Meringandan West is a rural locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2016 census, Meringandan West had a population of 2211 people.[1]

Meringandan West Queensland
Clifford Street, 2014
Meringandan West
Coordinates	27.4166°S 151.8922°E / -27.4166; 151.8922
Population	2,211 (2016 census)[1]
• Density	133.2/km2 (345.0/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4352
Area	16.6 km2 (6.4 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)	Toowoomba Region
State electorate(s)	Condamine
Federal division(s)	Groom
Suburbs around Meringandan West: Muniganeen Muniganeen Meringandan Yalangur Gowrie Little Plain Meringandan West Meringandan Lilyvale Glencoe Cawdor Woolmer

Geography

Meringandan West is on Darling Downs in southern Queensland.^{[citation needed]}

The majority of the eastern boundary is aligned with Meringandan Creek^{[citation needed]}

Mount Muniganeen is in the north of Meringandan West and rises to heights greater than 600 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level.^{[citation needed]}

Central parts of the area have been developed into a residential estate. Meringandan West was part of a local planning scheme developed and adopted by the Toowoomba Region Council in August 2013.[3]

Meringandan cemetery is located in Peters Road.^{[citation needed]}

History

The name Meringandan is taken from the former railway station, which in turn is a Gooneburra word meaning red soil or broken clay.[2]

Meringandan State School opened on 24 January 1876.[4] It was built during 1875 by Jack Maag. Isaac John Thomas was appointed the first head teacher of the school,. The enrolment for that year was 80 pupils.^{[citation needed]} It is now within the suburb boundaries of Meringandan West.[5]

Facilities

There are several scattered parks. The most notable park is Lilyvale Oval, which has an unlit sporting field (cricket pitch), which is used for a radio controlled model aircraft flying field on occasion by the local inhabitants and visitors also, probably, operates as a flood basic, a playground, a picnic table, and a community shed, as well as a BBQ and toilet block for public use.^{[citation needed]}

Next to this park, is a shed, from which operates the local rural fire brigade.^{[citation needed]}

Lilyvale Oval, was once used for an annual rodeo hosted by the P&C of Meringandan State School. The P&C also used to run Christmas Carols in the park, but they were also cancelled for lack of funding. Small church groups still used the park for annual carols nights.[6]

In the east of Meringandan West, there is a small cemetery.^{[citation needed]}

Education

Meringandan State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 10 School Road (27.4303°S 151.9050°E / -27.4303; 151.9050 (Meringandan State School)).[7][8] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 240 students with 20 teachers (15 full-time equivalent) and 14 non-teaching staff (8 full-time equivalent).[9]

References