Wongaling Beach, Queensland

The locality takes its name from the beach Wongaling Beach (17.9039°S 146.0974°E / -17.9039; 146.0974 (Wongaling Beach)) which extends the length of the locality's coastline,^[4][5] and is part of a continuous 11-kilometre (6.8 mi) sandy coastline which links the three adjacent coastal localities (from north to south): Mission Beach (sometimes called North Mission Beach), Wongaling Beach, and South Mission Beach.^[6]

Most of the residential development is along the eastern coastal strip of the locality with the town centre on the coast in the south-east of the locality. The western part of the locality is undeveloped tropical forests.^[6]

Dunk Island lies off the southern coast of Wongaling Beach.^[6]

The suburb takes its name from its beach where the town allotments were surveyed in 1973. Wongaling is an Aboriginal word meaning pigeon.^[2]

Mission Beach State School opened on 27 January 1953 in the "tropical jungle" of Mission Beach to the north. On 1 February 1993, the school re-opened at a new site in Wongaling Beach.^[7][8][9]

Wongaling Beach Library facility was given a major refurbishment in 2002.^[10]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Wongaling Beach had a population of 1,245 people.^[11]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Wongaling Beach had a population of 1,323 people.^[1]

Despite its name, Mission Beach State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Webb Road (17.9042°S 146.0925°E / -17.9042; 146.0925 (Mission Beach State School)).^[12][13] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 310 students with 21 teachers (20 full-time equivalent) and 19 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent).^[14]

There is no secondary school in Wongaling Beach. The nearest government secondary school is Tully State High School in Tully to the south-west.^[6]

Mission Beach Police Station is at 2 Webb Street (17.9048°S 146.0918°E / -17.9048; 146.0918 (Mission Beach Police Station)).^[15][16] Mission Beach SES Facility is at the rear of the police station (17.9050°S 146.0920°E / -17.9050; 146.0920 (Mission Beach SES Facility)).^[16]

Mission Beach Fire Station is at 4 Webb Street (17.9047°S 146.0922°E / -17.9047; 146.0922 (Mission Beach Fire Station)).^[17][16]

Mission Beach Ambulance Station is at 6 Webb Street (17.9048°S 146.0926°E / -17.9048; 146.0926 (Mission Beach Ambulance Station)).^[18][16]

Mission Beach Community Health Centre is at 26 Wongaling Beach Road (17.8959°S 146.0933°E / -17.8959; 146.0933 (health centre)). It operates three days a week.^[19][20] At other times, the nearest health services are in Tully.^[21]

Cassowary Coast Regional Council operates Wongaling Beach Library at 2018 Tully Mission Beach Drive (17.8957°S 146.0913°E / -17.8957; 146.0913 (Wongaling Beach public library)).^[22]

Holy Spirit Catholic Church is at 12 Webb Road (17.9050°S 146.0934°E / -17.9050; 146.0934 (Holy Spirit Catholic Church)). It is within the Tully Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.^[23]

Wongaling Beach contains a Woolworths supermarket, the largest supermarket within a 42 kilometres (26 mi) radius. The suburb also features a town pool and skate park. A community funded 'Splash Pad' was also opened in August of 2018.^{[24][citation needed]}

Cassowary Coast Multisports Club organise an annual 5 kilometres (3.1 mi), 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) and 21 kilometres (13 mi) run along the beach, beginning and ending in Wongaling Beach.^[25]

The Big Cassowary is one of Australia's big things. It is a statue of a cassowary on the south-east corner of Tully Mission Beach Road and Wongaling Beach Road (17.8975°S 146.0918°E / -17.8975; 146.0918 (The Big Cassowary)).^[26]

Wongaling Beach has a tropical climate. The nearest Bureau station with monthly weather statistics is in South Johnstone which is located 35.4 kilometres (22.0 mi) from Wongaling Beach. Under The Koppen Climate Classification, the climate is considered as ‘Af’ (Tropical Rainforest).