Mundubbera, Queensland

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Mundubbera
state = qld


caption =
lga = North Burnett Regional Council
postcode = 4626
pop = 1,053
pop_footnotes =
est =
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Callide
fedgov = Flynn
dist1 = 405
location1= Brisbane
dist2 = 207
location2= BundabergLocation map|Queensland
label = Mundubbera
position = left
background =
lat_deg = 25
lat_min = 36
lat_sec = 0
lat_dir = S
lon_deg = 151
lon_min = 18
lon_sec = 0
lon_dir = E
lat = -25.6
long = 151.3
mark = Red_pog.svg
caption = Location in Queensland
float = right
width = 210
border = none

Mundubbera (Postcode:4626) is a town in the Wide Bay Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the Burnett Highway, 405 kilometres north west of the state capital, Brisbane and 200 kilometres west of the regional centre, Bundaberg. Mundubbera is built on the bank on the Burnett River. At the 2001 census, the town had a population of 1,053.Census 2006 AUS|id=UCL342800|Mundubbera (Urban Centre/Locality)|accessdate=2007-10-25|quick=on]

Mundubbera is the self proclaimed "Citrus Capital of Queensland", although this is disputed by the neighbouring (and rival) town of Gayndah. [ [http://www.google.com.au/search?q=citrus+capital+of+Queensland&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official Google search for "Citrus Capital of Queensland".] Accessed 14 October 2006.] .

History

Mundubbera means either "Footsteps in the trees" or "Meeting Place of the waters" in the local Aboriginal language. [ [http://www.mundubbera.qld.gov.au/visitors/VisShireSnapshotKL.shtml Mundubbera Shire Council Official Website.] Accessed 1 October 2006] The latter name refers to the confluence of the Burnett, Auburn and Boyne rivers just upstream from Mundubbera.

European settlement took place in the late 1840s. Closer settlement, involving migrants from Germany, Britain and the Netherlands, did not take place until the early 1900s and the town was established in its existing site prior to World War I. The railway arrived in 1914.

Henry Zipf planted the first citrus orchards in 1933 and established Mundubbera as a major producer of export citrus. [ [http://walkabout.com.au/locations/QLDMundubbera.shtml Walkabout site.] Retrieved 1 October 2006] The recent (2006) drought and the after effects of the 2004 Citrus canker outbreak in Emerald [ [http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/citruscanker/ Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries] . Retrieved 1 October 2006.] has had a dampening effect of the citrus industry in the area.

Demographics

At the 2001 national census there were 2,419 persons resident in Mundubbera, 4.6% of those of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ancestry. 7.6% of Mundubbera residents were born overseas.Census 2001 AUS|id=LGA35450|name=Mundubbera (S) (Local Government Area)|accessdate=2007-06-30|quick=on]

Industry

Industry in Mundubbera is entirely based around agriculture and forestry. The major agricultural activities in Mundubbera are cattle grazing and, in the irrigated areas, fruit growing. Fruit grown in the Mundubbera area includes citrus, mangoes, avocadoes and stone fruit.In addition, Mundubbera is Queensland's largest producer of table grapes.

During the fruit picking seasons Mundubbera can double in size as many itinerant workers and backpackers from around the world come to the town looking for work on the orchards. Seasonal workers are accommodated in two large caravan parks in Mundubbera itself or in many on-site parks.

Supporting the fruit industry are businesses such as a fruit juice processor and several packing sheds. * [http://www.bugsforbugs.com.au Bugs for Bugs] , an integrated pest management business, raises insects that act as a biological control for common fruit pests, allowing less chemical insecticide use. [ [http://www.bugsforbugs.com.au/ Bugs for Bugs website.] Accessed 1 October 2006]

With large areas of State forest in the shire, Mundubbera also has a large timber industry with mills in Mundubbera town and at Allies Creek, 80 kilometres to the south west. Other industries include piggeries and dairying. [ [http://www.sdi.qld.gov.au/dsdweb/v3/guis/templates/content/gui_cue_cntnhtml.cfm?id=20372 Queensland Department of State Development.] Accessed 2 October 2006.] Commercial activity is limited, and consists mainly of small businesses supporting local residents and farmers. The town has two hotels, two motels and an IGA supermarket, plus the usual small town services such as a butcher, baker, newsagency and post office.

