Waterloo, Queensland
| Waterloo Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Waterloo | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 24°44′47″S 151°59′24″E / 24.7463°S 151.99°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 171 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 1.378/km2 (3.569/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4673 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 124.1 km2 (47.9 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Bundaberg Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Burnett | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Flynn | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Waterloo is a rural locality in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2021 census, Waterloo had a population of 171 people.[1]
Geography
The northwest of the locality is in the Littabella National Park which extends into neighbouring Rosedale and Monduran. A small part of southwest of the locality is in the Monduran State Forest which extends into Monduran.[3]
History
The locality of Waterloo was named for Waterloo Plantation, selected by Christian Thygesen, a Danish sugar boiler who had previously worked for Sharon, Pemberton, and Windsor sugar mills in the Bundaberg district. By early 1895, Thygesen had selected a large area of land in the Littabella area, naming it "Waterloo".[4] He entered into partnership with farmer Adam Pringle with the intention of establishing a sugar mill on the site.[5]
Thygesen planted sugarcane and travelled approximately 600 kilometres south to the Richmond River district in northern New South Wales to inspect suitable machinery for the mill. He purchased a small mill there, had it dismantled, and transported it to Waterloo for reassembly.
The first raw sugar produced from Waterloo was sold to Millaquin Mill in June 1895. The Waterloo mill operated for approximately eleven years under Christian Thygesen before it was sold.[6]
Waterloo State School opened circa 1937 and closed in 1955.[7] It was on Waterloo Hall Road (24°44′48″S 152°00′23″E / 24.7467°S 152.0063°E).[8]
Community Facilities
A central landmark of the locality is the Waterloo Hall, a public hall constructed in 1911. The construction was driven by the local Waterloo public hall committee with the support of Waterloo Ltd. The company offered a lease of land for a renewable term of 25 years, contributing £20 and clearing the land at their own expense.[9]
The Waterloo Hall was officially opened on 10 June 1911, an event commemorated with a community ball.[10]
Over the decades, the hall has served as an important venue for the district, hosting evenings ranging from social gatherings and celebrations, to farewells for servicemen heading to war. It continues to function as a hub for Waterloo community life, hosting community barbecues, weddings, markets, cultural celebrations, and other local events.[11]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Waterloo had a population of 145 people.[12]
In the 2021 census, Waterloo had a population of 171 people.[1]
Education
There are no schools in Waterloo. The nearest government primary schools are Yandaran State School in neighbouring Yandaran to the east and Winfield State School in Winfield to the north. The nearest government secondary schools are Rosedale State School in neighbouring Rosedale to the north-west, Bundaberg North State High School in Bundaberg North to the south-east, and Gin Gin State High School in Gin Gin to the south.[13]
References
- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Waterloo (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Waterloo – locality in Bundaberg Region (entry 44808)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ Bundaberg News and Daily Mail (18 August 1933). "THE PASSING OF A BUNDABERG PIONEER". Trove. National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ The Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld.) (9 February 1895). "NEW MILL FOR LITTABELLA". Trove. National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Bundaberg News and Daily Mail (18 August 1933). "THE PASSING OF A BUNDABERG PIONEER". Trove. National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
- ^ "Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m159" (Map). Queensland Government. 1947. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
- ^ The Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser (16 March 1911). "WATERLOO PUBLIC HALL". Trove. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ The Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser (9 June 1911). "BALL AT WATERLOO". Trove. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Turnbull, Emma (11 June 2023). "History of the 112-year-old Waterloo Hall". Bundaberg Now. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Waterloo (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 November 2024.