History

What a colourful History we have! Here is a very brief summary…

1844
  • Dr Ludwig Leichhardt crossed the Dawson River near Taroom on November 6 1844. He named the river after R. Dawson of Black Creek in the Hunter River district.  Local history has it that there stood a huge Bon tree at the junction of Injune Creek and Horse Creek. This was about two miles north of the Mt Hutton homestead on the road through to ‘Westgrove’ and ‘Merivale’. This tree is said to have borne the inscription ‘Leichhardt in June’ and a date which was indecipherable. Unfortunately the tree has been washed away. Some believe this to have been the last trace of Leichhardt. Others believe it is how Injune got its name.
1846
  • Major Thomas Mitchell described the Mt abundance area as “the finest country I have ever seen”. Some claim he traveled on to name Mt Hutton after an English Geologist, James Hutton.
1852
  • William Hutton took up the original pastoral run, ‘Mt Hutton’, the name which he also gave to the peculiar peak in the Great Dividing Range. The head station was situated on Highland Plains Creek and the total area comprised 660 square miles.
1858
  • After subdivision, the Ingon Creek area of the Hutton lease passed to two brothers, William O’Grady Haly and Charles Robert Haly of “Taabinga Station” in the South Burnett District. The Haly’s called their station “Ingon”.

We understand the Kongabula aborigines used the word “Injon” (or perhaps “injon”) to refer to the Sugar Gliders or small Flying Possums which are not uncommon in the area today. How or when the spelling was changed to “Injune”, we do not know. However, Landsberg’s map of Queensland published around 1860, showed “Injon Creek”.

1863
  • Mr John Collins purchased part of Mt Hutton which he named “Westgrove”.
1880
  • A petition was launched by Roma residents for the establishment of a separate Board to include the Roma township and a large area of land surrounding the town’s boundaries. The petition was found successful and hence resulted in the subsequent gazetting of the Bungil Divisional Board in May.
1886
  • The Artesian water basin was discovered and this resulted in numerous bores being sunk throughout the Shire.
1903
  • The Bungil Divisional Board was abolished and the Bungil Shire was proclaimed.
1914 – 1919
  • During WWI, a large area of land was resumed from the large station holdings of Mt Hutton, Myall Downs, Bymount, Gubberamunda and Cornwall. This land was cut into blocks ranging in area from 640 to 1280 acres and opened for selection.

A Soldier Settlement scheme was established in the Injune-Gunnewin-Bymount area in 1919 by the Government. Land adjacent to and in reasonable distance of the proposed railway line being built from Roma to Injune was allotted to Returned Service men from the War.

1920
  • Railway Station Opened (30th June)
  • Railway line completed (1st August)
  • Post & Telegraph office opened (11th August)
1921
  • The Injune State School opens on 24 October with 32 pupils and Mr Alfred Bigg as Headmaster.
1922
  • Gazetting of Injune (12th January)
  • Police Station opened (6th April)
1923
  • School of Arts Hall
  • Trucking yards
1925
  • Church of England
  • First Wedding at the Church of England (25th December)
1927
Post Office moved to Hooper’s Store (1st June).
Early 1930s
  • Campdraft Association
  • Rodeo Association
  • Racing Club
1930
  • First plane to land at Injune
  • Injune’s first aerobatics display
1931
  • A Bush Nursing Centre was established, upon the centre being moved from Gunnewin. The first Bush Nurse was Sister Carey, whose wages were 5 pound 8 shillings and 4 pence per fortnight. In 1933 a car was purchased; registration of the car cost 1 pound 7 shilling and 6 pence. In 1934 the phone was installed. The Bush Nursing Centre closed in 1959.
1934
  • Queensland Country Womens’ Association (QCWA) opens a branch in Injune
  • First public phone
1937
  • Coronation Hotel opens [today known as the “Injune Hotel”]
  • National Bank established
1938
  • Roman Catholic Church
1940
  • Race Club opened at present location
  • Pony Club
  • Possum Park complex
  • Cricket Club
  • Rodeo Grounds established at present location
1955
  • Electric Lights are installed throughout Injune (17th June)
  • Bowls Club formed
  • Deluxe Picture Theatre opens its doors
1956
  • Town water supply connected.
1957
  • Bowls greens opened to the Injune public.
1958
  • Post Office moves to its present location in Station Street (10th May)
  • The Memorial Hall construction is completed on 25th October on the site where previously stood the School of Arts Hall
1959
  • After the closure of the Bush Nursing Centre, Queensland Ambulance Service Transport Brigades (QATB) open Queensland’s 100th Station in Injune.
1962
  • Methodist Church [now known as the Uniting Church]
  • Hospital established (9th May)
  • Sewerage completed
1964
  • Injune State School Secondary Department construction is completed and is opened by the late Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
1967
  • Golf Club opened
  • Tennis courts constructed at present location; originally only two grass courts
1968
  • The final section of the highway to Roma is sealed.
1969
  • Swimming pool opened (October)
  • Kindergarten established
1971
  • The Reg Harland Memorial Oval is established on 28 February.
1983
  • A Blue Nurses centre is established in Injune within the Uniting Church complex. Today, the Blue Nurses operate from within the Maranoa Health Enhancement Program building located in Hutton Street.
1985
  • A preschool building is added to the Injune State School.
1997
  • Daycare established
  • Aerodrome constructed at the southern entrance to Injune
2000
  • Grass courts 3 and 4 are constructed at the tennis courts.
2001
  • Aerodrome upgraded to Airport
  • Subdivision of Injune Industrial Estate
2002
  • A future direction for Injune is set forward with the drafting of the Injune Revitalisation Strategy. This was aimed at combating the recent trends of rural decline by fostering Injune’s social and economic activity.
2005
  • The Visit Injune website is officially launched at a public event by Federal Member for Maranoa, Hon Bruce Scott MP.
2008
  • As a result of the report of the Local Government Reform Commission released in July 2007, the Bungil Shire Council is amalgamated into a new local government area known as the Roma Regional Council. In July 2009, it was renamed to Maranoa Regional Council.
  • A Thrifty Link Hardware store opens in Hutton Street.
2009
  • A new visitors information centre complex is opened in the centre of town. The new complex occupies the site once housing “Travelers Cafe”, “Dalgety’s” and a butcher. The “Travelers Cafe” building was relocated to the Caravan Park on the eastern side of town to be retrofitted as a laundromat.
  • Towards the end of the year, a Spar supermarket is opened by Maranoa Regional Council Mayor Robert Loughnan on the site of the old “Injune Corner Store”.