the Dumaresq and the MacIntyre rivers. Towards the coast, the mountains of the Scenic Rim form the headwaters of the westward flowing Condamine. The Granite Belt is an area of south-east Queensland, Australia centred around the town of Stanthorpe. ... Queensland on the left bank and New South Wales on the right bank. ... The MacIntyre River rises in the Great Dividing Range in eastern New South Wales, flows northwards to Queensland, where it serves as part of the New South Wales/Queensland border, before eventually flowing south into the Barwon River. ... Lake Moogerah lies between the Moogerah Peaks and the Scenic Rim. ...

Pre-History

Originally the Darling Downs was covered with a wealth of indigenous grasses, this created an ideal vendure for stock eight months of the year. The Darling Downs Aborigines had an annual burning season at the time when the indigenous grasses were ripe and dry. The annual fires gave the local Aborigines of the Darling Downs a name "Goonneeburra" or "Fire Blacks" - "goonnee" being a name for fire and "burra" a generic word for the whole race. This is what the Downs tribes were known as to the coast blacks who inhabited the Moreton Bay area. Murri is wider spread genic word meaning the whole race but in the Kamabroi Dialect. The Downs tribes spoke one common dialect, called Waccah and so to all other surrounding tribes were known as the Wacca-burra. The Goonnee-burra were once situated where Toowoomba stands today. Genera See: List of Poaceae genera The true grasses are monocot (class Liliopsida) plants of the family Poaceae (formerly Graminae). ... The foreshore at Manly. ... The Murri are the indigenous Australians that traditionally occupied most of modern-day Queensland. ... Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, is 90 minutes drive west of Queenslands capital city, Brisbane, and two hours from the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast beaches. ...

History

Windmill on the Darling Downs, Queensland

Cunningham's Gap and the Darling Downs were first explored by Allan Cunningham and Charles Fraser in 1827. It is impossible to know who the first white was who looked out over the Darling Downs. Ludwig Leichhardt in 1844 saw the remains of a camp showing the signs of white men through ridge polls and steel axes. Patrick Leslie was the first person to settle on the Darling Downs in 1840, establishing a sheep property at Toolburra on the Condamine River. An early and still thriving homestead called Canning Downs was built in 1846. Other well-established residences on the southern downs include Jondaryan Homestead, Glengallan Homestead, Pringle Cottage and Roenthal Homestead. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2080x1544, 721 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Darling Downs, Queensland User:DavidMarsh/gallery Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2080x1544, 721 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Darling Downs, Queensland User:DavidMarsh/gallery Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... Cunninghams Gap is a pass over the Great Dividing Range between the Darling Downs and Brisbane areas. ... Charles Fraser or Frazer (1788–22 December 1831) was Colonial Botanist of New South Wales from 1821 to 1831. ... Portrait of Ludwig Leichhardt Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (October 23, 1813 - 1848?) was a Prussian explorer and naturalist. ... Patrick Leslie (September 25, 1815 – August 12, 1881) was a Scottish Settler in Australia. ... Species See text. ... The Condamine River drains the northern portion of the Darling Downs, an area of sub-coastal southern Queensland. ... Canning Downs was the first residential establishment built by a white person on the Darling Downs in Queensland, Australia. ...

In 1854 Charles Douglas Eastaughffe settled in the area. Spicer's Gap Road opened up the area in the 1850's. Later the expansion of Queensland Rail's train networks and Cobb and Co's stagecoach transport greatly assisted access to the region. Gold was found in the district around this time, however it was agricultural activity that provided for the boom times ahead. Charles Douglas Eastaughffe was an early Australian settler, later becoming a police trooper and Chief Constable of Dalby Queensland. ... Spicers Gap lies 100km west of Brisbane, Australia, and was the original route over the Great Dividing Range. ... Wickham Terrace entrance to Central Station - showing Queensland Rail QR sign QR, previously known as Queensland Rail and Queensland Railways, is the corporation responsible for the operation and maintenance of the railway system in the State of Queensland, Australia. ... Cobb and Co is the name of a transportation company in Australia. ... Stagecoach in Switzerland A stagecoach is a type of four-wheeled enclosed passenger and/or mail coach, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, widely used before the introduction of railway transport. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ...

