Bluff, Queensland

Geography

The town is located on the Capricorn Highway in Central Queensland, 804 km north west of the state capital, Brisbane.

Bluff's location between some of Queensland's largest coal mines and the port of Gladstone has led to it becoming a major interchange station for large coal trains, some up to two kilometres long.

History

The first European settlement occurred in the district in the 1860s as early pastoralists moved to the area.

The district was originally called Duckworth or Duckworth Creek, but in 1877 the name was changed to Bluff to match the name of the railway station. The Bluff name was derived from a local hill known as Arthur's Bluff.

Duckworth Post Office opened by September 1906 (a receiving office had been open from late 1905) and was renamed Bluff in 1907.

Duckworth Provisional School was established in January 1907 and opened in June 1907. However, the local people disliked the name Duckworth and a few months later, the name was changed to Bluff or Bluff Colliery Provisional School. On 1 January 1909, it became Bluff State School.

In 2017, a suspicious fire completely destroyed the Bluff Family Store, the town's local general store. Without anywhere to buy groceries, local Bluff residents needed to travel to Blackwater for supplies following the fire.

Bluff and the surrounding districts are served by the Bluff Town and Rural Fire Brigade which has had active members on its books since 1975. A small shed in Church Street was built to house the brigade in 1980.

Demographics

In the , the locality of Bluff had a population of 370 people.

In the , the locality of Bluff had a population of 373 people.

In the , the locality of Bluff had a population of 324 people.

Education

Bluff State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at Main Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 15 students with 2 teachers and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).

There are no secondary schools in Bluff. The nearest government secondary school is Blackwater State High School in neighbouring Blackwater to the west.

Notable residents

• Casey Conway, National Rugby League player for Sydney Roosters

References

References

1. {{cite QPN. 3323. Bluff (town)
2. {{cite QPN. 46919. Bluff (locality)
3. "Bluff Rail Station". Tourism Queensland.
4. "Supporting information document". Carabella Resources Ltd.
5. (29 June 1874). "The Progress of Surveys on the Northern Railway". [[Rockhampton Bulletin]].
6. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions.
7. {{cite QSA Agency. 4860. Bluff State School. 15 October 2015
8. Booth, Kristen. (8 December 2017). "42km round trip for groceries after devastating CQ fire". [[News Corp Australia]].
9. Booth, Kristen. (8 December 2020). "New business saves CQ locals a 42km trip for fuel, supplies". News Corp Australia.
10. . (11 August 2016). ["New home for Bluff Rural Fire Brigade"](https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/rockhampton/new-home-for-bluff-rural-fire-brigade/news-story/a30910460b2d040a2348ab237b628cb6). *News Corp Australia*.
11. . (9 May 2018). ["New shed for Bluff Rural Fire Brigade"](https://www.chrc.qld.gov.au/about-council/news/new-shed-for-bluff-rural-fire-brigade/).
12. {{Census 2011 AUS
13. {{Census 2016 AUS
14. {{Census 2021 AUS
15. (9 July 2018). "State and non-state school details". [[Queensland Government]].
16. "Bluff State School".
17. "ACARA School Profile 2017".
18. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". [[Queensland Government]].