Mount Forbes, Queensland

Mount Forbes is a rural locality split between the City of Ipswich and the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia.^[2][3] In the 2021 census, Mount Forbes had a population of 262 people.^[1]

Mount Forbes City of Ipswich, Queensland
Opening of the Mount Forbes Methodist Church, 1911
Mount Forbes
Coordinates	27.7375°S 152.6117°E / -27.7375; 152.6117 (Mount Forbes (centre of locality))
Population	262 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	6.616/km2 (17.14/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4340
Area	39.6 km2 (15.3 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	26.6 km (17 mi) SW of Ipswich 43.7 km (27 mi) N of Boonah 64.4 km (40 mi) SW of Brisbane CBD 71.0 km (44 mi) NW of Beaudesert
LGA(s)	City of Ipswich Scenic Rim Region
State electorate(s)	Scenic Rim
Federal division(s)	Wright Blair
Suburbs around Mount Forbes: Lower Mount Walker Ebenezer Willowbank Lower Mount Walker Mount Forbes Mutdapilly Mount Walker Coleyville Mutdapilly

Geography

There is a mountain in the south-east of the locality, known as The Sugarloaf (27.7473°S 152.6351°E / -27.7473; 152.6351 (The Sugarloaf)), rising to 74 metres (243 ft).^[4][5][6]

The land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation.^[6]

History

Francis Forbes

John Oxley chose the name Mount Forbes in 1824, after Sir Francis Forbes (1784-1841) the then Chief Justice of New South Wales to name the mountain now known as Mount Walker.^[7]

Mount Forbes Post Office opened on 1 July 1927 (a receiving office had been open from 1897) and closed in 1953.^[8]

Mount Forbes Provisional School opened on 10 November 1896. On 1 January 1909, it became Mount Forbes State School. It closed in 1948.^[9][10] It was at 222 Mount Forbes School Road (27.7388°S 152.6152°E / -27.7388; 152.6152 (Mount Forbes State School (former))).^[11][6]

Tenders were called in September 1910 to build a Methodist church.^[12][13] The stump-capping ceremony was held on Saturday 18 February 1911.^[14][15] Mount Forbes Methodist Church was officially opened on Sunday 7 May 1911 by Dr Henry Youngman, the President of the Methodist Church of Australasia; about 200 people attended.^[16] The timber church was 24 by 16 feet (7.3 by 4.9 m) and 11 feet (3.4 m) high with an iron roof; it could seat 100 people. It was designed by Thomas Freeman Theaker and built by Jacob Hoffman for £89/18/9.^[17] The church was at 211-215 Mount Forbes School Road (27.7380°S 152.6154°E / -27.7380; 152.6154 (Mount Forbes Methodist Church)).^[11][6]

In October 1994, the Woogaroo Koala Protection Society was established, being renamed Ipswich Koala Protection Society in 2000 as the group expanded its services to a wider area. A dedicated koala rehabilitation cline was established in Mount Forbes in 2010.^[18]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Mount Forbes had a population of 263 people. The locality contains 93 households, in which 50.0% of the population are males and 50.0% of the population are females with a median age of 35, 3 years below the national average. The average weekly household income is $1,520, $83 above the national average. 3.0% of Mount Forbes's population is either of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent. 70.5% of the population aged 15 or over is either registered or de facto married, while 29.5% of the population is not married. 34.3% of the population is currently attending some form of a compulsory education. The most common nominated ancestries were Australian (35.7%), English (27.5%) and German (9.9%), while the most common country of birth was Australia (78.7%), and the most commonly spoken language at home was English (83.3%). The most common nominated religions were No religion (24.3%), Not stated (20.6%) and Anglican (14.7%). The most common occupation was a technician/trades worker (17.6%) and the majority/plurality of residents worked 40 or more hours per week (46.3%).^[19]

In the 2021 census, Mount Forbes had a population of 262 people.^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Mount Forbes. The nearest government primary schools are Mutdapilly State School in neighbouring Mutdapilly to the south-east and Rosewood State School in Rosewood to the north. The nearest government secondary school is Rosewood State High School in Rosewood to the north.^[6]

Amenities

The Ipswich Koala Protection Society is at 110 Brass Road (27.7095°S 152.6145°E / -27.7095; 152.6145 (Ipswich Koala Protection Society)). It has two ambulances designed for koalas and rescues over 180 koalas each year. It provides care for sick, injured or orphaned koalas with the aim of rehabilitating them and returning them to the wild.^[18]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mount Forbes (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Mount Forbes – locality in City of Ipswich (entry 46552)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
3. "Mount Forbes – locality in Scenic Rim Region (entry 45215)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
4. "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
5. "The Sugarloaf – mountain in Scenic Rim Region (entry 34146)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
6. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
7. "Mount Walker (entry 45216)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
8. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
9. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
10. "Agency ID 9135, Mount Forbes State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
11. "Queensland Twenty Chain series sheet 2509" (Map). Queensland Government. 1948. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
12. "Advertising". Queensland Times. Vol. LII, no. 7917. Queensland, Australia. 10 September 1910. p. 14 (DAILY). Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
13. "Mount Forbes Letter". Queensland Times. Vol. LII, no. 8027. Queensland, Australia. 19 January 1911. p. 3 (DAILY). Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
14. "Forthcoming Events". Queensland Times. Vol. LII, no. 8053. Queensland, Australia. 18 February 1911. p. 4 (DAILY). Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
15. "Stump-Capping Ceremony". Queensland Times. Vol. LII, no. 8058. Queensland, Australia. 24 February 1911. p. 7 (DAILY). Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
16. "Methodist Church at Mt. Forbes". The Brisbane Courier. No. 16, 638. Queensland, Australia. 10 May 1911. p. 12. Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
17. "Mount Forbes Methodist Church". Queensland Times. Vol. LII, no. 8118. Queensland, Australia. 13 May 1911. p. 3 (DAILY). Archived from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
18. "About Ipswich Koala Protection Society". Ipswich Koala Protection Society. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
19. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mount Forbes (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.