Mena Creek, Queensland

Mena Creek is a rural locality in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2016 census, Mena Creek had a population of 244 people.[1]

Mena Creek
Queensland
Paronella Park, 2004
Mena Creek is located in Queensland
Mena Creek
Mena Creek
Coordinates17.6727°S 145.9219°E / -17.6727; 145.9219 (Mena Creek (centre of locality))
Population244 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density9.96/km2 (25.79/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4871
Area24.5 km2 (9.5 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Cassowary Coast Region
State electorate(s)Hill
Federal division(s)Kennedy
Suburbs around Mena Creek:
Mamu Utchee Creek Germantown
Mamu Mena Creek Basilisk
Mamu Mamu Bombeeta

History

H. A. Noone an Irish resident of North Queensland since 1888 always had his eyes open for good timber for his saw mills, and just before 1900 his eyes turned towards Stewarts Creek (now Mena Creek) just 12 miles from Geraldton (now Innisfail). He saw that the area had huge stands of red cedar and would be a good area for cane farming. H. A. Noone realised that a single block had limited chance of survey and Government approval, so he formed a Settlement Group of 40 blocks of 160 acres and persuaded people to apply for the blocks. The authorities were impressed and the area was quickly surveyed and all 40 blocks were claimed. Then in a few years many farms in the area were cleared and H. A. began to focus on where to mill the sugar. [3]

The locality took its name from the nearby creek, which in turn acquired its name from two possible origins:[2]

  • after local resident, (Philomena) Mena Fallon (née Noone) the youngest daughter of H. A. Noone a local cane farmer, who was the original settler in that area from around 1900. He encouraged settlement in the area, and built the first hotel there. The area was originally called Stewarts Creek but changed its name to Mena Creek due to confusion with Stewarts Creek in Townsville. With the need for a post office as the area developed, and mail confusion, Harry Noone had letterheads for Mena Creek created and after much haggling his request for Mena Creek was granted. [4] [5]
  • Mena Camp, Cairo, Egypt, near the Mena House Hotel, where the First Australian Imperial Force had a training camp from December 1914 to April 1915 in preparation for the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli

Mena Creek State School opened on 15 March 1920.[6]

Mena Creek Post Office opened on 10 February 1934.[7]

In the 2016 census, Mena Creek had a population of 244 people.[1]

Heritage listings

Mena Creek has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Education
Mena Creek State School, 2022

Mena Creek State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Mena Creek Road (17.6547°S 145.9555°E / -17.6547; 145.9555 (Mena Creek State School)).[9][10] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 38 students with 3 teachers (2 full-time equivalent) and 3 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[11]

There is no secondary school in Mena Creek. The nearest secondary school is Innisfail State College in Innisfail Estate to the north-east.[12]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mena Creek, Queensland.
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mena Creek (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Mena Creek – locality in Cassowary Coast Region (entry 45727)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  3. Radiant Green, Fallon M., 1990, pp.13-15
  4. Hurricane Lamps and Blue Umbrellas, Jones, D. 1973, page 96.
  5. Radiant Green, Fallon, M. 1990 page 14, 15, 68
  6. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  7. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  8. "Paronella Park, Mena Creek Falls and Mena Creek Environmental Park (entry 602017)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  9. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  10. "Mena Creek State School". Mena Creek State School. 7 January 2020. Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  11. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  12. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
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