Coowonga, Queensland

Coowonga is a rural locality in the Shire of Livingstone, Central Queensland, Australia.^[2] In the 2021 census, the locality of Coowonga had a population of 255 people.^[1]

Coowonga
Town
Coowonga
Coordinates: 23.3116°S 150.7247°E / -23.3116; 150.7247 (Coowonga (centre of locality))
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
LGA(s)	Shire of Livingstone
Location	14.9 km (9.3 mi) WSW of Emu Park 20.8 km (12.9 mi) SSW of Yeppoon 40.8 km (25.4 mi) NE of Rockhampton 675 km (419 mi) NNW of Brisbane
Government
• State electorate(s)	Keppel
• Federal division(s)	Capricornia
Area
• Total	25.3 km2 (9.8 sq mi)
Population
• Total(s)	255 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	10.08/km2 (26.10/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+10:00 (AEST)
Postcode	4702
Localities around Coowonga Cawarral Coorooman Coorooman Tungamull Coowonga Keppel Sands Tungamull Tungamull Joskeleigh

Geography

Coowonga is located in coastal hills at the southern end of the Capricorn Coast. It is six kilometres from the Pacific Ocean and the nearest township of Keppel Sands.^{[citation needed]}

Much of the district south of Coowonga Road is grazing and fruit-growing land, while to the north lie tidal salt flats that back onto Coorooman Creek.^{[citation needed]}

The Rockhampton–Emu Park Road runs through from west to north.^[3]

History

Coowonga is the traditional land of the Darumbal Aboriginal tribe, as is all of the Capricornia region.

Coowonga Provision School opened on 9 August 1897. It became Coowonga State School on 1 January 1909.^[4]

Prior to local government amalgamations in 2008, the Capricorn Coast was administered by Livingstone Shire Council but became part of Rockhampton Region in 2008. In 2014, following a deamalgamation vote, the Shire of Livingstone was re-established.

Demographics

In the 2006 census, the locality of Coowonga had a population of 558 people.^[5]

In the 2011 census, the locality of Coowonga had a population of 260 people.^[6]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Coowonga had a population of 254 people.^[7]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Coowonga had a population of 255 people.^[1]

Economy

Coowonga is a rural community with a focus on primary production.^{[citation needed]}

The Koorana Crocodile Farm, on the banks of Coorooman Creek, opened in November 1981 as the first commercial crocodile farm in Queensland. It also operates as a tourist attraction.^[8] At 2014, it had 3,000 crocodiles and supplies crocodile leather and crocodile meat.^[9]

Education

Coowonga State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 269 Coowonga Road (23.3026°S 150.7311°E / -23.3026; 150.7311 (Coowonga State School)).^[10][11] In 2015, it had an enrolment of 19 students with 3 teachers (2 equivalent full-time).^[12] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 17 students with 4 teachers (2 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).^[13]

There are no secondary schools in Coowonga. The nearest government secondary school is Yeppoon State High School in Yeppoon to the north.^[14]