Mundubbera, Queensland

{{Infobox Australian Place | type = town | name = Mundubbera | state = qld | image = MundubberaLyonsSt.JPG | caption = Lyons St in Mundubbera | lga = North Burnett Region | postcode = 4626 | pop = 1,053 | pop_footnotes = is a town in the 'Wide Bay Burnett' region of Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the Burnett Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane and 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.

Mundubbera is the self-proclaimed "Citrus Capital of Queensland", although this is disputed by the neighbouring (and rival) town of Gayndah..

History

Mundubbera means either Footsteps in the trees or Meeting Place of the waters in the local Aboriginal language. 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. The recent (2006) drought and the after effects of the 2004 Citrus canker outbreak in Emerald has had a dampening effect of the citrus industry in the area.

Demographics

At the 2001 national census there were 1,053 persons resident in Mundubbera, 6.1 per cent of those of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander ancestry. 8.2 per cent of Mundubbera residents were born overseas.

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. *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.

With large areas of State forest in the shire, Mundubbera also has a large timber industry with a mill in Mundubbera town. Other industries include piggeries and dairying. 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 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, Monogorilby SS and Riverleigh SS, which will be closed at the end of 2009 due to lack of enrolment.

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), to the east in Gayndah or attend boarding schools in Brisbane, Toowoomba or Rockhampton.

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.

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-degree 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.

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

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.

Courtney Beutel, footballer with W-League team Brisbane Roar

References

External links

Mundubbera Shire Council

University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Mundubbera and Mundubbera Shire

Category:Towns in Queensland