Nobby is a rural town and locality on the Darling Downs in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] It is located halfway between Toowoomba and Warwick. It is known for its association with Steele Rudd (author) and Sister Elizabeth Kenny (effective treatment of polio using physiotherapy).
Nobby Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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Coordinates | 27°51′17″S 151°54′02″E / 27.8547°S 151.9005°E | ||||||||||||||
Population | 609 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 6.700/km2 (17.352/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Postcode(s) | 4360 | ||||||||||||||
Area | 90.9 km2 (35.1 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
LGA(s) | Toowoomba Region | ||||||||||||||
State electorate(s) | Condamine | ||||||||||||||
Federal division(s) | |||||||||||||||
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In the 2021 census, the locality of Nobby had a population of 609 people.[1]
Geography
editThe Southern railway line passes through the locality but Nobby railway station is now abandoned (27°51′07″S 151°54′17″E / 27.8519°S 151.9046°E).[4]
Nobby has the following mountains:
- Kent (27°51′53″S 151°49′15″E / 27.8647°S 151.8207°E) 624 metres (2,047 ft)[5][6]
- Mount Kent (27°49′54″S 151°50′17″E / 27.8317°S 151.8381°E) 625 metres (2,051 ft)[5][7]
- Rocky Point (27°49′17″S 151°54′09″E / 27.8214°S 151.9026°E) 609 metres (1,998 ft)[5][8]
History
editThe origin of the name Nobby is unknown. When the Western railway line from Toowoomba to Warwick was being constructed, a worker's camp known as McDonald's Camp was established in the area in 1868 and this gave its name to the general area. However, the railway siding created was known as Nobby's Siding and the area become known as Nobby. However, the township that was surveyed alongside the railway in 1891 was named Davenport after George Davenport, a former local Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Drayton and Toowoomba whose pastoral run was at nearby Headington Hill.[9][10] However, the Railway Department refused to rename the railway station, which created confusion having the railway station and the town with different names, leading to many people continuing to refer to the town as Nobby.[11] Eventually the town's name was officially changed back to Nobby in 1931.[2][12]
On 24 September 1889, Arthur Martin & Co auctioned 258 town allotments under the name Davenport Township. These blocks were located on south west side of Nobby railway station.[13][14]
Nobby's Siding Post Office opened by March 1894 (a receiving office had been open from 1885[15]). It was renamed Nobby's by 1902 and simply Nobby by 1908.[16]
Mount Kent State School opened on 14 May 1883 and closed on 1959.[17] It was on Ted Mengel Road, now within the locality of Felton (27°50′41″S 151°49′45″E / 27.8446°S 151.8292°E).[18]
Nobby Provisional School opened on 15 November 1897, becoming Nobby State School on 1 January 1909.[19] It closed in 1921 and a new school Nobby Township State School opened on 30 January 1922, which was later renamed Nobby State School.[17] The school celebrated its 125th anniversary on Saturday 12 November 2022.[20]
Rockfield Provisional School opened on 23 October 1905. On 1 January 1909, it became Rockfield State School. It closed circa 1928.[17] It was at 349 Mount Kent Boundary Road (corner Denton Road, 27°50′19″S 151°52′33″E / 27.8387°S 151.8758°E).[18][21]
A School of Arts was opened in Nobby in 1909.[22] The hall, along with an adjacent bank building, was completely destroyed by fire in July 1928 and was rebuilt in 1929.[23]
Bellview State School opened on 2 February 1920. It closed on 1949.[17]
The Nobby branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association was established in April 1925; its first president was Sister Elizabeth Kenny.[24]
St Paul's Church of England in Back Plains was dedicated on 12 February 1892 by Archbishop of Brisbane William Webber. The last service was conducted on 8 August 1943. In 1953 the church building was relocated to Nobby where it was re-established as St Paul's Church of England.[25] The last service at Nobby was conducted circa 11 May 1975. In 1979 the church building was relocated to 12 Jubb Street, Allora to become the Scots Presbyterian Church for those Presbyterians in the district who did not wish to become part of the Uniting Church of Australia. The church in Allora was dedicated on 26 July 1980 by Presbyterian Moderator Rt Rev F. White.[26][27]
In November 1947 on the 50th anniversary of Nobby State School, a war memorial gate was officially unveiled in the school grounds.[28][29]
Demographics
editIn the 2006 census, the locality of Nobby had a population of 391 people.[30]
In the 2011 census, the locality of Nobby had a population of 484 people.[31]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Nobby had a population of 563 people.[32]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Nobby had a population of 609 people.[1]
Heritage listings
editNobby has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Education
