Crows Nest
Queensland
Former Council chambers, now an art gallery
Crows Nest is located in Queensland
Crows Nest
Crows Nest
Coordinates27°15′57″S 152°03′29″E / 27.2658°S 152.0580°E / -27.2658; 152.0580 (Crows Nest (town centre))
Population2,160 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density22.48/km2 (58.21/sq mi)
Established1876
Postcode(s)4355
Area96.1 km2 (37.1 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Toowoomba Region
CountyCavendish
ParishCrows Nest
State electorate(s)Condamine
Federal division(s)Maranoa
Localities around Crows Nest:
Mountain Camp Pierces Creek
Anduramba		 The Bluff
Pinelands Crows Nest Cressbrook Creek
Plainby
Whichello		 Pechey
Grapetree		 Ravensbourne

Crows Nest is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] The town is located in the Darling Downs on the New England Highway, 158 kilometres (98 mi) from the state capital, Brisbane and 43 kilometres (27 mi) from the nearby city of Toowoomba. In the 2016 census, Crows Nest had a population of 2160 people.[1]

Geography

6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of the town is the Crows Nest National Park.

History

Jarowair (also known as Yarowair, Yarow-wair, Barrunggam, Yarrowair, Yarowwair and Yarrow-weir) is one of the languages of the Toowoomba region. The Jarowair language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Toowoomba Regional Council, particularly Toowoomba north to Crows Nest and west to Oakey.[4]

The origin of the name is uncertain. One claim is that it was named after an Aboriginal man, Jimmy Crow, who gave directions to early European settlers. He lived in a big hollow tree near the police station, which became known as Crows Nest. It became a popular overnight camp for the bullock teams hauling timber, which in turn attracted farmers and settlers.[5][6] Another claim is that the name derives from the indigenous name for the area Tookoogandanna, meaning "the home of crows".[7] Some researchers acknowledge there are many possible origins of the name.[6]

A pastoral station raising sheep was established in 1849. In 1875, large sections of the pastoral station were offered for selection.[8]

Crows Nest was declared a town in 1876.[8] The town was originally centred around Albert Street and South Street (approx 27°15′58″S 152°03′35″E / 27.26620°S 152.05962°E / -27.26620; 152.05962 (Crows Nest (original town centre))).[9]

The construction of Crow's Nest Provisional School was completed on 2 February 1877. Provided by the local community, the building was 20 by 12 feet (6.1 by 3.7 m) with a shingle roof and veranda. The school opened on 12 March 1877. On 25 October 1880, it became Crows Nest State School.[10][11] It was on a 5-acre (2.0 ha) site on the western side of Dale Street (now Dale Street South, approx 27°15′52″S 152°03′36″E / 27.26448°S 152.05992°E / -27.26448; 152.05992 (Crow's Nest State School (former site))).[12]

Crows Nest Post Office opened on 1 July 1878.[13]

The new Methodist Church, 1906

In December 1880, the Primitive Methodist Church purchased 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) of land for a church.[14][15] The church opened on Easter Sunday on 17 April 1881.[16][17] On Sunday 31 December 1905, a new Crows Nest Methodist Church was officially opened by Reverend Henry Youngman, replacing the 1880 church.[18] The 1905 church was 45 by 30 feet (13.7 by 9.1 m) with two classrooms at the rear, each 15 by 15 feet (4.6 by 4.6 m). The land cost £160 and the building £360, a total of £520.[19] In 1956, the church was remodelled. After the Methodist Church amalgamated into the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, it became the Crows Nest District Uniting Church.[20]

The Crows Nest branch railway line from Toowoomba was completed in 1886. It was built to service a number of sawmills and the dairying district.[8] The terminus was at Crows Nest railway station, just north of Curnow Street where Community Place and the swimming pool are today (approx 27°15′43″S 152°03′16″E / 27.26193°S 152.05452°E / -27.26193; 152.05452 (Crows Nest railway station (former))).[12] Due to the importance of a railway station for a rural community, the area around it soon became regarded as the town centre.[11] The railway closed in the early 1960s.[9]

