Yowah is an outback town and

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivis ...

in the

Shire of Paroo 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 had a population of 1,679. The region incorporates ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. In the , Yowah had a population of 141 people. The town is known for its

opal Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline form ...

mining and numerous

fields that lie around the town as well as the "Yowah Nut" a local type of opal distinctive to the region.

Geography

Yowah is in western Queensland, west of the state capital,

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

and west of Cunnamulla. Access to Yowah is via a bitumen road.

History

The area was first leased in 1883 to prospective settlers and opal mining has been the central operation within the district since the first opal fields were discovered. In the Yowah had a population of 142. Yowah State School opened on 22 January 1998. It was one of the smallest state primary schools in Queensland; in 2012, there were three students. The school closed in 2017 due to a lack of students. It was at 5 Harlequin Drive (). Its website has been archived. In August 2014, the town committee built two artesian spas.

Facilities

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 had a population of 1,679. The region incorporates t ...

operates the Rural Transaction Centre which accommodates a tourist information centre, a public library, cafe, internet and tourist information. There is also a caravan park and general store which sells groceries and fuel and has an ATM. There is a public hall and flying doctor rooms with the Doctors attending every Friday. Craft group, indoor bowls and meals /Bar two nights a week. The town is serviced by the

State Emergency Service The State Emergency Service (SES) is the name used by a number of organisations in Australia that provide assistance during and after major incidents. Specifically, the service deals with floods, storms and tsunamis, but can also assist in oth ...

and the Rural Fire Service. There are two airfield runways which are lit at night. There are no pumping or storage facilities in the town and the town relies on natural artesian pressure for its water supply. Surplus artesian water discharges into a bore drain. There are no standby facilities for Yowah and if the bore fails there would be a need to transport water from one of the other water supplies in the town for the duration of the problem. The water quality has been deemed to be safe, chemically.

Events

Yowah opal festival is a regular festival to promote and celebrate opal mining in the area. Yowah Nut

Attractions

Yowah has a free fossicking area (fossicking licence available at the general store). There is a heritage trail in which to explore the surrounding localities. There is also a free camping area, with amenities. Artesian spas is a community run facility which offers two geothermally heated baths at 57°C (134.6°F). The

Great Artesian Basin The Great Artesian Basin (GAB), located in Australia, is the largest and deepest artesian basin in the world, stretching over , with measured water temperatures ranging from . The basin provides the only source of fresh water through much ...

sources the spas and the only communal source of drinking water.

References

External links

Paroo Shire Council
- Official website
Queensland Places
– Queensland Places
Paroo Shire Information
– Paroo Shire Information {{authority control Towns in Queensland Mining towns in Queensland Shire of Paroo Localities in Queensland