# Mungallala

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Mungallala is a rural town and locality in the Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Mungallala had a population of 85 people.

## Geography

The town is in South West Queensland, 608 kilometres (378 mi) west of the state capital Brisbane and 133 kilometres (83 mi) west of the regional centre of Roma.
The Warrego Highway passes from east (Womalilla) to west (Morven) through the locality, passing through the town which is in the eastern part of the locality. The Western railway line also passes from east to west through the locality, roughly parallel and to the south of the highway. The town is served by the Mungallala railway station, 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south-west of the town (26°27′19″S 147°32′19″E﻿ / ﻿26.4553°S 147.5386°E﻿ / -26.4553; 147.5386﻿ (Mungallala railway station)).
The former locality of Dulvadilla/Dulbydilla is within the locality of Mundallala. Dulbydilla railway siding remains on the western railway line in the west of the locality at 26°26′06″S 147°22′28″E﻿ / ﻿26.4350°S 147.3744°E﻿ / -26.4350; 147.3744﻿ (Dulbydilla railway siding).
The town consists of only a few streets.

## History

The name Mungallala derives from a pastoral run and comes from the Kunggari language with from mungar / kungar meaning bird and yaya / lala meaning shout, implying the sound made by the claws of running emus. The name Dulbydilla derives from the Aboriginal words, dulby meaning black and dilla meaning waterhole, referring to the discolouration of the water caused by eucalypt leaves.
The town was on the Cobb & Co stagecoach route from Roma to Charleville; The coach traveled the 283 kilometres (176 mi) twice weekly, and they staged at Womalilla Downs, Burenda Downs and Dulbydilla. Mungallala may also have been a "changing station". The coach drivers included Austin Brumfield, J. Coyle, Tom Merritt, Jim Burstall, Bob Martin and Luke O'Malley. The route was mail service number 15 (Mitchell-Roma) and 16 (Mitchell -Charleville), and ran bi-weekly to 1881, thrice-weekly. In August 1886, the Number 16 route was shortened to Dulbydilla. From March 1887, the coach began at Morven. On 29 February 1888, the Western railway line reached Charleville, seeing the end of the Cobb & Co mail runs through Mungallala.
Dulbydilla Post Office operated from 1886 to 1887, after which a receiving office operated from 1887 to 1924. A telephone office operated from 1953 to 1956.
Mungallala Post Office opened by May 1911 (a receiving office had been open from 1887).
Mungallala Provisional School opened on 5 September 1904. It became Mungallala State School on 1 January 1909.
St John's Anglican church was dedicated on 18 September 1914 by the Venerable Arthur Rivers. It was a timber church able to seat 50 people located south of the railway station (approx 26°27′24″S 147°32′22″E﻿ / ﻿26.4566°S 147.5395°E﻿ / -26.4566; 147.5395﻿ (St John's Anglican Church (original site))). In 1962, it was relocated to Charleville Street in the town centre (26°26′43″S 147°32′37″E﻿ / ﻿26.44537°S 147.54352°E﻿ / -26.44537; 147.54352﻿ (St John's Anglican Church (former))). The church's closure on 5 April 2006 was approved by Archdeacon of The West, G.F. Harch.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church was officially opened and blessed by Archbishop James Duhig on Sunday 8 July 1923. It has since been demolished.
Mungallala Methodist Church was built in 1964. It has now closed.
In 2016, the Australian Taxation Office listed Mungallala as having the lowest mean taxable income by postcode, making it the poorest town in Australia, which led the ABC to do a documentary on the town for their online "storyhunters" program.
In the 2016 census, the locality of Mungallala had a population of 136 people.
In the 2021 census, the locality of Mungallala had a population of 85 people.

## Education

Mungallala State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 24 Redford Street (26°26′41″S 147°32′42″E﻿ / ﻿26.4446°S 147.5450°E﻿ / -26.4446; 147.5450﻿ (Mungallala State School)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 6 students with 2 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 8 students with 3 teachers (1 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).
There is no secondary school in Mungallala; the nearest one is Mitchell State School in Mitchell which offers up to Year 10. For education to Year 12, the nearest secondary schools are Roma State College in Roma and Charleville State High School in Charleville.

## Facilities

The Maranoa Regional Council operates a public library in Mungallala in Redford Street
There are 2 free caravan parks in town, and a recreation centre where several events are held each year for local residents and visitors. There are 2 tennis courts and a 4-hole golf course, constantly being mowed by a group of eastern grey kangaroos.
There is a pub and cafe, where internet connectivity (powered through the National Broadband Network) is available. The cafe is also a wildlife care centre.
Other facilities in the town include:
* Mungallala Police Station (26°26′37″S 147°32′38″E﻿ / ﻿26.4437°S 147.5439°E﻿ / -26.4437; 147.5439﻿ (Mungallala Police Station))
* Mungallala Fire Station (26°26′49″S 147°32′41″E﻿ / ﻿26.4469°S 147.5447°E﻿ / -26.4469; 147.5447﻿ (Mungallala Fire Station))
* Mungallala Monumental Cemetery (26°27′32″S 147°32′40″E﻿ / ﻿26.4588°S 147.5445°E﻿ / -26.4588; 147.5445﻿ (Mungallala Monumental Cemetery))