Balcomba, Queensland
Suburb of Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Balcomba is a rural locality split between the Central Highlands Region and the Aboriginal Shire of Woorabinda, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2021 census, Balcomba had a population of 29 people.[1]
Balcomba | |||||||||||||
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Balcomba Homestead, circa 1900 | |||||||||||||
  Balcomba | |||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Balcomba | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates: 23.3236°S 149.6433°E | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Queensland | ||||||||||||
| LGAs | |||||||||||||
| Location |
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| Government | |||||||||||||
| • State electorate | |||||||||||||
| • Federal division | |||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 924.6 km2 (357.0 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 29 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.0314/km2 (0.0812/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+10:00 (AEST) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 4702 | ||||||||||||
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Geography
The Mackenzie River forms the western boundary of the locality, entering from the north-west (Mackenzie / Mount Gardiner) and exiting to the south-west (Duaringa / Gogango).[4]
Local government boundaries split Balcomba into three parts:[5]
- the larger northern part in Central Highlands Region (23.27337°S 149.62852°E)
- the smaller middle part in the Aboriginal Shire of Woorabinda (23.47909°S 149.69051°E)
- smaller southern part in Central Highlands Region (23.52391°S 149.75727°E)
The land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation with some crop growing in the south of the locality.[6]
History
In 1863, Balcomba pastoral Station was owned by A. Thompson and Turner.[7] In 1905, it was sold with 2300 cattle and 60-80 horses to Mr M. M. McKellar.[8] After World War I, James Lockie Wilson and P. J. C. McDouall bought Calliungal, Rannes and Balcomba pastoral stations. Balcomba station was on the Mackenzie River and was 209 square miles (540 km2).[9]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Balcomba had a population of 16 people.[10]
In the 2021 census, Balcomba had a population of 29 people.[1]
Economy
There are a number of homesteads in the locality:[11]
- Santa Fe (23.1236°S 149.5491°E)
- Leura (23.1729°S 149.5756°E)
- Balcomba (23.4079°S 149.6303°E)
Education
There are no schools in Balcomba. The nearest government primary school is Duaringa State School in neighbouring Duaringa to the south; however, it would be too distant for students in the north of Balcomba. There are no nearby secondary schools. The alternatives are distance education and boarding school.[12]
