Augathella is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia.
Augathellais a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Augathella had a population of 449 people.
History
Bidjara (also known as Bidyara, Pitjara, and Peechara) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Bidjara people. The Bidjara language region includes the local government areas of the Shire of Murweh, particularly the towns of Charleville, Augathella and Blackall as well as the properties of Nive Downs and Mount Tabor.Gungabula (also known as Kongabula and Khungabula) is an Australian Aboriginal language of the headwaters of the Dawson River in Central Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of Maranoa Region, particularly the towns of Charleville, Augathella and Blackall and as well as the Carnarvon Range.Gunya (Kunya, Kunja, Kurnja) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Gunya people. The Gunya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Paroo Shire Council, taking in Cunnamulla and extending north towards Augathella, east towards Bollon and west towards Thargomindah.The town, built up gradually over what was Kunja tribal territory, came into being initially as a resting place for bullock teams lying at the convergence of three bullock tracks from Morven, Tambo, and Charleville. Originally called Burenda it was renamed Ellangowan (still the name of the local watering hole) and when gazetted in 1883 called Augathella. This is apparently an Indigenous Australian word meaning "camp on a waterhole", referring the Warrego River. A service centre sprang up to service their needs and the needs of the burgeoning grazing industry.
Burenda Post Office opened on 1 September 1869. It was renamed Ellangowan in 1877 and Augathella in 1883.Augathella Provisional School opened on 1 January 1884. On 7 August 1893 it became Augathella State School.On Sunday 10 July 1892 St Luke's Anglican church was officially opened by Bishop Nathaniel Dawes. A new church was built at a cost of £8300 and dedicated in 1957.On 1 October 1928 Rev W.C. Radcliffe officially opened the Augathella Presbyterian Church.The 1956 film Smiley was based on Moore Raymond's novel of the same name, which was set in a fictionalised version of Augathella.The town's service centre was bypassed by the new Matilda Highway during the 1980s. Some new businesses have slowly encroached back onto the highway frontage.Augathella and the surrounding district suffered extensive flood damage in 1990 when the Warrego River burst its banks and flooded the town.The Augathella Library opened in 2000.
At the 2006 census, Augathella had a population of 395.Since 2011 the entrance the town has been marked by 4.5m steel and copper giant sculpture of a meat ant - in a reference to its former junior football team, named the "Mighty Meat Ants".
Weather
Things to do
Augathella is the permanent home of the Q150 Shed that travelled around the state in 2009 as part of the Q150 Celebrations providing each community it visited a night of entertainment. Communities toured included: Mount Isa, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Maryborough, Blackall, Augathella, Cherbourg, Warwick, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