Jimmy Crow statue, Crows Nest Centenary Park
Jimmy Crow Statue information

In 1913, the Shire of Crows Nest was formed with the town becoming the administrative centre for the new local government area. The shire expanded in 1949 and was merged into the Toowoomba Region local government area in 2008.[8]

On 15 July 1917, St Matthew's Catholic Primary School opened on the eastern side Esk Street (approx 27°15′40″S 152°03′26″E / 27.26116°S 152.05733°E / -27.26116; 152.05733 (St Matthew's Catholic Primary School (former))).[12] It has subsequently closed and the site is now vacant land.[10][21]

Recognising the town's shift northwards towards the railway station, in 1947, a new 45-acre (18 ha) site was reserved on the western side of Littleton Street for a new school which would incorporate a secondary department. However, approval to build the new school was delayed until 1958. As the new school was not completed, the secondary department opened in 1959 in the Church of England Parish Hall. In late 1959, the new school was opened.[11]

On Saturday 7 April 1951, Archbishop Reginald Halse dedicated a new Anglican church in Crows Nest, built from concrete blocks.[22] In 2019 the Anglican parish of Crows Nest entered in a partnership with St David's Anglican Church in Chelmer, Brisbane, to share their ministry through a combination of services at the various churches combined with online services from St David's, as an experiment in how the Anglican Church might operate in the future.[23]

In the 1950s and 60s the town's population declined, together with the local industries.[8]

A 6-foot 6-inch high statue of Jimmy Crow was unveiled in the Centenary Park at Crows Nest on 12 July 1969 by Minister for Labour and Tourism, John Herbert. The statue was sculpted by Fred Gardiner of the Tia Art Gallery. The statue was cut from a single block of Helidon freestone and weighs over one ton. An 18-foot high hollow tree stump was also moved to Centenary Park and a fig tree was planted on top so the roots could be trained around it to form a living hollow tree. It is believed to be the only memorial in Australia to an Aboriginal person after whom a town was named.[5][6]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Crows Nest had a population of 2160 people.[1]

Heritage listings

Crows Nest has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Education

Crow's Nest State School is a government primary and secondary (Prep-10) school for boys and girls at 1 Littleton Street (27°15′53″S 152°03′08″E / 27.2648°S 152.0521°E / -27.2648; 152.0521 (Crow's Nest State School)).[25][26] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 323 students with 32 teachers (28 full-time equivalent) and 20 non-teaching staff (13 full-time equivalent).[27] It includes a special education program.[25][28]

The nearest government school providing secondary education to Year 12 is Highfields State Secondary College in Highfields to the south-west.[29]

Amenities

Town facilities include a large pavilion for sports activities and other functions, showgrounds and a 25 m heated swimming pool.[30]

The John French V.C. Memorial Library is open Monday to Saturday; the name commemorating Jack French, a local man who was killed in World War II and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his valour in the face of the enemy. The library is located on the corner of William Street and the New England Highway and is operated by the Toowoomba Regional Council.[31][32] The current library facility opened in 1996 with a major refurbishment in 2014.[33]

Crows Nest Regional Art Gallery is located in the same building as the Crows Nest Library, and is also used to showcase local talent.

The Crows Nest branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 7 Thallon Street (27°15′39″S 152°03′12″E / 27.2607°S 152.0533°E / -27.2607; 152.0533 (Crows Nest QCWA)).[34]

St George's Anglican Church is at 13 Thallon Street (27°15′36″S 152°03′09″E / 27.2601°S 152.0526°E / -27.2601; 152.0526 (St George the Martyr Anglican Church)).[35]

St Matthew's Catholic Church is at 20 Creek Street (27°15′44″S 152°03′28″E / 27.2621°S 152.0577°E / -27.2621; 152.0577 (St Matthew's Catholic Church)).[36]

Crows Nest District Uniting Church is at 17-19 Emu Creek Road (27°15′33″S 152°03′10″E / 27.2592°S 152.0528°E / -27.2592; 152.0528 (Crows Nest Uniting Church)).[37][38][20]

