# Kiels Mountain, Queensland

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Kiels Mountain is a rural locality in the Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Kiels Mountain had a population of 714 people.

## Geography

The Bruce Highway defines the western boundary of the locality. The mountain of the same name is central to the locality (26°39′25″S 153°00′22″E﻿ / ﻿26.657°S 153.006°E﻿ / -26.657; 153.006﻿ (Kiel Mountain (Queensland))) and rises to 153 metres (502 ft).
Eudlo Creek passes through the southeast tip of Kiels Mountain. Numerous creeks form on the slopes of the mountain, all of which are eventually tributaries of the Maroochy River.
The land use is principally rural residential.

## History

The mountain is named after Heinrich "Henry" August Keil who selected on the eastern slopes in 1880. He was the first settler at Diddillibah, on the north side of Kiels Mountain in 1869. Henry Keil was born 13 July 1838 in Frankenberg, Hesse, Germany, the eldest son of Heinrich Andreas Keil and Anna Katherina Schwaner. He immigrated to Queensland, arriving in Brisbane 28 March 1857 on 'SS Helene'.
Henry Keil and his wife Elizabeth were prominent Salvationists during the early growth of the Salvation Army on the Sunshine Coast, and were known for their charity to the local Aborigines.
Kiel's Mountain State School opened on 23 September 1918 and closed on 15 April 1962. It was at 349-355 Diddillibah Road (north-west corner of Preston Road, 26°38′50″S 152°59′48″E﻿ / ﻿26.6471°S 152.9967°E﻿ / -26.6471; 152.9967﻿ (Kiel's Mountain State School (former))); it is now within the locality boundaries of Diddillibah.
The spelling was Anglicised from Keils to Kiels Mountain c1930.
On 7 December 2003, 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe disappeared while waiting for a bus on Nambour-Connection Rd (Old Bruce Highway), near the Kiel Mountain Road overpass at Woombye. An arrest was made in August 2011 in connection with his death. His remains were discovered near the Glass House Mountains.

## Demographics

In the 2011 census, Kiels Mountain had a population of 657 people.
In the 2016 census, Kiels Mountain had a population of 664 people.
In the 2021 census, Kiels Mountain had a population of 714 people.

## Spiritual retreat

Avatar's Abode is a 99-acre (40 ha) spiritual retreat dedicated to Meher Baba (1894–1969) who stayed there in 1958. Avatar's Abode is the oldest and longest-running eastern retreat in Queensland. It is at 48 Meher Road at the summit of Kiels Mountain (26°39′23″S 153°00′17″E﻿ / ﻿26.6564°S 153.0048°E﻿ / -26.6564; 153.0048﻿ (Avatar's Abode)).

## Education

There are no public schools in Kiels Mountain. The nearest government primary schools are in Woombye and Kuluin. The nearest government secondary schools are in Nambour and Maroochydore.

## Amenities

There are a number of parks in the locality, including:
* Brookfield Court Bushland Conservation Reserve (26°39′03″S 152°59′54″E﻿ / ﻿26.6508°S 152.9984°E﻿ / -26.6508; 152.9984﻿ (Brookfield Court Bushland Conservation Reserve))
* Bushbird Court Bushland Conservation Reserve (26°38′46″S 153°00′11″E﻿ / ﻿26.6461°S 153.0031°E﻿ / -26.6461; 153.0031﻿ (Bushbird Court Bushland Conservation Reserve))
* Glenfinnan Bushland Conservation Reserve (26°40′03″S 153°00′18″E﻿ / ﻿26.6676°S 153.0051°E﻿ / -26.6676; 153.0051﻿ (Glenfinnan Bushland Conservation Reserve))
* Kaalba Court Natural Amenity Reserve (26°39′22″S 152°59′51″E﻿ / ﻿26.6561°S 152.9976°E﻿ / -26.6561; 152.9976﻿ (Kaalba Court Natural Amenity Reserve))
* Kentish Road Reserve (26°39′26″S 152°59′39″E﻿ / ﻿26.6572°S 152.9941°E﻿ / -26.6572; 152.9941﻿ (Kentish Road Reserve))
* Kiel Mountain Bushland Conservation Reserve (26°38′58″S 153°00′59″E﻿ / ﻿26.6495°S 153.0163°E﻿ / -26.6495; 153.0163﻿ (Kiel Mountain Bushland Conservation Reserve))
* Merimist Way Bushland Conservation Reserve (26°39′11″S 153°00′23″E﻿ / ﻿26.6531°S 153.0064°E﻿ / -26.6531; 153.0064﻿ (Merimist Way Bushland Conservation Reserve))