Fences on the Darling Downs, Queensland

The 1891 Australian shearers' strike started at Jondaryan. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2080x1544, 730 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Darling Downs, Queensland User:DavidMarsh/gallery Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2080x1544, 730 KB) [edit] Summary [edit] Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Darling Downs, Queensland User:DavidMarsh/gallery Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added... The 1891 Shearers Strike is one of Australias oldest and most important industrial disputes. ...

The Darling Downs experienced a water crisis as the Condamine River dried up during the severe drought of 1994/1995.^[2] Deforestation of the Madagascar Highland Plateau has led to extensive siltation and unstable flows of western rivers. ...

Development

The New England Highway, Gore Highway and the Warrego Highway traverse the region. The Leslie Dam, Storm King Dam and the Glenlyon Dam are some of the major water storage facilities in the area. National Highway 15 follows New England Highway is just off Newcastle and continues through Cunningham Highway in Queensland to Brisbane National Route 42 See also: New England Interstate Highways, a system of numbered highways in New England, USA, from 1922 to 1927. ... National Highway 85 Gore Highway is a highway in Queensland running from Goondiwindi to Toowoomba. ... National Highway A2 Approximate road distances (in kilometres) of towns from Brisbane along the highway The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. ... Glenlyon Dam (also known as Pike Creek Reservoir) lies near the southern Queensland border with New South Wales, roughly between Stanthorpe and Texas to the west. ...

The Jackson-Moonie-Brisbane oil pipeline and the Roma to Brisbane Pipeline, Australia's first natural gas pipeline both cross the region from west to east. There are a few coal mines and a number of power stations situated on the Downs, including the Milmerran Power Station, Oakey Power Station and the Kogan Creek Power Station. Wyoming coal mine Coal mining is the mining of coal. ... The Kogan Creek Power Station is a new 750 megawatt coal fired power station owned by CS Energy on the Darling Downs in Queensland. ...

Before European settlement many areas on the Darling Downs were fertile wilderness. For example around Ma Ma Creek, rich swampy wetlands provided a haven for many animal species not currently found on the downs. The Hopping mouse and Paradise Parrot have both become extinct since cattle farming begun. Wilderness is generally defined as a natural environment on Earth that has not been modified by human activity. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Species alexis cervinus fuscus mitchelli aquillo longicaudatus amplus macrotis mordax sp. ... Binomial name Psephotus pulcherrimus (Gould, 1845) The Paradise Parrot (Psephotus pulcherrimus) was an unusually colourful medium-sized parrot native to the grassy woodlands of the Queensland - New South Wales border area of Australia. ...

The Dingo Fence starts at the town of Jimbour across the country to the Great Australian Bight. Location of the Dingo Fence (purple) Dingo Fence at Igy Corner, SW of Coober Pedy The Dingo Fence or Dog Fence is a barrier that was built in Australia during the 1880s and finished in 1885, to keep dingos out of the relatively fertile south-east part of the continent... The Great Australian Bight is a large bight, or open bay, encompassing an area of the Southern Ocean located off the central and western portions of the southern coastline of mainland Australia. ...

Attractions

The region is popular with tourists because of its many natural and heritage attractions, including the Goomburra State Forest, Cunningham's Gap, Spicer's Gap and the Queen Mary Falls near Killarney in the Main Range National Park. Cunninghams Gap is a pass over the Great Dividing Range between the Darling Downs and Brisbane areas. ... Spicers Gap lies 100km west of Brisbane, Australia, and was the original route over the Great Dividing Range. ... Killarney, is a small town located to the 30km south-east of Warwick, on the Condemine River in Queensland, Australia. ... Main Range is a national park in Queensland (Australia), 85 km southwest of Brisbane. ...

The town of Jandowae gained fame after offering vacant block of land for just $1. This was down to encourage resident to settle in the small town with less than 1000 people in 2001. Jandowae is a town in southern Queensland, Australia. ...

The region has also a zoo, Darling Downs Zoo near Clifton.

References

1. ^ Naming the Highways - Cunningham Highway No. 17. p. 2. Accessed on 20 August 2007.
2. ^ Collie, Gordon. Water crisis threatens towns. The Courier Mail p. 3 3 June, 1995

The Courier-Mail is the only daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. ...

External links

• Southern Darling Downs
• Everything Toowoomba