Wonga Beach, Queensland
Suburb of Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wonga Beach is a coastal locality in the Shire of Douglas, Queensland, Australia.[2] The town of Wonga is within the locality.[3] In the 2021 census, Wonga Beach had a population of 1,042 people.[1]
Wonga Beach | |||||||||||||
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  Wonga Beach | |||||||||||||
 Interactive map of Wonga Beach | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates: 16.3338°S 145.4161°E | |||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||
| State | Queensland | ||||||||||||
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| Area | |||||||||||||
• Total | 21.4 km2 (8.3 sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Population | |||||||||||||
| • Total | 1,042 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| • Density | 48.69/km2 (126.1/sq mi) | ||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC+10:00 (AEST) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode | 4873 | ||||||||||||
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Geography
Wonga Beach is a beachside locality situated between the small residential towns of Rocky Point and the Daintree township. It is approximately 17 kilometres (11 mi) north of the town of Mossman. In 1985, a large volcanic eruption beneath the Coral Sea released thousands of pumice stones to the ocean surface which were then blown along north Queensland's shore by the trade winds.[4]
History
Rocky Point State School opened on 23 February 1939,[5] about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the current school at Rocky Point. In 1999, the school was relocated to Wonga Beach and renamed Wonga Beach State School.[6][7] Most of the Rocky Point school buildings were sold for housing, but one was relocated to Wonga Beach.
Demographics
In the 2011 census, Wonga Beach had a population of 746 people.[8]
In the 2016 census, Wonga Beach had a population of 975 people.[9]
In the 2021 census, Wonga Beach had a population of 1,042 people.[1]
Fauna
Birdwatchers visit Wonga Beach to see three uncommon bird species: Gould's bronze cuckoo, double-eyed fig-parrot and the beach stone-curlew. The last species is easily confused with the ubiquitous bush stone-curlew noted for its wailing calls at night.[10]
Services
A service station is the only fuel outlet in the Daintree Valley and opens early (5:30am) and closes at 8:30pm. In addition to automotive fuels, the service station incorporates a small convenience store with an ATM.
Education
Wonga Beach State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 48-74 Snapper Island Drive (16.3419°S 145.4129°E).[11][12] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 90 students with 10 teachers (6 full-time equivalent) and 7 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent).[13]
There are no secondary schools in Wonga Beach. The nearest government secondary school is Mossman State High School in Mossman to the south-west.[14]
