59-501: Toowoomba Showgrounds may refer to: Toowoomba Showgrounds, the original showgrounds held off Campbell Street in Toowoomba from 1905 to 1985. Toowoomba Showgrounds (Glenvale) , the showgrounds held in Glenvale, Queensland from 1985. Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
118-515: A blind, bigoted, old Tory, and was better dead. Politicians are mostly better dead, so far as other people and their country is concerned … This quotation is often used to illustrate the cynicism of Australians towards the political class. FitzHenry notes that Davis's satirical depiction of individual members of the Queensland Parliament was so close to reality that he was almost called to the Bar of
177-409: A boat. Later it was shortened to "Steele Rudd". During his time as under sheriff, Davis had to give the signal at the hanging of Patrick Kenniff which left him nervous and irritable for months after the event. Towards the end of 1895 Davis sent a sketch based on his father's experience 'Starting the selection' to The Bulletin . The sketch was published on 14 December 1895. This afterwards became
236-540: A cheap popular magazine to be successful. It was revived under various names between 1923 and 1930. Davis published a long series of volumes continuing the On Our Selection series, as listed below. Most were successful, but there could not have been a great deal of profit for the author from the cheap editions. Towards the end of his life appeared two capable books The Romance of Runnibede (1927), and Green Grey Homestead (1934). But Davis found that having established
295-624: A news story he wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald . He claimed that when he was looking for work as a tar boy, he camped overnight near the Toowoomba Swamp. He claimed that when he asked a shepherd about the naming of the Toowoomba Swamp, he was told that near the junction of the East and West Swamps, there was a log with an inscription informing swagmen of the way to a well-known homestead where food rations were available. He claimed that
354-458: A reputation in one direction, it was difficult to find a public for books written in more serious vein, and during his last years he had to struggle to make a living. He died at Brisbane on 11 October 1935. Davis was twice married and was survived by three sons and a daughter by the first marriage. In addition to the volumes mentioned others will be found listed in Miller's Australian Literature . Davis
413-652: A situation somewhat unique among Queensland cities, snow has been reported on the higher parts of the city on several occasions; this is a trait it shares with the Granite Belt to the south along the Great Dividing Range. Light frost will be experienced several nights each winter in the city centre, more often in the western suburbs. According to the Bureau of Meteorology , the highest temperature ever recorded in Toowoomba
472-547: A small mail run in the 1800s to transport mail and passengers to Brisbane and beyond. It also houses Australia's largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles. The museum has undergone a A$ 8 million redevelopment before reopening in September 2010. Toowoomba has many heritage-listed sites, with over fifty on the Queensland Heritage Register in addition to listings on other local heritage registers. Toowoomba
531-517: Is a city in the Darling Downs region of Queensland , Australia. It is located 132 km (82 mi) west of Queensland's capital, Brisbane . The urban population of Toowoomba as of the 2021 census was 142,163, having grown at an average annual rate of 1.45% over the previous two decades. Toowoomba is the second-most-populous inland city in Australia after the nation's capital, Canberra . It
590-540: Is also a residential college named "Steele Rudd" at the University of Southern Queensland campus. There are copper statues of Dad, Dave, Mum and Mabel at Gundagai . In his 1908 book, Dad in Politics , Davis satirises political life in the opening sentence: Smith, the member for our district, died one day, and we forgot all about him the next. Not that a politician is ever remembered much after he dies, but Smith had been
649-671: Is also the second-largest regional centre in Queensland, and is often referred to as the capital of the Darling Downs. The city serves as the council seat of the Toowoomba Region . Toowoomba, one of Australia's oldest inland cities, was founded in 1849 on the lands of the Giabal and Jarowair people. The city's central streets were named after the history of the House of Stuart . The city became
SECTION 10
#1732852830056708-594: Is celebrated for its preserved Victorian-era and traditional Queenslander architecture , historic churches and gardens, and vibrant food, and coffee culture . The city boasts street art, laneways, and numerous nature trails. The city experiences a distinct four seasons and is home to festivals including the Carnival of Flowers . Notable landmarks include Queens and Laurel Bank Park , the Empire Theatre , St James' Palace , and Mt Meewah. The surrounding Darling Downs region
767-492: Is correct, as this dialect was not spoken in the Darling Downs region (but rather in the Wide Bay-Burnett region) and Lawrence did not state why he transferred the name to the Darling Downs. In fact, the distance between Toowoomba and Gayndah is just over 218 kilometres as the crow flies . In 1899, George Essex Evans published his theory in a pamphlet. He wrote that "Toowoomba" was an Aboriginal word meaning "meeting of
826-450: Is equal to the adverb "There", so the whole word means "melons there", and to an Aborigine it meant "the place where the melon grows". While this melon still exists and can be found in areas along the Balonne and Warrego Rivers , as well as in areas closer to Toowoomba, there is no evidence that the melon grew near the Toowoomba swamps. A man named Enoggera Charlie proposed another theory in
885-588: Is even known to have the odd snowfall. As a result, the city has a reputation for being cooler than many other towns and cities in Queensland. Toowoomba is generally sunny, receiving 103.9 clear days annually on average, mostly in winter. Daily maximum temperatures in Toowoomba average 28 °C (82 °F) in summer and 17 °C (63 °F) in winter. Unlike most of inland Queensland, summer temperatures above 33 °C (91 °F) are uncommon, whilst winter days rarely above 23 °C (73 °F). Winter nights seldom drop below 0 °C (32 °F); however, in
944-544: Is highlighted during the Australian Carnival of Flowers festival held in September each year. Deciduous trees from around the world line many of the parks, giving a display of autumn colour. The City of Toowoomba includes the following suburbs: - from former Shire of Jondaryan Giabal and Jarowair are recognised as the two main Aboriginal language groups of the Toowoomba with Giabal extending south of
1003-457: Is known for its rolling hills and pastures, agricultural produce, and historic homesteads. The exact origin of the city's current name is unknown, although it is widely accepted that the name derives from an Aboriginal language. When Toowoomba was first discovered by Europeans, it was named "Drayton Swamp" (in reference to the Toowoomba Swamp) and was often nicknamed "The Swamp". One theory
1062-464: Is that after European settlement, the local Aboriginal people referred to it as "Tawampa", which is borrowed from "The Swamp". Another theory is that it derives from the name "Toogoom". This theory was first proposed by author Steele Rudd in a letter to the Toowoomba City Council . He claimed that his father told him that in 1848, he first saw Toowoomba and that he assisted in laying it out
1121-811: Is the seat of the Toowoomba Region local government area . The city is represented in the Parliament of Queensland by three seats: Toowoomba North , Toowoomba South and Condamine . In the Commonwealth Parliament , Toowoomba forms part of the Division of Groom , which is held by Garth Hamilton for the Liberal National Party of Queensland . Steele Rudd Steele Rudd was the pen name of Arthur Hoey Davis (14 November 1868 – 11 October 1935) an Australian author, best known for his short story collection On Our Selection . In 2009, as part of
1180-512: The 2016 census , the Urban Centre of Toowoomba recorded a population of 100,032 people. Of these: Toowoomba has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa ) with warm summers and cool winters. The city's inland location as well as elevation and exposed location on the Great Dividing Range influence its climate in several notable ways: Toowoomba experiences more frequent high winds, hail, fog, low maximum temperatures and
1239-454: The Great Famine . The boy was the eighth child and fifth son in a family of 13 children. The father later on took up a selection at Emu Creek, and there Davis was educated at the local school. He left school before he was 12 and worked at odd jobs on a station, and at 15 years of age became a junior stockrider on a station on the Darling Downs. When he was 18 he was appointed a junior clerk in
SECTION 20
#17328528300561298-627: The New England region and in June 1827 encountered 4 million acres (16,000 km ) of rich farming and grazing land, which he named as the Darling Downs , bordered on the east by the Great Dividing Range and 160 kilometres (100 mi) west of the settlement of Moreton Bay . In 1840, Patrick Leslie (second son of the ninth Laird of Warthill ) and Peter Murphy established Toolburra Station 56 miles (90 km) south-west of Toowoomba, being
1357-508: The Q150 celebrations, Rudd was named one of the Q150 Icons for his role in Queensland literature. Davis was born at Drayton near Toowoomba, Queensland , the son of Thomas Davis (1828–1904), a blacksmith from Abernant in south Wales who arrived to Australia in 1847 due to a five-year conviction for petty theft, and Mary, née Green (1835–1893) an Irishwoman from Galway who was driven to emigrate by
1416-470: The 1900s. In July 1902, 80 subdivided allotments of "The Lilley Estate" owned by the late Sir Charles Lilley, were advertised to be auctioned by Scholefield & Godsall. A map advertising the auction shows that the estate was bordered by Bridge, Mary and Lindsay Streets and overlooking and adjoining the Royal Agricultural Society's Showgrounds. In 1905, the Royal Agricultural Society and
1475-403: The Aboriginal term "great in the future". However, he did not provide a source for his information. Another theory was proposed by botanist Archibald Meston in a book titled A Geographical History of Queensland . He wrote: "Toowoom" or "Choowom" was the local blacks' name for a small native melon ( Cucumis pubescens ) which grew plentifully on the site of the township. The terminal "ba"
1534-565: The Drayton and Toowoomba Agricultural and Horticultural Society merged and the Toowoomba Showgrounds on Campbell Street became the sole venue for the annual show. The Rotary Club of Toowoomba was established in 1930. During World War II , Toowoomba was the location of RAAF No.7 Inland Aircraft Fuel Depot (IAFD), completed in 1942 and closed on 29 August 1944. Usually consisting of 4 tanks, 31 fuel depots were built across Australia for
1593-632: The Empire Theatre is now the largest regional theatre in Australia. The former Drayton railway station now functions as the DownSteam heritage railway and museum . Rollingstock includes the only surviving C16 Class , No. 106 "Pride of Toowoomba", Built in 1914 and originally retired in Cairns by 1964. The city also is home to the Cobb & Co Museum , hailing to the famous mail company's beginnings as
1652-567: The House of Parliament for breach of parliamentary privilege. A play titled The Execution of Steele Rudd by Australian playwright Harry Reade was first staged in 1981 by the National Theatre at the Playhouse, Perth , directed by Stephen Barry . It portrays the character and actions of Davis who is employed in the sheriff's office, managing arrangements for the execution of two criminals. The play
1711-550: The area off the local Aboriginal people. He wrote that hundreds of Aborigines were killed in a bitter war that lasted three years from the time they arrived in the area. The interior of Eton Vale homestead was decorated with spears and boomerangs and other spoil which the Hodgsons had collected after hard fought battles with "the blacks". Hodgson wrote "who would not rather put a ball in their hearts to rid themselves of their ceremonials and presence at once?" The general mode of attack by
1770-476: The area; they replied with "Woomba Woomba", meaning "the springs and the water underneath". However, she claimed that the Alfords thought this would not be a suitable name for their house and store, so they added the prefix "too-" and omitted one "Woomba" (as this would be a synonym of "two Woomba"), hence "Toowoomba". In 1875, William Henry Groom wrote an account of Toowoomba. He stated that "Toowoomba" derived from
1829-512: The building. However, the Empire was rebuilt and reopened in November 1933. The architectural styling of the new Empire Theatre was art deco , in keeping with the trend of the 1930s. After years of neglect, the Empire Theatre was extensively renovated in the late 1990s, but retains much of its art deco architecture and decorations, especially the proscenium arch. Able to seat approximately 1,500 people,
Toowoomba Showgrounds - Misplaced Pages Continue
1888-508: The city while Jarowair extends north of the city. The Jarowair (also known as Yarowair, Yarow-wair, Barrunggam, Yarrowair, Yarowwair and Yarrow-weir) language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Toowoomba Regional Council, particularly Toowoomba north to Crows Nest and west to Oakey . This traditional landscape changed dramatically from 1840 with the incursion of British pastoralists into
1947-474: The city's waterways to become swollen. Around midday, an intense storm moved in from the northeast, completely overwhelming East Creek and West Creek which run through the CBD. 149.6 mm (5.89 in) fell in one day with rainfall peaking at 144 mm/h (5.7 in/h) over one 10-minute interval. The flood caused damage to properties and infrastructure, and resulted in the deaths of 2 people in Toowoomba. At
2006-504: The colonists would involve an early morning raid on the Aboriginal camps. The Hodgsons would "generally employ our [black] boys from distant tribes to act as trackers" to locate defiant groups of Aboriginal people. Sometimes a prisoner was taken and "ordered to conduct us to his own camp on risk of his life" and once at this camp, "we rushed to attack it and we had, notwithstanding, ample revenge". Hodgson describes how Aborigines would try to recover "the corpses of those who had fallen victims to
2065-598: The entire Rudd canon of fiction: Dave briefly had a girlfriend called Fanny in one story, and he eventually married a girl called Lily. Davis had a profound respect for the pioneering Australian woman, and he was particularly incensed by the use of 'Mum' when referring to Mrs Rudd. "'It is 'Mother', 'Mother', Mother!' he would shout, flushed in the face." Examples of popular 'Dad and Dave' jokes that did not originate from Rudd: Dad: Where's Dave gone, Mum? Mum: Dave's out Condobolin , Dad. Dad: Out Condobolin? Cripes, I didn't think Dave had any time for
