Bogantungan


Bogantungan is a rural town in the locality of Willows in the Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia.

Geography

The town is north west of the state capital Brisbane and west of the regional city of Rockhampton.
The Central Western railway line passes through the town which is served by the Bogantungan railway station. The small number of houses in the town are located around the railway station. The Capricorn Highway once passed through the town but now bypasses it to the north.

History

The name Bogantungan derives from Aboriginal words "bogan" meaning "grass" and "tungan" meaning "tree".
The Central Western railway was built in sections, beginning at Rockhampton and then heading west. Each section involved establishing a temporary settlement to accommodate the workers while they were building the railway. After that section was complete, the workers moved further west were a new settlement was established. Although intended as temporary, some of these settlements continued to survive after the railway workers had moved on, becoming permanent towns. Bogantungan was one of these. In its heyday, it was a town of some thousands of people, with around 30 hotels.
In March 1881, the Queensland Government held a land sale, auctioning 48 town lots in the town of Bogantungan.
Bogantungan Post Office opened on 8 July 1881 and closed in 1982.
Bogantungan State School opened on 19 March 1883. It closed on 11 August 1972.
On 26 February 1960, Bogantungan was the site of the Medway Creek rail disaster, one of Queensland's worst train accidents. The Midlander passenger train, heading east to Rockhampton, passed over the flooded Medway Creek, just west of the town. The bridge collapsed when the train was partly over, with a number of carriages dropping into the water. A total of 4 passengers and 3 crew were killed, with 43 injured.

Education

There are no schools in Bogantungan. The nearest primary schools are in Lochington, Anakie or Alpha. The nearest secondary school is in Alpha. The nearest secondary school offering education to Year 12 is Emerald State High School in Emerald. Other secondary alternatives are distance education and boarding schools.