Toowoomba City Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba City Hall in Ruthven Street
Toowoomba City
Coordinates	27°33′35″S 151°57′03″E / 27.5597°S 151.9508°E / -27.5597; 151.9508 (Toowoomba City (centre of locality))
Population	2,321 (SAL 2021)[1]
Postcode(s)	4350
Area	2.7 km2 (1.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	126 km (78 mi) W of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Toowoomba Region
State electorate(s)	Toowoomba North
Federal division(s)	Groom
Suburbs around Toowoomba City: Newtown North Toowoomba North Toowoomba Newtown Toowoomba City East Toowoomba Harristown South Toowoomba South Toowoomba

Toowoomba City is an urban locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.^[2] It is the central suburb of Toowoomba, containing its central business district and informally known as the Toowoomba CBD. In the 2021 census, Toowoomba City had a population of 2,321 people.^[3]

Geography

The suburb is roughly rectangular, bounded to the north by Bridge Street, to the east by Hume Street, to the south by James Street, and to the west by West Street.^[4]

Toowoomba railway station is in Russell Street (27°33′26″S 151°57′07″E / 27.5572°S 151.9519°E / -27.5572; 151.9519 (Toowoomba railway station)).^[5] It serves the city of Toowoomba, and is the junction and terminus for the Main Line railway from Brisbane, the Western railway from Cunnamulla, and Southern railway from Wallangarra on the Queensland – New South Wales border.^[4]

Mort Estate is a neighbourhood in the north-west of the suburb (27°33′09″S 151°56′49″E / 27.5525°S 151.9469°E / -27.5525; 151.9469 (Mort Estate)). It takes its name from an 1862 land sale by Thomas Sutcliffe Mort and Henry Mort.^[6][7][8]

History

Toowoomba North Boys State School and Toowoomba North Girls and Infants State School both opened in 1869. In 1937, the two schools were combined to form Toowoomba North State School.^[9]

In 1881, a Baptist Church opened in Toowoomba.^[10][11]

The Holy Name Primary School was opened on 23 January 1905 by the Sisters of Mercy who were already operating the school at St Patrick's Church (the church is now St Patrick's Cathedral and the St Patrick's school is now known as St Saviours School & College). The Holy Name school was burned down on 4 August 1919, so the school operated from the Mr and Mrs Hannant on the corner of West and Norwood Streets, until the school was rebuilt. Archbishop James Duhig laid the foundation school for the new church and school on 23 November 1919 and officially opened it on 23 January 1921.^[12]

The Toowoomba City library opened in 2016. The Toowoomba local history library opened in 1999 with a major refurbishment in 2016.^[13]

Demographics

In the 2006 census, Toowoomba City had a population of 2,281 people.^[14]

In the 2016 census, Toowoomba City had a population of 2,088 people.^[15]

In the 2021 census, Toowoomba City had a population of 2,321 people.^[3]

Heritage listings

Carlton House, 2014

Toowoomba railway station, 2013

There are many heritage-listed sites in Toowoomba City, including:

• 9 Boulton Street: Tawa^[16]
• 1 Clifford Street (27°33′37″S 151°56′50″E / 27.5604°S 151.9471°E / -27.5604; 151.9471 (Harris House)): Harris House^[17]
• Herries Street: St Luke's Anglican Church^[18]
• 149 Herries Street: Soldiers Memorial Hall^[19]
• 152 Herries Street: St Luke's Church Hall^[20]
• 136 Margaret Street: Toowoomba Post Office^[21]
• 159–167 Margaret Street: Strand Theatre^[22]
• 245–253 Margaret Street: Exchange Building^[23]
• 3 Mill Street: Carlton House^[24]
• 139 Mort Street: Toowoomba North State School^[25]
• 145 Mort Street: St James Church^[26]
• 46 Neil Street: Toowoomba Court House^[27]
• 50–52 Neil Street: Toowoomba Police Station Complex^[28]
• 54 Neil Street: Wesley Uniting Church^[29]
• 56 & 56A Neil Street: Empire Theatre^[30]
• Russell Street: Men's Toilet^[31]
• Russell Street: Toowoomba railway station^[32]
• 2 Russell Street: Toowoomba Permanent Building Society^[33]
• 19A Russell Street: Toowoomba Trades Hall^[34]
• 112 Russell Street: St James Parish Hall^[35]
• 120 Russell Street: Clifford House^[36]
• 126 Russell Street: Kensington^[37]
• 127 Russell Street: Wislet^[38]
• 135 Russell Street: Vacy Hall^[39]
• 251–267 Ruthven Street: Toowoomba Foundry^[40]
• 269–291 Ruthven Street: Defiance Flour Mill^[41]
• 381–391 Ruthven Street: Pigott's Building^[42]
• 386–388 Ruthven Street: Karingal Chambers^[43]
• 451–455 Ruthven Street: Alexandra Building^[44]
• 456 Ruthven Street: White Horse Hotel^[45]
• 541 Ruthven Street: Toowoomba City Hall^[46]
• corner of West Street, Hill Street and Herries Street (27°33′45″S 151°56′39″E / 27.5624°S 151.9442°E / -27.5624; 151.9442 (Laurel Bank Park)): Laurel Bank Park^[47]

