Giru, Queensland Explained

Type:town
Giru
State:qld
Coordinates:-19.5125°N 147.1072°W
Pop:387
Postcode:4809
Area:77.8
Timezone:AEST
Utc:+10:00
Dist1:39.5
Dir1:WNW
Location1:Ayr
Dist2:54.0
Dir2:SE
Location2:Townsville
Dist3:1283
Dir3:NNW
Location3:Brisbane
Lga:Shire of Burdekin
Stategov:Burderkin
Fedgov:Dawson
Near-N:Coral Sea
Near-Ne:Jerona
Near-E:Jerona
Near-Se:Horseshoe Lagoon
Near-S:Shirbourne
Near-Sw:Mount Surround
Near-W:Cromarty
Near-Nw:Cape Cleveland

Giru is a town and coastal locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia,[1] [2] situated on the Haughton River, 54km (34miles) south-east of Townsville. In the, the locality of Giru had a population of 387 people.

Geography

Giru is mainly sugarcane farms. The Invicta sugar mill in Giru is owned by Wilmar Sugar Cane Limited with three iconic chimney stacks.[3]

The Bruce Highway bypasses the town.

History

The name of the town and the locality derives from the railway station name, assigned on 31 March 1916, derived from "goru", a type name for a species of sugarcane from New Guinea which was successfully experimented with and widely grown in the district.[1] [4]

The Invicta Sugar Mill was originally located on the Richmond River in New South Wales. In 1906, it was relocated to Bucca near the Kolan River near Bundaberg. In 1919, it was moved north to the Haughton River in the Burdekin district, where the township of Giru grew around it. It commenced crushing there under the same name on 4 August 1921.[5] [6] [7] [8]

On Saturday 1 May 1926, the School of Arts Hall was officially opened with a dance.[9]

The Giru Post Office opened by 1922.[10]

Giru State School opened on 1 October 1924.[11] The school celebrated its golden jubilee (50th anniversary) in 1974.

St Joseph's School opened in 1945 and closed in 1998.

Demographics

In the, the locality of Giru had a population of 354 people.

In the, the locality of Giru had a population of 387 people.

Economy

Giru is noted for the Invicta Sugar Mill, which is owned by Wilmar Sugar. The company crushes about of raw sugar cane annually.[12]

Education

Giru State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 45-51 Luxton Street (-19.5129°N 147.1096°W).[13] [14] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 46 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[15]

There is no government secondary school in Giru. The nearest government secondary school is Ayr State High School in Ayr to the east.[16]

Amenities

There is a bowling club, and the main source of accommodation is the Giru International Hotel.

The Giru branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall at 9 Carey Street.[17]

Giru School of Arts Hall is at 3 Invicta Street .[18]

Attractions

There is serious game fishing in the region, as the barramundi and grunter are highly sought after. The boat ramp is a fishing hot spot and many people travel to fish there.

In September every year, the Giru Show is held, offering activities such as food stalls, homemade cake shops and show rides, horse rides, and an animal farm, as well as a display of several pieces of farming equipment.

The Palm Creek Folk Festival is an annual event held in Giru on the Queen's Birthday public holiday, and spans four days. It commonly features known and up-and-coming bands from several music genres, ranging from folk to alternative.[19] [20]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. 18 November 2018.
  2. 18 November 2018.
  3. Web site: Invicta Sugar Mill. https://web.archive.org/web/20190302063327/http://biomassproducer.com.au/project/invicta-sugar-mill/#.XPmtpFUzaYk. 2 March 2019. live. 7 June 2019.
  4. News: The Sugar industry . . XXVI . 1542 . Queensland, Australia . 15 February 1913 . 21 November 2018 . 2 . National Library of Australia . 13 June 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220613095117/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/39926469 . live .
  5. Web site: 18 October 2021 . Invicta Mill Centenary celebrations . 2023-01-23 . Wilmar Sugar . 23 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230123231042/https://www.wilmarsugar-anz.com/media-centre/latest-news/invicta-mill-centenary-celebrations-2 . live .
  6. Web site: Invicta Mill Site and Tram Tracks. Bundaberg Regional Council. 5 March 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160322093622/http://www.bundaberg.qld.gov.au/files/Invicta_Mill_Site_and_Tram_Tracks.pdf. 22 March 2016.
  7. Web site: History. Australian Sugar Cane Railway. live. 23 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200223013306/http://www.bundabergcanetrains.org.au/history/. 23 February 2020.
  8. News: THE INVICTA MILL.. 15 March 1919. The Bundaberg Mail. 23 February 2020. Queensland, Australia. 3. Trove. 8 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210708041804/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/216939631. live.
  9. News: 7 May 1926 . OPENING OF GIRU SCHOOL OF ARTS . XLII . 6 . . 109 . Queensland, Australia . 17 February 2023 . National Library of Australia . 17 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230217054509/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60937993 . live .
  10. Web site: Premier Postal History . Post Office List . Premier Postal Auctions . 10 May 2014 . 15 May 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140515223132/http://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=QLD&country= . live .
  11. 18 April 2019.
  12. Web site: Mills . 2023-09-25 . Wilmar Sugar.
  13. Web site: State and non-state school details. Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. 21 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181121065959/https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997. 21 November 2018. live.
  14. Web site: 2020-11-29 . Giru State School . 2023-09-25 . Giru State School . en.
  15. Web site: ACARA School Profile 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20181122010027/http://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-20172c7b12404c94637ead88ff00003e0139.xlsx?sfvrsn=0. 22 November 2018. live. 22 November 2018.
  16. Web site: Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments . 25 September 2023 . Queensland Globe . Queensland Government.
  17. Web site: Branch Locations. Queensland Country Women's Association. https://web.archive.org/web/20181226010724/http://www.qcwa.org.au/branch-locations/. 26 December 2018. 26 December 2018. live.
  18. Web site: Giru School of Arts Inc. . 2023-02-17 . Burdekin Shire Council . en . 27 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221027052831/https://www.burdekin.qld.gov.au/directory-record/5999/giru-school-of-arts-inc- . live .
  19. Web site: Home. Palm Creek Folk Festival. https://web.archive.org/web/20170913103148/http://palmcreek.com.au/. 13 September 2017. live. 3 February 2018.
  20. Web site: Palm Creek Folk Festival. NQ Arts Directory. https://web.archive.org/web/20180203181352/https://webapps.townsville.qld.gov.au/CommunityDirectory/Organisation/OrganisationDetails/1420?directory=NQ%20Arts%20Directory. 3 February 2018. live. 3 February 2018.