New Hope Church is at 9 Emu Creek Road (27°15′36″S 152°03′12″E / 27.25992°S 152.05346°E / -27.25992; 152.05346 (New Hope Church)). The church is affiliated with the Australian Christian Churches.[39]

Notable residents

References

  1. 1 2 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Crows Nest (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "Crows Nest – town in Toowoomba Region (entry 8878)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  3. ↑ "Crows Nest – locality in Toowoomba Region (entry 47922)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map". State Library of Queensland. 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Crows Nest". Travel. Melbourne: The Age. 8 February 2004. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2008.
  6. 1 2 3 Crow's Nest & District Tourist & Progress Association (1988), From tall timbers : a folk history of Crow's Nest Shire, 1988, Crow's Nest & District Tourist & Progress Association Inc, ISBN 978-0-7316-3402-6, archived from the original on 27 November 2019, retrieved 21 January 2014
  7. ↑ "NOMENCLATURE OF QUEENSLAND.—102". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 27 January 1936. p. 10. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) (2000). Heritage Trails of the Great South East. State of Queensland. p. 57. ISBN 0-7345-1008-X.
  9. 1 2 "Landscape and Urban Character Study and Scenic Amenity Study Report 7 of 13" (PDF). Toowoomba Regional Council. p. 272. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  10. 1 2 Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  11. 1 2 3 "History". Crow's Nest State School. 26 September 2019. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 "Town of Crows Nest sheet 2" (Map). Queensland Government. 1944. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  13. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "Albert Mills". The Darling Downs Gazette And General Advertiser. Vol. XX, no. 3025. Queensland, Australia. 27 May 1880. p. 3. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ↑ "LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS". Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald And General Advertiser. Vol. XXI, no. 2866. Queensland, Australia. 25 December 1880. p. 3. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ↑ "Advertising". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser. No. 1777. Queensland, Australia. 9 April 1881. p. 3. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ↑ "CROWS NEST". Darling Downs Gazette. Vol. XXI, no. 4183. Queensland, Australia. 25 April 1881. p. 3. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. ↑ Blake, Thom. "Crows Nest Primitive Methodist Church". Queensland religious places database. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  19. ↑ "New Methodist church at Crow's Nest". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LXII, no. 14, 970. Queensland, Australia. 4 January 1906. p. 3. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. 1 2 "Crow's Nest District Uniting Church". Churches Australia. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  21. ↑ Google (29 September 2023). "Crows Nest, Queensland" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  22. ↑ "Concrete church". The Courier-mail. No. 4480. Queensland, Australia. 7 April 1951. p. 5. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ↑ "Anglican Parish of Crows Nest". St David's Anglican Church, Chelmer. Archived from the original on 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  24. ↑ "Crows Nest Post Office (entry 602403)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  25. 1 2 "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  26. ↑ "Crow's Nest State School". Crow's Nest State School. 29 November 2020. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  27. ↑ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  28. ↑ "Crow's Nest SS - Special Education Program". Archived from the original on 8 April 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  29. ↑ "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  30. ↑ "Crows Nest facilities". Toowoomba Regional Council. Archived from the original on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
  31. ↑ "Crows Nest". Toowoomba Regional Council. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  32. ↑ "Crows Nest John French V.C. Memorial Library". Public Libraries Connect. 2 February 2017. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  33. ↑ "Queensland Public Library Statistical Bulletin" (PDF). Public Libraries Connect. November 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  34. ↑ "Branch Locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  35. ↑ "St George's Crows Nest". St David's Anglican Church, Chelmer. Archived from the original on 23 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  36. ↑ "St Matthew's Parish, Crows Nest". Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba. Archived from the original on 16 December 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  37. ↑ "Find a Church". Uniting Church in Australia, Queensland Synod. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  38. ↑ "Crow's Nest District Uniting Church". Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  39. ↑ "New Hope People | Crows Nest". Queensland Religious Places Database. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.

Further reading

Media related to Crows Nest, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons

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