page_title: Chinchilla, Queensland
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Chinchilla, Queensland / History
caption_attribution_description: English: War memorial at en:Chinchilla, Queensland
context_page_description: Chinchilla is a town and a locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. At the 2016 census, Chinchilla had a population of 6,612.
  The town was established in 1877. As the railway pushed west across the Darling Downs from Toowoomba and Dalby, a temporary construction camp was established on the banks of Charley's Creek which developed into a town.
  Agriculture is the mainstay of the community, with beef and pork production, wool growing, and horticulture traditionally underwriting the local economy. However, with the recent resources boom, the Kogan Creek Power Station have begun to inject welcome cash into the town and Chinchilla is experiencing mass growth and development. House prices in Chinchilla have boomed as a result of the need to house new workers.
  Chinchilla is known as the 'Melon Capital of Australia', and plays host to a Melon Festival every second year in February – the next is to be held in 2021.
context_section_description: Baranggum (also known as Barrunggam, Barunggam Parrungoom, Murrumgama) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Baranggum people. The Baranggum language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Western Downs Regional Council, particularly Dalby, Tara, Jandowae and west towards Chinchilla.
  Mandandanji (also known as Mandandanyi, Mandandanjdji, Kogai) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Mandandanji people. The Mandandanji language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Maranoa Regional Council, particularly Roma, Yuleba and Surat, then east towards Chinchilla and south-west towards Mitchell and St George.
  The town name is a corruption of the Aboriginal word "tintinchilla" or "jinchilla" indicating cypress pine, possibly recorded by explorer and naturalist Ludwig Leichhardt.
  Chinchilla Post Office opened on 3 January 1878.
  The town was part of the Shire of Chinchilla local government entity from 1912, formed after splitting from the Shire of Wambo, until 2008 when it amalgamated with the Town of Dalby and the Shires of Murilla, Tara and Wambo and the southern part of Taroom to form the Western Downs Region.
  The Chinchilla War Memorial was originally located near the railway overpass and was unveiled on 30 January 1919 by the Queensland Governor, Hamilton Goold-Adams. In 1977 it was substantially refurbished and relocated to the Returned and Services League of Australia club and was unveiled on 17 March 1979.
  St Joseph's School opened on 29 January 1923.
  The Warwick Public Library opened in 1999 with a major refurbishment in 2012 and a minor refurbishment in 2016.
  According to the 2016 Census of Population, there were 6,612 people in Chinchilla.
  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5.8% of the population.
  80.2% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was New Zealand at 1.6%.
  84.5% of people spoke only English at home.
  The most common responses for religion were Catholic 20.1%, Anglican 20.1% and No Religion 18.7%.
caption: Chinchilla War Memorial, 2008
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