Cooladdi
# Cooladdi

Cooladdi is a rural locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. The town is 88.9 kilometres (55.2 mi) south-west of Charleville.

Claims have been made that Cooladdi is Australia's smallest town by population. In 2015, the population was 3 (down from 4 in 2013), all of whom lived at the general store.

## Geography

The town is in the centre of the locality. The Western railway line passes from east to west through the town and locality. The locality was served by a number of railway stations (from east to west):

* Nimaru railway station (now abandoned) (26°34′15″S 145°51′24″E﻿ / ﻿26.5707°S 145.8567°E﻿ / -26.5707; 145.8567﻿ (Nimaru railway station (former)))
* Coothalla railway station (26°35′03″S 145°44′12″E﻿ / ﻿26.5842°S 145.7366°E﻿ / -26.5842; 145.7366﻿ (Coothalla railway station))
* Loddon railway station (now abandoned) (26°35′37″S 145°39′06″E﻿ / ﻿26.5936°S 145.6517°E﻿ / -26.5936; 145.6517﻿ (Loddon railway station (former)))
* Cooladdi railway station serving the town (26°38′30″S 145°27′48″E﻿ / ﻿26.6417°S 145.4634°E﻿ / -26.6417; 145.4634﻿ (Cooladdi railway station))
* Yalamurra railway station (now abandoned) (26°38′44″S 145°17′39″E﻿ / ﻿26.6456°S 145.2943°E﻿ / -26.6456; 145.2943﻿ (Yalamurra railway station (former)))

The Diamantina Developmental Road (which forms part of the 1578 kilometre (980 mi) Warrego Way State Strategic Touring Route between Brisbane and Birdsville) also passes from east to west through the town and locality.

## History

Gunya (also known as Kunya, Kunja, Kurnja) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Gunya people. The Gunya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Paroo Shire Council, taking in Cunnamulla and extending north towards Augathella, east towards Bollon and west towards Thargomindah.

The railway station was originally called Yarronvale after a local pastoral station with the town taking its name from the railway station. However, it was renamed in 1913 to Cooladdi, an Aboriginal word meaning black duck, to avoid confusion with the pastoral station, which was 15 miles away.

Cooladdi was a railhead for the local pastoral community. At one time, Cooladdi had a school, post office, and police station with a population of about 270 people. As the railway line extended further west, Cooladdi's role and population declined.

The Cooladdi State School originally opened on 19 March 1926 as a Provisional School with 9 students under teacher A.W. Marsh. In 1933, a new school building was constructed and the school redesignated as a State School. The school closed on 3 May 1974. It was located opposite the railway station on Cooladdi Access Road (26°38′25″S 145°27′50″E﻿ / ﻿26.6404°S 145.4638°E﻿ / -26.6404; 145.4638﻿ (Cooladdi State School (former))).

In 2015, the population was 3 (down from 4 in 2013), all of whom resided at the general store.

In the 2016 census, the locality of Cooladdi had a population of 16 people.

## Education

There are no schools in Cooladi. The nearest government primary and secondary schools Charleville State School and Charleville State High School respectively both in Charleville to the north-east. However, only those living in the east of the locality would be within daily commuting range. Other options are distance education and boarding schools.

## Economy

There are a number of homesteads in the locality:

* Allambie (26°56′11″S 145°26′25″E﻿ / ﻿26.9364°S 145.4402°E﻿ / -26.9364; 145.4402﻿ (Allambie (homestead)))
* Auburn Vale (26°26′50″S 145°45′07″E﻿ / ﻿26.4471°S 145.7519°E﻿ / -26.4471; 145.7519﻿ (Auburn Vale (homestead)))
* Auburn Vale (26°34′09″S 145°51′28″E﻿ / ﻿26.5691°S 145.8579°E﻿ / -26.5691; 145.8579﻿ (Auburn Vale (homestead)))
* Bodouna (26°42′37″S 145°46′36″E﻿ / ﻿26.7104°S 145.7768°E﻿ / -26.7104; 145.7768﻿ (Bodouna (homestead)))
* Boin (26°38′25″S 145°46′45″E﻿ / ﻿26.6402°S 145.7791°E﻿ / -26.6402; 145.7791﻿ (Boin (homestead)))
* Coolabah (26°52′30″S 145°24′09″E﻿ / ﻿26.8749°S 145.4026°E﻿ / -26.8749; 145.4026﻿ (Coolabah (homestead)))
* Coolabah (26°52′30″S 145°24′05″E﻿ / ﻿26.8750°S 145.4014°E﻿ / -26.8750; 145.4014﻿ (Coolabah (homestead)))
* Cooladdi Park (26°31′45″S 145°29′22″E﻿ / ﻿26.5291°S 145.4894°E﻿ / -26.5291; 145.4894﻿ (Cooladdi Park (homestead)))
* Cungella (26°44′03″S 145°39′22″E﻿ / ﻿26.7341°S 145.6562°E﻿ / -26.7341; 145.6562﻿ (Cungella (homestead)))
* Glenallen (26°25′21″S 145°37′17″E﻿ / ﻿26.4225°S 145.6215°E﻿ / -26.4225; 145.6215﻿ (Glenallen (homestead)))
* Inkerman (26°35′33″S 145°39′00″E﻿ / ﻿26.5925°S 145.6500°E﻿ / -26.5925; 145.6500﻿ (Inkerman (homestead)))
* Loddon (26°33′42″S 145°36′18″E﻿ / ﻿26.5616°S 145.6051°E﻿ / -26.5616; 145.6051﻿ (Loddon (homestead)))
* Merigol (26°45′49″S 145°47′45″E﻿ / ﻿26.7636°S 145.7957°E﻿ / -26.7636; 145.7957﻿ (Merigol (homestead)))
* Monamby (26°39′12″S 145°27′48″E﻿ / ﻿26.6533°S 145.4634°E﻿ / -26.6533; 145.4634﻿ (Monamby (homestead)))
* Mount Pleasant (26°23′18″S 145°45′04″E﻿ / ﻿26.3884°S 145.7511°E﻿ / -26.3884; 145.7511﻿ (Mount Pleasant (homestead)))
* Nimboy (26°24′44″S 145°23′58″E﻿ / ﻿26.4121°S 145.3994°E﻿ / -26.4121; 145.3994﻿ (Nimboy (homestead)))
* Weaner Creek (26°41′41″S 145°40′40″E﻿ / ﻿26.6948°S 145.6779°E﻿ / -26.6948; 145.6779﻿ (Weaner Creek (homestead)))
* Wooyenong (26°48′46″S 145°40′08″E﻿ / ﻿26.8129°S 145.6690°E﻿ / -26.8129; 145.6690﻿ (Wooyenong (homestead)))
* Yarronvale (26°48′10″S 145°20′47″E﻿ / ﻿26.8027°S 145.3463°E﻿ / -26.8027; 145.3463﻿ (Yarronvale (homestead)))
