Cheepie is a town in the locality of

Adavale Adavale is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Adavale had a population of 72 people. Geography Adavale is in South West Queensland, west of t ...

Shire of Quilpie The Shire of Quilpie is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia. It covers an area of , and its administrative centre is the town of Quilpie. The dominant industry is grazing. Opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous fo ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. It has a population of 2 people.

History

Margany (also known as Marganj, Mardigan, Marukanji, Maranganji) is an

Australian Aboriginal language The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...

spoken by the Margany people. The Margany language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Quilpie Shire, taking in

Quilpie Quilpie ( ) is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Quilpie, Shire of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Quilpie had a population of 530 people. The town is the administrative cent ...

, Cheepie and Beechal extending towards

Eulo Eulo ( ) is an outback town and locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is known for its opal mining. In the , the locality of Eulo had a population of 94 people. Geography Eulo is west of Cunnamulla and west of Brisban ...

and

Thargomindah Thargomindah (frequently shortened to Thargo) is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Bulloo, Queensland, Australia. The town of Thargomindah is the administrative centre for the Shire of Bulloo. In the , the locality of Thargomindah h ...

, as well as the properties of Dynevor Downs and Ardoch. Gunya (also known as Kunya, Kunja, Kurnja) is an

spoken by the Gunya people. The Gunya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the

Paroo Shire Council The Shire of Paroo is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia. The administrative centre is the town of Cunnamulla. The Paroo Shire covers an area of . In the , the Shire of Paroo had a population of 1,679 people. Geography ...

, taking in

Cunnamulla Cunnamulla () is a town and a Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is south of Charleville, Queensland, Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane. In the 2021 Au ...

and extending north towards

Augathella Augathella is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Augathella had a population of 328 people. Geography Augathella lies on the Matilda Highway, is north of the town of Charlevil ...

, east towards Bollon and west towards

. Cheepie was originally a

Cobb & Co Cobb & Co was the name used by several independent Australian coach businesses. The first company to use 'Cobb & Co' was established in 1853 by American Freeman Cobb and his partners. The name grew to great prominence in the late 19th century, ...

station. Cheepie railway station () on the Western railway line was built between 1914 and 1916 and was named by

Queensland Railways Department Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Queensland Rail is owned by the Queensland Government, and operates both suburban and interurban rail services in South East Queensland, as well as long-distance passenger t ...

, using an Aboriginal word, meaning the ''call of the whistling duck''. The town takes its name from the Cheepie railway station. Cheepie became a vibrant local township and in its heyday had a police station, hotel, school, blacksmith, railway station and yards, tent boarding houses, butcher shop, bakery and two market gardens along with numerous residences for people engaged in these operations. Cheepie Provisional School opened on 14 October 1915 but closed in June 1917. On 9 June 1930, Cheepie Provisional School reopened at a new site. It became Cheepie State School in 1933. It closed on 11 April 1974. The school was on Blakeney Street (); that land is now leased to the Quilpie Shire Council as a community centre. The Royal Mail was the first hotel in Cheepie, opening its door in 1926. In 1932, the

Queensland Government The Queensland Government is the state government of Queensland, Australia, a Parliament, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Government is formed by the party or coalition that has gained a majority in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, ...

offered for auction 50 town lots of each in the town.

References

External links

* {{authority control Towns in Queensland Shire of Quilpie