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Doctor Creek, Queensland

Doctor Creek is a rural locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2021 census, Doctor Creek had a population of 28 people.[1]

Geography

The Great Dividing Range passes through the north of the locality and then forms the north-eastern boundary of the locality. The locality is part of the Murray Darling drainage basin within the Condamine River catchment.[3]

Cookes Hill is in the north-east of the locality (27°09′42″S 151°49′35″E / 27.1618°S 151.8265°E / -27.1618; 151.8265 (Cookes Hill)), rising to 738 metres (2,421 ft) above sea level.[3][4]

The eastern and south-eastern boundaries loosely follows Scrubby Creek.[3][5]

The creek Doctor Creek from which the locality presumably takes its name does not flow through the locality, but rises and flows through neighbouring Haden to the west.[3][6]

The Haden Peranga Road enters the locality from the south-east (Kilbirnie), forms part of the south-western boundary of the suburb and exits to the west (Evergreen).[7]

The land use is mostly grazing on native vegetation with some crop growing.[8]

History

On Saturday 16 January 1892, a public meeting was called to plan the establishment of a school.[9] In June 1892, tenders were called to erect a provisional school building.[10] Doctor's Creek Provisional School opened on 30 January 1893 with picnic to celebrate its opening on Friday 10 February 1893.[11] The first teacher was Mr Ridler. The school building was 21 by 14 feet (6.4 by 4.3 m) and was built by Mr Maunder of Meringandan.[12] On 2 April 1900, it became Doctor's Creek State School.[11] In preparation for the state school, tenders were called in June 1899 to erect a state school building and to convert the existing provisional school building into a teacher's residence.[13] The school closed in 1963.[11] It was at 327 Haden Peranga Road (south-west corner with Whites Road, now within neighbouring Haden, 27°12′31″S 151°51′32″E / 27.2087°S 151.8589°E / -27.2087; 151.8589 (Doctor's Creek State School (former))).[14][15] The school teacher's residence still exists on the site.[16]

In 1903, St Paul's Lutheran church was established at 273 Haden Peranga Road (south-east corner with Whites Road, now within neighbouring Haden, 27°12′31″S 151°51′35″E / 27.2087°S 151.8598°E / -27.2087; 151.8598 (St Paul's Lutheran Church (former))).[14][15][17] The first Lutheran settlers came to the district in 1888 but it was not until 1902 that a Lutheran congregation was formed as part of the United German and Scandinavian Synod of Queensland. At the congregation's first meeting on 23 March 1903, it was decided to build a church. The church was dedicated on 29 November 1903 by Reverend George Heuer of Toowoomba, the president of the Queensland synod.[18]

During World War I due to anti-German sentiment, the Lutheran church's pastor Reverend Gustav Fischer was interned from circa June 1916 to circa February 1919.[18][19][20] Fischer was born in Australia as were his parents, but he was educated in Germany.[21]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Doctor Creek had a population of 37 people.[22]

In the 2021 census, Doctor Creek had a population of 28 people.[1]

Education

There are no schools in Doctor Creek. The nearest government primary schools are Kulpi State School in Kulpi to the south-west and Haden State School in neighbouring Haden to the south-east. The nearest govenment secondary schools are:[23]

References

  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Doctor Creek (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ "Doctor Creek – locality in Toowoomba Region (entry 47928)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses; Drainage boundaries". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  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. ^ "Scrubby Creek – watercourse in the Toowoomba Region (entry 30191)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Doctor Creek – watercourse in the Toowoomba Region (entry 47928)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Railways; Railway stations". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Sugarcane areas". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
  9. ^ "Advertising". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser. No. 4623. Queensland, Australia. 16 January 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 8 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Advertising". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser. No. 4688. Queensland, Australia. 18 June 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 8 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ a b c "Agency ID 6244, Doctor's Creek State School". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Goombungee". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser. No. 4791. Queensland, Australia. 18 February 1893. p. 4. Retrieved 8 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Advertising". Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser. Vol. XXXIX, no. 5923. Queensland, Australia. 24 June 1899. p. 7. Retrieved 8 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. ^ a b "Ipswich" (Map). Queensland Government. 1955. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  15. ^ a b "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  16. ^ "327 Haden Peranga Rd, Haden, Qld 4353". Realestate.com.au. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  17. ^ Blake, Thom. "St Paul's Lutheran Church". Queensland religious places database. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  18. ^ a b "LUTHERAN CHURCH". Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs Gazette. Vol. LXVII, no. 283. Queensland, Australia. 29 November 1928. p. 8. Retrieved 8 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. ^ "Treatment of Enemy Aliens in Queensland 1914-1920". Stories from the Archives. Queensland State Archives. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Internment of Germans in Australia during World War I". German Australia. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  21. ^ "A PASTOR INTERNED". Warwick Examiner And Times. No. 4869. Queensland, Australia. 3 June 1916. p. 4. Retrieved 8 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Doctor Creek (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018. Edit this at Wikidata
  23. ^ "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 12 April 2025.