Coominya, Queensland
Coominya is a town and locality in the Somerset Region in South East Queensland, Australia. The town is located west of the state capital, Brisbane and approximately from Wivenhoe Dam. In the , Coominya had a population of 1,200 people. Coominya sits on the land of the Indigenous Jagera people. Geography. Coominya is bounded by Logan Creek to the north and Buaraba Creek to the south. Although located closely between Atkinson Dam to the south-west and Lake Wivenhoe to the north-east, it does not bound either of these two reservoirs. The Brisbane Valley Highway approximately follows its  north-east border. The Brisbane Valley railway line passes through Coominya from the north-west to the south-east with the Coominya railway station serving the town. However, the railway line was closed in 1993. History. From 1886 to 1906, the area was known as "Bellevue" (the local pastoral property). The name "Coominya" is believed to be derived from the Yuggera language where "kung" means "water" and "nya" means "to see" referring to its lagoons. Coominya Post Office opened by December 1907 (a receiving office had been open from 1887, known earlier as Bellevue). Coominya State School opened on 17  September 1912. In 1920 the Coominya soldier settlement was established to provide opportunities for soldiers returning from World War I to establish themselves as farmers. There were 100 farms each of intended for growing grapes and fruit. Like many soldier settlements in Australia, the scheme failed due to the poor quality of the land and lack of support for inexperienced farmers. The settlement closed in 1929 with only 2 farms were still operating. During World War II, an airfield was constructed west of Coominya to accommodate US air force squadrons. Today, the airfield is being used by a flight training  school. St. Martin's Anglican Church was dedicated on 24 June 1922 by Coadjutor Bishop Henry Le Fanu. It closed circa 2005. The Coominya War Memorial is located on Railway Street and was dedicated on 25 April 1997. In the 2006 census, Coominya had a population of 1,751. In the 2011 census, Coominya had a population of 1,174. In the 2016 census, Coominya had a population of 1,200. Heritage listings. Coominya has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Bellevue Homestead Economy. Coominya is known for its fresh produce. The major employer is an abattoir. There is a steady increase  in olive growing and Comvita have set up an olive leaf extract plant in the town. Amenities. Facilities in Coominya include a post office, a general store with newsagency, a cafe and a pub. A flight training school operates at Coominya Airfield, ICAO code YBCM. Education. Coominya State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 7 Cornhill Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 118 students with 7 teachers (6 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent). There is no secondary school in Coominya; the nearest secondary schools  are in Lowood and Toogoolawah. Attractions. Attractions in the Coominya area include the historic Bellevue Homestead, moved from Wivenhoe Dam to Coominya. Coominya is known for its scenery and wildlife including lorikeet parrots, koalas, kangaroos. As part of Q150 (Queensland's 150th anniversary) the local heritage society commissioned a series of murals depicting early life at the town.