editNobby State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 4 Davenport Street (27°51′09″S 151°54′22″E / 27.8524°S 151.9060°E).[34][35] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 55 students with 4 teachers and 8 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent).[36]
There are no secondary schools in Nobby. The nearest government secondary school is Clifton State High School in Clifton to the south.[21]
Attractions
editRudd's Pub was originally built in 1893 across the road from the Nobby railway station as the Davenport Hotel; the architects were James Marks and Son.[37] Based on local folklore that author Steele Rudd (who lived in Nobby) wrote some of his works in the pub, it was renamed Rudd's Pub in the 1980s.[38]
Sister Kenny House is a memorial to Sister Elizabeth Kenny who pioneered physiotherapy as a treatment for polio.[39] This small museum holds artefacts relating to her life and therapies.[40]
Notable people
editIt is noted for having been home to two eminent Australians:
- Steele Rudd, author of the On Our Selection series of books
- Sister Elizabeth Kenny, who pioneered the use of physiotherapy in treating polio
References
edit- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Nobby (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Nobby (town) (entry 24410)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ "Nobby (locality) (entry 49270)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ a b c "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Kent – mountain in Toowoomba Region (entry 17984)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Mount Kent – mountain in Toowoomba Region (entry 17987)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Rocky Point – point in Toowoomba Region (entry 28868)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ "LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS". Warwick Argus. Qld. 31 August 1889. p. 2. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "THE CLIFTON LANDS". The Brisbane Courier. 16 December 1891. p. 6. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "QUEENSLAND". The Brisbane Courier. 10 January 1901. p. 6. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Nobby". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ "Advertising". The Week. Vol. XXVIII, no. 714. Queensland, Australia. 31 August 1889. p. 6. Retrieved 26 March 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Plan of town allotments and suburban blocks in Davenport township adjoining Nobby railway station, Clifton, Darling Downs" (1889) [Map]. Collections. State Library of Queensland.
- ^ "Monthly Guide". The Telegraph. Brisbane. 12 December 1885. p. 9. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
- ^ a b "Parish of Hodgson County of Aubigny" (Map). Queensland Government. 1930. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
- ^ "Nobby State School celebrates 125th". Australian Rural & Regional News. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
- ^ "OPENING NOBBY SCHOOL OF ARTS". Darling Downs Gazette. Vol. LII, no. 8, 677. Queensland. 3 July 1909. p. 4. Retrieved 9 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "NOBBY". The Brisbane Courier. No. 22, 427. 13 December 1929. p. 27. Retrieved 9 February 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "COUNTRY WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION". The Brisbane Courier. No. 20, 986. Queensland, Australia. 29 April 1925. p. 23. Retrieved 1 January 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Rees, Glyn (27 August 2016). "Back Plains set to celebrate". Warwick Daily News. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ "Closed Churches". Anglican Church of Southern Queensland. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Scots' Presbyterian Church". Churches Australia. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "Nobby School Memorial Gate". Queensland War Memorials Register. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ "Golden Jubilee of Nobby School". Warwick Daily News. 4 October 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Nobby (Clifton Shire) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Nobby (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Nobby (State Suburb)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
- ^ "Victor Denton War Memorial (entry 600414)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
- ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
- ^ "Nobby State School". Nobby State School. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- ^ "GENERAL NEWS". Darling Downs Gazette. Qld. 14 January 1893. p. 5. Retrieved 10 June 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "History". Rudd's Pub. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ "Sister Elizabeth Kenny (Sister Kenny House)". Monuments Australia. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
- ^ Fairley, Miki. "Sister Kenny: Confronting the Conventional in Polio Treatment". Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2015.
External links
editMedia related to Nobby, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons