Texas, Queensland
| Texas Queensland | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 A sign welcoming people to Queensland, with the town of Texas in the background | |||||||||||||
  Texas | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 28°51′30″S 151°09′56″E / 28.85833°S 151.16556°ECoordinates: 28°51′30″S 151°09′56″E / 28.85833°S 151.16556°E | ||||||||||||
| Population | 1,159 (2011 census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4385 | ||||||||||||
| Elevation | 297 m (974 ft)[2] | ||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Goondiwindi Region | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Southern Downs | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||
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Texas is a town and locality in the Goondiwindi Region, Queensland, Australia.[3][4] In the 2011 census, Texas had a population of 1,159 people.[1]
Geography
The town is located just 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Queensland's southern border with New South Wales, close to Bonshaw, New South Wales.
History
Texas sits on Bigambul land, the Indigenous people of the region inhabited the area for thousands of years prior to colonisation in the 1840s.
The origin of the town's name is generally regarded as a reference to a territorial dispute. The land in the area was first settled by the McDougall brothers, who found squatters there on returning from the goldfields. Once their legal right to the land was recognised, they named their property in honour of the rather more famous dispute between the United States and Mexico over territory in Texas, USA.[3]
Texas was connected by the Texas railway line from Inglewood in November 1930 with the town being served by the Texas railway station.[5] The line was closed in 1994.
Up until about 1986, tobacco farming was an important industry in the area and many Italian families settled the area to run and work the tobacco farms.
At the 2006 census, Texas had a population of 693.[6]
Economy
Farming is the dominant industry in the Texas region, although there is also a silver mine. A large cattle feedlot is located about 20 mins from town.
Part of the Goondiwindi Regional Council, Texas is administered from the nearby larger town of Goondiwindi, Queensland.
Schools
Texas has a state school called Texas State School,[7] which caters to students from Prep Year to Year 10.
Media
Texas is serviced by the Warwick Daily News and Stanthorpe Border Post newspapers. Texas is served by the Border Districts Community Radio Station 89.7 Ten FM which is transmitted from a 4 kW transmitter located on Mt Mackenzie Tenterfield NSW.
Country Music
After a visit to Texas in 2002, and being involved in a car accident nearby, American Country/Rockabilly recording artist Jason Lee Wilson memorialised the town in a song TX, QLD, Australia. The song was included on the Cumberland Runners' 2004 debut album entitled Music to Haul By.
Previously, James Blundell had written and recorded a song entitled Texas as the B-side of his first single on the EMI label (EMI 2165), Cloncurry Cattle Song. On the single the writing credits of the two songs were inadvertently switched, but corrected on Blundell's debut, self-titled album (1989). Texas was composed by James Blundell and Doug Trevor, with Blundell and M. Hickson writing Cloncurry Cattle Song.
Lee Kernaghan also referenced the town in his 2005 hit song Texas, Qld 4385 from his Electric Rodeo album released in 2005.
Notable people
- Travis Burns – Rugby League player
- Peter Hitchener – Nine News Melbourne weekday presenter
- James Blundell (singer) spent quite a bit of time around the area and his first self-titled album has his song Texas on it.
- Jack Potter – Australian actor and entertainer[8]
Facilities
Texas has a public library, museum and cultural centre, swimming pool, bowling club, golf course, showground and a racecourse.[9] The town also has a 809m runway.[10]
Weather
| Climate data for Texas, QLD | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.6 (112.3) |
43.0 (109.4) |
40.1 (104.2) |
36.1 (97) |
31.8 (89.2) |
27.8 (82) |
26.6 (79.9) |
35.0 (95) |
36.7 (98.1) |
39.8 (103.6) |
43.2 (109.8) |
43.0 (109.4) |
44.6 (112.3) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 33.7 (92.7) |
32.5 (90.5) |
31.1 (88) |
27.4 (81.3) |
23.0 (73.4) |
19.4 (66.9) |
18.8 (65.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
24.5 (76.1) |
28.0 (82.4) |
30.4 (86.7) |
32.7 (90.9) |
26.9 (80.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 18.6 (65.5) |
18.3 (64.9) |
15.9 (60.6) |
11.7 (53.1) |
8.0 (46.4) |
4.6 (40.3) |
3.7 (38.7) |
4.5 (40.1) |
7.8 (46) |
11.7 (53.1) |
15.0 (59) |
17.2 (63) |
11.4 (52.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 10.2 (50.4) |
8.8 (47.8) |
4.9 (40.8) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
−2.6 (27.3) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
2.8 (37) |
6.2 (43.2) |
−7.6 (18.3) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 88.8 (3.496) |
76.0 (2.992) |
56.1 (2.209) |
34.6 (1.362) |
39.5 (1.555) |
41.0 (1.614) |
41.8 (1.646) |
33.6 (1.323) |
39.8 (1.567) |
60.6 (2.386) |
68.1 (2.681) |
80.9 (3.185) |
660.8 (26.016) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2mm) | 7.3 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 6.6 | 7.1 | 7.8 | 70.7 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology[11] | |||||||||||||
Businesses
At 2013 Texas is serviced by two petrol stations. The Shell Branded service station sells both regular and premium (greater than 95 octane) unleaded petrol. The BP service station, whilst not displaying BP signage does accept BP account cards. The BP does not sell premium unleaded.
References
- 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Texas (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
- ↑ "Texas Post Office". Climate Averages for Australian Sites. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
- 1 2 "Texas - town (entry 33782)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- ↑ "Texas - locality (entry 47832)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- ↑ Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, June 1988, pp129-136
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Texas (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
- ↑ "Texas State School". Texasss.eq.edu.au. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
- ↑ "Jack Potter the travelling showman writing an autobiography". Avon Advocate. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
- ↑ "Texas". Centre for the Government of Queensland. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
- ↑ "Texas Airport - YTEX - Airport Guide". Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ↑ "TEXAS POST OFFICE". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
External links
Media related to Texas, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons