Palmyra, Queensland
| Palmyra Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Palmyra sugar mill, 1895 | |||||||||||||||
  Palmyra | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°12′12″S 149°04′59″E / 21.2033°S 149.0830°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 250 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 7.20/km2 (18.7/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4751 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 34.7 km2 (13.4 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Mackay Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mirani | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Capricornia | ||||||||||||||
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Palmyra is a rural locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2021 census, Palmyra had a population of 250 people.[1]
Geography
[edit]The locality is bounded from north to east by Bakers Creek, which it is bounded from south to east by Maclennan Creek, which becomes a tributary of the Bakers Creek at the easternmost point of the locality, from where Bakers Creek flows eastwards through the locality of Bakers Creek to the Coral Sea.[3]
The Walkerston Bypass enters the locality from the west (Greenmount) and exits to the north-west (Te Kowai).[4]
The land use is predominantly growing sugarcane on the lower flatter land with grazing on native vegetation on the higher elevations, mostly in the south-west of the locality.[5] There is a network of cane tramways to transport the harvested sugarcane to the local sugar mills.[4]
History
[edit]The Palmyra sugar mill operated from 1883 to 1905. It was north of Silingardis Road (appox 21°10′37″S 149°05′25″E / 21.1769°S 149.0903°E).[6]
Palmyra Dragway opened in 1968. The dragway was badly damaged by Cyclone Debbie in 2017.[7][8] In 2023, the dragway was approved by the International Hot Rod Assoc Australia (IHRA).[9]
Mac's Speedway began hosting motorsport events in the 1980s. It takes its name from the McNicholl family and the track has hosted important motorcycle speedway events,[10] including the final of the Queensland Solo Championship, which was a qualifying round of the Speedway World Championship in 1991.[11][12][13] In April 2024, the site at 13 Grants Road (21°12′27″S 149°04′19″E / 21.2075°S 149.0720°E) was put up for sale.[14][15]
Demographics
[edit]In the 2016 census, Palmyra had a population of 264 people.[16]
In the 2021 census, Palmyra had a population of 250 people.[1]
Education
[edit]There are no schools in Palmyra. The nearest government primary schools are Walkerston State School in neighbouring Walkerston to the north-west, Dundula State School in Bakers Creek to the east, and Homebush State School in neighbouring Homebush to the south. The nearest government secondary school is Mackay State High School in South Mackay to the north-east. There are also non-government schools in Walkerston and in Mackay's suburbs.[17]
Amenities
[edit]The locality has a number of motor sport venues, which include:
- Palmyra Drag Racing Club, 29 Bells Road (21°12′16″S 149°04′37″E / 21.2045°S 149.0770°E)[18][19]
- Mackay and District Kart Club, 21 Grants Road (21°12′17″S 149°04′22″E / 21.2047°S 149.0728°E)[20][21][19]
The dragway shares its site with the private Palmyra Airstrip which is used for recreational flying.[4]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Palmyra (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Palmyra – locality in Mackay Region (entry 49362)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- ^ "Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ a b c "Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Railways; Railway stations; Airports". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Sugarcane areas". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ Hall, Glen (18 July 2017). "Palmyra Sugar Mill 1883 - 1905". Mackay History. Archived from the original on 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
- ^ Mortimer, Luke (29 July 2017). "Palmyra Dragway left in the lurch after cyclone". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "Palmyra Dragway after Tropical Cyclone Debbie". The Courier-Mail. 2017. Archived from the original on 29 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "About | Palmyra Dragway, Mackay QLD". Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "mac's Speedway". Speedway and Road Race History. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "World Championship". Metal Speedway. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "World Championship". Speedway.org. Archived from the original on 10 September 2005. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Honor Roll since 1927/28". Speedway Champions. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
- ^ Devenport, Zoe (28 April 2024). "Macs Speedway at Palmyra, Mackay, for sale after year abandoned". Mackay Daily Mercury. Archived from the original on 29 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "Macs Speedway, 13 Grants Road, Palmyra, QLD 4751 - Development Site & Land For Sale - realcommercial". www.realcommercial.com.au. Archived from the original on 29 September 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Palmyra (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "Palmyra Dragway, Mackay QLD". Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ a b "Building points - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 17 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Mackay Kart Club". mackaykartclub.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
- ^ "Mackay and District Kart Club". Facebook. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
