# Mutchilba, Queensland

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Mutchilba is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba, in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is known for its production of mangoes.
In the 2021 census, the locality of Mutchilba had a population of 627 people.

## Geography

Mutchilba is on the Atherton Tableland, 98 kilometres (61 mi) south-west of Cairns via the Captain Cook Highway, Kennedy Highway and State Route 27. From further west it can be accessed via the Burke Developmental Road.
The town is located in the north-west of the locality on the Mareeba-Dimbulah Road 34 kilometres (21 mi) west of Mareeba.
The Great Dividing Range forms part of the eastern boundary of the locality, and the locality has the following mountains (from west to east):
* Mount Masterton (17°09′47″S 145°16′36″E﻿ / ﻿17.1631°S 145.2766°E﻿ / -17.1631; 145.2766﻿ (Mount Masterton)) 849 metres (2,785 ft)
* Wog Hill (17°11′41″S 145°19′05″E﻿ / ﻿17.1946°S 145.3180°E﻿ / -17.1946; 145.3180﻿ (Wog Hill)) 769 metres (2,523 ft)
* Hoot Hill (17°11′42″S 145°21′48″E﻿ / ﻿17.1951°S 145.3632°E﻿ / -17.1951; 145.3632﻿ (Hoot Hill)) 847 metres (2,779 ft)
* Mount Emerald (17°12′13″S 145°24′21″E﻿ / ﻿17.2035°S 145.4058°E﻿ / -17.2035; 145.4058﻿ (Mount Emerald)) 1,124 metres (3,688 ft)
The Tablelands railway line enters the locality from the north-east (Arriga), passes through the town, and exits to the west (Dimbulah). Historically, the locality was served by many railway station, but all are now abandoned (from west to east):
* Piemonte railway station (17°07′57″S 145°09′55″E﻿ / ﻿17.1324°S 145.1654°E﻿ / -17.1324; 145.1654﻿ (Piemonte railway station))
* Fumar railway station (17°08′01″S 145°10′47″E﻿ / ﻿17.1335°S 145.1796°E﻿ / -17.1335; 145.1796﻿ (Fumar railway station))
* Mutchilba railway station (17°08′15″S 145°12′28″E﻿ / ﻿17.1376°S 145.2079°E﻿ / -17.1376; 145.2079﻿ (Mutchilba railway station))
* Algoma railway station (17°08′20″S 145°13′49″E﻿ / ﻿17.1389°S 145.2303°E﻿ / -17.1389; 145.2303﻿ (Algoma railway station))
* Parada railway station (17°08′23″S 145°14′53″E﻿ / ﻿17.1396°S 145.2481°E﻿ / -17.1396; 145.2481﻿ (Parada railway station))
* Lemonside railway station (17°08′12″S 145°15′14″E﻿ / ﻿17.1367°S 145.2539°E﻿ / -17.1367; 145.2539﻿ (Lemonside railway station))
* Bontaba railway station (17°07′15″S 145°16′24″E﻿ / ﻿17.1207°S 145.2734°E﻿ / -17.1207; 145.2734﻿ (Bontaba railway station))
* Tabacum railway station (17°06′42″S 145°17′47″E﻿ / ﻿17.1117°S 145.2964°E﻿ / -17.1117; 145.2964﻿ (Tabacum railway station))

## History

Mutchilba railway station was named on 2 March 1923 by the Queensland Railways Department using an Aboriginal word meaning big dead tree.
Mutchilba State School opened on 21 August 1939.
A design plan for the town of Mutchilba was prepared in August 1954 as part of the development of the Mareeba-Dimbula irritation area. The first town allotments were surveyed in March 1955.
Mutchilba Post Office opened on 1 March 1956 (a telegraph office had been open from 1936).
The town was downgraded by the Mareeba Shire Council in 1999 and has been officially a part of Dimbulah, Queensland since then. On 12 October 2012 it was announced that the town is again officially recognised in the Queensland place names database.
Between 2008 and 2013, Mutchilba (along with the rest of the Shire of Mareeba) was within the Tablelands Region.

## Demographics

In the 2016 census, the locality of Mutchilba had a population of 495 people.
In the 2021 census, the locality of Mutchilba had a population of 627 people.

## Economy

Mutchilba is known for its large production of mangoes.
Despite the name, the Mount Emerald Wind Farm is not in Mutchilba, but is on the north-western slopes of Mount Emerald in the neighbouring locality of Arriga.

## Education

Mutchilba State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 33 Marsterson Street (17°08′21″S 145°12′43″E﻿ / ﻿17.1393°S 145.2120°E﻿ / -17.1393; 145.2120﻿ (Mutchilba State School)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 24 students with 2 teachers and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 20 students with 4 teachers (2 full-time equivalent) and 5 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).
There are no secondary schools in Mutchilba. The nearest government secondary schools are Dimbulah State School (to Year 10) in neighbouring Dimbulah to the west and Mareeba State High School (to Year 12) in Mareeba to the north-east.

## Amenities

St Joseph's Catholic Church is in Masterson Street. It is within the Dimbulah Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns which is administered from the Atherton parish.

## Events

Mutchilba is known for the "Mango Mardi Gras", which is a celebration of the many mango farms in the region.
The Feast of St Joseph is celebrated by the Catholic church on the first Friday of March with a mass followed by a barbeque.