Shopping

Toowoomba City contains two significant shopping centres, presently under the same ownership. Grand Central Shopping Centre, with a GLA of 46,000 square metres (500,000 sq ft), contains the region's only Myer store, as well as a Coles, Target and 145 specialty stores. Garden Town Shopping Centre, across Gowrie Creek and containing a GLA of 12,434 square metres (133,840 sq ft) (2009), contains a Supa IGA supermarket, Best & Less and Lincraft along with 40 other stores. Both are currently owned by QIC, following its acquisition of Garden Town in January 2009 from Aspen Group, they are now being redeveloped to join together via a two level galleria to form one shopping centre.^[48]

Two smaller centres, the Hooper Centre and a homeware centre, and street shopping along Ruthven Street round out the city centre's retail offerings. There is also a small shopping area on the corner of Ramsay and South streets called Southtown. It contains several eating places, supermarket, newsagent and Post Office.

Transport

Toowoomba railway station, 2013

Toowoomba City is situated at the intersection of the New England Highway and Warrego Highway, and contains Toowoomba railway station (the terminus of the Westlander service) and the city's bus interchange on Neil Street, from which various buses depart for the suburbs. Toowoomba also has a taxi facility available.^[49]

Education

Toowoomba North State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls on the south-west corner of Mort and Taylor Streets (27°33′23″S 151°56′55″E / 27.5565°S 151.9487°E / -27.5565; 151.9487 (Toowoomba North State School)).^[50][51] It includes a special education program. In 2015, the school had an enrolment of 157 students with 12 teachers (11 full-time equivalent).^[52] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 142 students with 11 teachers (10 full-time equivalent) and 15 non-teaching staff (9 full-time equivalent).^[53]

Holy Name Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 188 Bridge Street (27°33′02″S 151°56′48″E / 27.5506°S 151.9467°E / -27.5506; 151.9467 (Holy Name Primary School)).^[50][54] It is a Mercy tradition school. In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 154 students with 12 teachers (10.3 full-time equivalent) and 8 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent).^[55] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 140 students with 11 teachers (10 full-time equivalent) and 9 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent).^[53]

There are no secondary schools in Toowoomba City. The nearest government secondary schools are:^[4]

• Toowoomba State High School in Mount Lofty to the north-east
• Centenary Heights State High School in Centenary Heights to the south-east
• Harristown State High School in neighbouring Harristown to the south-west

Libraries

The Tooowoomba City library is located at 155 Herries Street. The library is open seven days a week.^[56]

The local history library is located at 155 Herries Street.^[57] The local history library has a comprehensive archival collection that is of local, state and national significance, including the Robinson Collection named after Toowoomba's first female mayor Nellie E. Robinson.^[58] This comprehensive collection contains records from local personalities, businesses and community organizations.

Both libraries are operated by the Toowoomba Regional Council.^[13]

Community groups

The Toowoomba branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 263 Margaret Street and the Toowoomba City Business Women’s branch meets at 161 Margaret Street.^[59]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toowoomba City, Queensland.