2124-457: The first British pastoralists to take land on the Downs. Later that same year, Eton College graduate, Arthur Hodgson , together with Gilbert Elliot and Cocky Rogers established "Eton Vale" on land which included "The Swamp", now known as Toowoomba. In forming Eton Vale , Hodgson's brother Christopher Pemberton Hodgson , later described the "constant skirmishes with the natives" to wrest control of
2183-457: The first chapter of On Our Selection when it was published in 1899. Encouraged by J. F. Archibald , Davis continued the series of sketches, 26 of which were included in the volume. Within four years 20,000 copies had been printed. It afterwards appeared in numerous cheap editions and by 1940 the number of copies sold had reached 250,000. The stories have also been the basis of a play and several films. In 1903 Our New Selection appeared and in
2242-463: The following year. He believed that it derived from the native name "Toogoom" because of the reeds that grew in the area. Rudd also wrote that he remembered that the original Aboriginal name for "The Swamp" was Chinkery Yackan meaning "water like the stars". Another theory was proposed by the wife of pioneer Toowoomba resident Thomas Alford. She claimed to have asked the Aboriginals what they called
2301-489: The heritage-listed Russell Street. Immediately to the east of the CBD is the Caledonian Estate, an area of turn-of-the-20th-century housing, ranging from humble workers cottages to large stately homes, in the classic wooden Queenslander style. Toowoomba is also home to the Empire Theatre , which was originally opened in June 1911, as a silent movie house . In February 1933, fire broke out, almost completely destroying
2360-468: The inscription read "To Woombrah". A man named Ardlaw Lawrence put forward his theory shortly after Enoggera Charlie. He suggested that the name was an Anglicised form of "Boowoomga", which comes from the term for "thunder" in the dialect spoken by the Aboriginal tribe inhabiting areas along the Upper Burnett River (including the town of Gayndah ). However, it is highly unlikely that this theory
2419-677: The late 19th century – groups from south east and south west Queensland as well as northern New South Wales gathered at Gummingurru, near Gowrie (west of Toowoomba) prior to attending the festival. The Gummingurru site with its ancient stone circles is being restored by the Gummingurru Aboriginal Corporation and is an important ceremonial place for not only the traditional groups but neighbouring groups. Toowoomba's colonial history traces back to when English botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham arrived in Australia from Brazil . He conducted an inland expedition north from
Toowoomba Showgrounds - Misplaced Pages Continue
2478-486: The mouth of the Murray River near Adelaide , South Australia. Rain falling on the easternmost streets of Toowoomba flows east to Moreton Bay , a distance of around 170 km (110 mi). The rich volcanic soil in the region helps maintain the 159 public parks that are scattered across the city. Jacaranda , camphor laurel and plane trees line many of the city streets. The city's reputation as 'The Garden City'
2537-450: The office of the curator of intestate estates at Brisbane . In 1889, Davis was transferred to the sheriff's office and in his spare time took up rowing and when he began writing a column on rowing in a weekly paper and needed a pseudonym he adopted "Steele Rudder", the first name from the English essayist Richard Steele , the second chosen because he wanted to bring into his name some part of
2596-446: The other members of the family. His reputation was established by his short stories of country life. The 1920 movie On Our Selection and 1932–1952 radio series Dad and Dave helped turn the characters into Australian cultural icons. Davis, however, detested his struggling but admirable family being made into comic yokels, and had nothing to do with the radio program. There is no character called 'Mabel' attached to Dave anywhere in
2655-511: The peak rainy months. Like most of south-east Queensland, severe thunderstorms can be a threat and Toowoomba may occasionally be affected by ex-tropical cyclones . Toowoomba's history has been preserved in its buildings. Examples of architecture drawing from the city's wealthy beginnings include Toowoomba City Hall which was Queensland's first purpose-built town hall, the National Trust Royal Bull's Head Inn and many examples in
2714-460: The region. Those Aboriginal Australians that survived the frontier conflict of this time were pushed to the fringe of society in camps and later moved to missions such as Deebing Creek , Durundur and later Barambah (now Cherbourg ). Some local Aboriginal Australians worked on the properties around Toowoomba in this contact period. Ceremonies such as the Bonye Bonye festival remained active until
2773-439: The same year Davis, who had reached the position of under-sheriff, retired from the public service. In January 1904, Davis brought out Rudd's Magazine , a monthly magazine published at 6d. a copy, which continued for nearly four years. It was issued first from Brisbane and was afterwards transferred to Sydney. It had a much longer life than most Australian magazines, but there was not then a large enough public in Australia to enable