Transport

The town is about one kilometre south of the intersection of the Burnett Highway and the Mundubbera-Durong road. The Burnett Highway links Mundubbera with Gayndah and Goomeri to the east; and Eidsvold, Monto and Biloela to the north. The Mundubbera-Durong links Mundubbera to Dalby and Toowoomba in the Darling Downs. This road is single lane bitumen in parts

Public transport is limited. In 2005 the only public transport servicing Mundubbera had was a bus services operating once a week on Thursdays to Bundaberg and Wednesday and Friday to Maryborough. An active rail link from Mundubbera to Maryborough and the coast is maintained but the line no longer has a passenger service.

Education

Mundubbera is host to a limited range of primary and secondary school facilities. Primary schools in the area include the small school cluster of the rural schools of Boynewood SS, Binjour Plateau SS, Riverleigh SS and Monogorilby SS. [ [http://www.mundubbess.eq.edu.au/cluster/ Mundubbera Small Schools Cluster Website.] Retrieved 1 October 2006]

The main school in Mundubbera is the Mundubbera P-10 school, offering education from pre-school to year 10. High school students wishing to complete Years 11-12 must either attend Burnett State College (formerly Gayndah State High School), 45 kilometres to the east in Gayndah or attend boarding schools in Brisbane, Toowoomba or Rockhampton. [ [http://www.mundubbera.com/senioreducation/index.php Mundubbera deserves better] A campaign for Year 11 and 12 at the Mundubbera School. Accessed 1 October 2006.]

Events and attractions

While Mundubbera attracts seasonal workers from around the world, tourism remains relatively undeveloped. Some attractions include:

*The nearby Auburn River National Park is a good location to find Queensland Lungfish ("Neoceratodus forsteri"), known locally as Ceratodus, a rare living fossil found only in the Burnett and Mary Rivers. This park is popular with bush walkers and rock climbers. It features cascades, great swimming spots, caves, balancing rocks and superb scenery. [ [http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks_and_forests/find_a_park_or_forest/auburn_river_national_park/?format=print Auburn River National Park] Retrieved 15 October 2006]

*The town lookout on the entrance to town on the Burnett Highway is home to a Black stump, to symbolise Mundubbera's location on the edge of the Outback.

*Mundubbera is the home of the Big Mandarin, a larger than life fibreglass model of an Ellendale Mandarin that doubles as a kiosk for a local caravan park. It is one of many "Big" tourist attractions that dot the Australian landscape.

*The "Meeting Place of the Waters" 360 degrees mural painted on the sewerage pumping station is a visual tribute to the rivers that provide Mundubbera with its prosperity.

Events

*Mundubbera hosts a popular seven-a-side cricket tournament in February each year. [ [http://www.abc.net.au/widebay/stories/s1563638.htm ABC Wide Bay Website.] Retrieved 1 October 2006.]
*The Mundubbera Fish stocking association hosts a popular fishing competition.
* The Ellendale Open, a pro-am golf tournament is held each year, on the Queens Birthday weekend, at the Mundubbera Golf Club [ [http://www.pga.org.au/default.aspx?s=pgascheduledisplay&eid=1836 PGA Australia website] Retrieved 2 October 2006]
*The towns annual agricultural show occurs on the second Friday and Saturday of May each year, at the towns Show Grounds, amongst other events, it features a rodeo, cattle judging, chicken judging, and art and food judging, campdraft events, as well as a side show alley.
*Until recently the Rugby League teams of Mundubbera and Gayndah would play off in the "State of Oranges", a pun on the State of Origin matches between New South Wales and Queensland that recognised the strong but friendly rivalry between the two towns. This match has been reinstated and will be played on the Queen's Birthday Weekend in June.
*The Mundubbera Bullarama committee runs an annual Rodeo in September, which attracts bull riders from around Queensland. Usually held at the towns show grounds, but in 2007 the event was held at the Scampers Grounds, an area also containing the towns Motocross Track, and 6 cricket ovals that hold a large portion of the seven-a-side cricket tournament.
*Mundubbera has a motocross track regarded by some as the best natural terrain track in Queensland, it holds several meets each year, in series such as the Thundercross Series.

Notable residents

Some notable people from Mundubbera include:
*Former Queensland Premier Wayne Goss was born in Mundubbera.
*Australian Test Cricketer Martin Love was born and raised in Mundubbera.

References

External links

* [http://www.mundubbera.qld.gov.au/ Mundubbera Shire Council]