# El Arish, Queensland

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El Arish is a rural town and locality in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of El Arish had a population of 337 people.

## Geography

The Bruce Highway enters the locality from the south (Maadi / Friday Pocket) and passes immediately east of the town and exits the locality to the north-east (Daveson).
The North Coast railway line enters the locality from the south-west (Maadi), passes immediately to the west of the town and exits the locality to the north (Jaffa / Daveson). The town is served by the El Arish railway station (17°48′34″S 146°00′06″E﻿ / ﻿17.8094°S 146.0016°E﻿ / -17.8094; 146.0016﻿ (El Arish railway station)) but its railway station building has now been repurposed as a museum. The now-abandoned Quatia railway station (17°47′40″S 146°00′20″E﻿ / ﻿17.7944°S 146.0056°E﻿ / -17.7944; 146.0056﻿ (Quatia railway station)) served the north of the locality and is the source of the name of the Quatia neighbourhood (17°48′00″S 146°00′00″E﻿ / ﻿17.8°S 146.0000°E﻿ / -17.8; 146.0000﻿ (Quatia)).

## History

The town was named in 1921 after the city of Arish in Egypt where the Australian Light Horse saw action in December 1916 and which was later developed as a major base area with an allied hospital. The name Quatia was assigned by the Queensland Railways Department on 31 August 1922 and was the suggestion of the soldier settlers and refers to a city in Egypt where the Australian Imperial Force engaged in the Battle of Katia in World War I.
The town was founded in 1921 as a soldier settlement area. Many of the streets were named after high-ranking officers, including:
* Chauvel Street after General Harry Chauvel
* Glasgow Street after Major General Thomas William Glasgow
* Monash Street after General John Monash
* Royston Street after Brigadier General John Royston
* Ryrie Street after Major General Granville Ryrie
And some were named after general veterans such as:
* Francis Martin Street after Francis Paxton Martin who set up some soldier settlements in El Arish in the 1920s.
The El Arish War Memorial is located on the south-west corner of Monash and Ryrie Streets (17°48′23″S 146°00′17″E﻿ / ﻿17.806332°S 146.004821°E﻿ / -17.806332; 146.004821﻿ (El Arish War Memorial)). It was unveiled in September 1947.
The Maria Creek State School opened on 13 May 1922; it was renamed El Arish State School in 1925.
El Arish Post Office opened by 1926 (a receiving office had been open from 1921).
El Arish Tavern was established in 1927.
The RSL Memorial Hall opened in October 1930. It was built by local people using timber donated by the Myers sawmill.
The area was later settled by Italian Australians who worked in the sugar cane fields.
The town was hit by Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi in February 2011.

## Demographics

In the 2006 census, the locality of El Arish had a population of 232 people.
In the 2011 census, the locality of El Arish had a population of 442 people.
In the 2016 census, the locality of El Arish had a population of 344 people.
In the 2021 census, the locality of El Arish had a population of 337 people.

## Heritage listings

Heritage-listed places in El Arish include:
* the former El Arish railway station, now the El Arish History Station, which houses a small soldier settlement and local history museum collection. A social morning tea is held in the museum almost every Friday of the year at 9am, and visitors are welcome. A donation of $2 is requested from attendees.
* the El Arish Tavern.
* the El Arish RSL Memorial Hall. The hall has been maintained by local volunteers since 1930.

## Economy

Today, the area is home to a large sugar cane industry and banana plantations.

## Education

El Arish State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 28 Chauvel Street (17°48′28″S 146°00′09″E﻿ / ﻿17.8078°S 146.0026°E﻿ / -17.8078; 146.0026﻿ (El Arish State School)). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 37 students with 3 teachers and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).
There is no secondary school in El Arish. The nearest secondary school is Tully State High School in Tully to the south-west.

## Facilities

El Arish Police Station is at 24 Ryrie Street (corner Monash Street, 17°48′23″S 146°00′19″E﻿ / ﻿17.8065°S 146.0052°E﻿ / -17.8065; 146.0052﻿ (El Arish Police Station)).
El Arish Fire Station is at 5–7 Ryrie Street (17°48′21″S 146°00′13″E﻿ / ﻿17.8057°S 146.0037°E﻿ / -17.8057; 146.0037﻿ (El Arish Fire Station)). In 2020 the old buildings were replaced with a new fire station.
El Arish Post Office is at 46 Chauvel Street (17°48′24″S 146°00′10″E﻿ / ﻿17.8066°S 146.0029°E﻿ / -17.8066; 146.0029﻿ (El Arish Post Office)).

## Amenities

The El Arish Country Golf Club has a 9-hole course and is located on Golf Course Road (17°48′36″S 146°00′14″E﻿ / ﻿17.81007°S 146.00377°E﻿ / -17.81007; 146.00377﻿ (El Arish Country Golf Club)).
Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church is at 32 Glasgow Street (17°48′16″S 146°00′24″E﻿ / ﻿17.8045°S 146.0067°E﻿ / -17.8045; 146.0067﻿ (Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church)). It is within the Silkwood Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.
El Arish RSL Memorial Hall is at 17 Royston Street (17°48′25″S 146°00′17″E﻿ / ﻿17.8070°S 146.0047°E﻿ / -17.8070; 146.0047﻿ (EL ARISH RSL MEMORIAL HALL)). It can seat 250 people and has a dance floor, stage, kitchen and coldroom.

## Attractions

The former El Arish railway station building has been reoriented on its block in order to face Chauvel Street (17°48′26″S 146°00′09″E﻿ / ﻿17.8072°S 146.0025°E﻿ / -17.8072; 146.0025﻿ (El Arish Diggers Museum)). It is used as a local history museum, and is currently known as the El Arish Diggers Museum (formerly the El Arish History Station).