2832-595: The southern boundary, originating from springs on either side of Middle Ridge near Spring Street, at an altitude of approximately 680 metres (2,230 ft). These waterways, East Creek and West Creek, converge just north of the CBD to form Gowrie Creek. Gowrie Creek drains west across the Darling Downs and is a tributary of the Condamine River , part of the Murray–Darling basin . The water flowing down Gowrie Creek travels approximately 3,000 km (1,900 mi) to
2891-630: The storage and supply of aircraft fuel for the RAAF and the US Army Air Forces at a total cost of £900,000 ($ 1,800,000). In 1985, the show left the Toowomba Showgrounds for the new site in Glenvale . Toowoomba was named as Australia's Tidiest Town in 2008. On 10 January 2011, Toowoomba suffered a catastrophic flash flood . Unusually heavy rainfall had occurred in the preceding days, causing
2950-607: The title Toowoomba Showgrounds . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toowoomba_Showgrounds&oldid=1213265759 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Toowoomba Download coordinates as: Toowoomba ( / t ə ˈ w ʊ m b ə / tə- WUUM -bə ), nicknamed 'The Garden City’,and 'T-Bar',
3009-575: The viceregal summer retreat of Queensland's governors . The city witnessed several significant events during Australia's Victorian period , including the War of Southern Queensland and Battle of One Tree Hill . During the Federation period , Toowoomba emerged as a major artistic and cultural centre with the establishment of the Austral Society . Toowoomba, a city renowned for its cathedrals and universities,
SECTION 50
#17328528300563068-408: The waters", although no evidence was provided to support this claim. Toowoomba is on the crest of the Great Dividing Range , around 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level. A few streets lie on the eastern edge of the range, but the majority of the city is situated west of the divide. The city is situated on the edge of the range and the low ridges behind it. Two valleys extend north from
3127-476: The white man's gun in defiance of a sentry on the lookout". Those who were at peace with the Hodgson brothers, were kept in line with methods such as the taking of young boys from the tribe as hostages. Hodgson claimed that if the local Aboriginal people were to be considered a species of simia acaudata or tail-less monkey, they had to be "hunted down and exterminated". Towards the end of the 1840s, closer settlement
3186-512: The wish of locals and a new municipality was proclaimed on 24 November 1860. The first town council election took place on 4 January 1861 and William Henry Groom won. The railway from Ipswich was opened in 1867, bringing with it business development. In 1892, the Under Secretary of Public Land proclaimed Toowoomba and the surrounding areas as a township and in 1904 Toowoomba was declared a city. Pastoralism replaced agriculture and dairying by
3245-625: The womenfolk! Dave: Hey Dad! Them telephone blokes are silly coots! One of them just rung up to say it's a long distance from Sydney! The humour of Rudd's Selection stories arises from character and situation, and never involves wisecracks like these. A replica of Rudd's shingle hut can still be seen at the town of Nobby, Queensland . There is a statue of Steele Rudd at the Speakers' Corner in King George Square in Brisbane . There
3304-412: Was 40.8 °C (105.4 °F) on 12 February 2017, while the lowest was −4.4 °C (24.1 °F) on 12 July 1965. Average annual rainfall is 735 mm (28.9 in), which peaks in the warm season. Rainfall in the eastern suburbs along the Great Dividing Range nudges 1,000 mm (39 in) per year. The majority of Toowoomba's rain falls from November to March, with January and February being
3363-432: Was a tall, ruddy-faced man of mercurial temperament, fiery of temper, an excellent talker and a charming companion. He had a great love for horses and for 20 years was a well-known polo player. His books were written largely from the experiences of his own early days, and they were thoroughly appreciated by a generation that was familiar with characters on the land who had all the courage, optimism and humour of dad and mum and
3422-472: Was occurring and the nearby township of Drayton had grown to the point where it had its own newspaper, general store, trading post and the Royal Bull's Head Inn , which was built by William Horton and still stands today. The first Britishers began to live at "The Swamp" (Toowoomba) from 1849, where Josiah Dent, William Shuttleworth and William Gurney were employed to cut reeds and timber for use at Drayton. Dent
3481-456: Was said to have "lived in a tent, and with his axe, he killed the blacks". In 1852, Thomas Alford established the first store at Toowoomba. Land for the town of Toowoomba at "The Swamp" was first surveyed in 1849, then again in 1853. By 1858 Toowoomba was growing fast. It had a population of 700, three hotels and many stores. Land selling at £4 per acre (£10 per hectare) in 1850 was by then £150 per acre (£370 per hectare). Governor Bowen granted
#55944