Silky Oak, Queensland Explained

Type:suburb
Silky Oak
State:qld
Coordinates:-17.9747°N 145.9494°W
Pop:178
Postcode:4854
Area:21.1
Timezone:AEST
Utc:+10:00
Dist1:7.2
Dir1:S
Location1:Tully
Dist2:58.1
Dir2:S
Location2:Innisfail
Dist3:146
Dir3:S
Location3:Cairns
Dist4:203
Dir4:NNW
Location4:Townsville
Dist5:1554
Dir5:NNW
Location5:Brisbane
Lga:Cassowary Coast Region
Stategov:Hinchinbrook
Fedgov:Kennedy
Near-N:Mount Mackay
Near-Ne:Mount Mackay
Near-E:Lower Tully
Near-Se:Rockingham
Near-S:Euramo
Near-Sw:Euramo
Near-W:Jarra Creek
Near-Nw:Tully

Silky Oak is a rural locality in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.[1] In the, Silky Oak had a population of 178 people.

Geography

The locality is bounded to the south by the Tully River, while its tributary Banyan Creek bounds the locality to the west.[2]

The North Coast railway line enters the locality from the south (Euramo) by crossing the Tully River and exits to the north-west (Tully).[3] The locality was served by the now-abandoned Hewitt railway station in the north-west of the locality (-17.9622°N 145.9353°W).[4] [5]

The Bruce Highway also enters the locality from the south (Euramo) crossing the river on the Tully River Bridge about east of the railway line crossing, but then runs immediately parallel and east of the railway line through the locality until both exit to the north-west (Tully). This route is a 2008 deviation of the highway designed to reduce the flooding risk; it was the largest flood immunity project funded by the Australian Government.[6] [7] [8] The previous Bruce Highway route was further east and is now known as Jack Evans Drive (and informally as Old Bruce Highway).[9]

Silky Oak Creek is a small township within Silky Oak situated on the Old Bruce Highway (-17.9833°N 145.9465°W).[10] [11]

The land use is predominantly growing sugarcane.[12] There is a network of cane tramways to transport the harvested sugarcane to the local sugar mill.

History

In 1900, the Queensland Government passed The Sugar Experiment Stations Act, creating the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations was under the supervision of the Queensland Minister for Agriculture and Stock. In 1968-9, a site was selected in Silky Oak as a suitable site for an experiment station to focus on the needs of the Tully sugar industry.[13]

In 1922, Silky Oak Creek was seriously considered as the site for a sugar mill in the Tully area. In its favour, the site had good access to the Tully River, but being higher was safe from floods. It had abundant timber suitable for both construction and firewood. Against the location was that it could be cut off during flooding and that the limited water supply in the local creek would probably not be sufficient for the operation of the mill and the needs of the town that would develop around it, so a pipeline would be needed.[14] [15] However, the decision was made to build the mill further north (in what would then develop as the town of Tully).[16] [17]

Silky Oak Creek State School opened on 1 November 1940 and closed on 31 December 1974. It was at 254 Jack Evans Drive .[18] [19]

Demographics

In the, Silky Oak had a population of 139 people.

In the, Silky Oak had a population of 178 people.

Education

There are no schools in Silky Oak. The nearest government primary schools are Tully State School in neighbouring Tully to the north-west and Lower Tully State School in Lower Tully to the east. The nearest government secondary school is Tully State High School, also in Tully to the north-west.[20]

Facilities

Sugar Research Australia (a successor organisation of the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations) has its Tully research centre on a 37.66ha site at 216 Dallachy Road in the south-west of the locality . By working closely with farmers, mill operators, and other stakeholders, it undertakes research and provides advice on improvements in efficiency and sustainability, and explores new opportunities for sugar and other byproducts.[21] The Tully research centre seeks to increase farm productivity in the Tully area through improved pest and disease management and plant nutrition.[22]

Amenities

Tully Motorcycle Club operates a motorcycle dirt course on Dallachy Road in the south-west of the locality for recreational use and race events .[23] [24] [25]

Notes and References

  1. 26 December 2020.
  2. Web site: Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses . 9 October 2024 . Queensland Globe . . 19 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ . live .
  3. Web site: Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Railways; Railway stations . 9 October 2024 . Queensland Globe . . 19 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ . live .
  4. 9 October 2024.
  5. Web site: 2 October 2020 . Railway stations and sidings - Queensland . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20201005070354/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/transport-features-queensland-series/resource/84fff9a0-e315-4844-9c4d-63934562a9bd . 5 October 2020 . 5 October 2020 . Queensland Open Data . Queensland Government.
  6. Web site: Pitt . Warren . 2008-10-02 . Tackling flood danger on the Bruce Highway in Tully . 2024-10-09 . Media statements . Queensland Government . 10 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241010002921/https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/53825 . live .
  7. Web site: Pitt . Warren . 2008-12-16 . Highway upgrade improves wet season access in North Queensland . 2024-10-09 . Media statements . Queensland Government . 10 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241010003007/https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/54965 . live .
  8. Web site: Main Roads Local Links: Preparing for the next Big Wet . 9 October 2024 . 3 . 10 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241010003621/https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/communityandenvironment/Regional%20information/Previous%20regions/Region%20local%20links/Far%20North/inandaroundcairnsjuly2008.pdf . live .
  9. Web site: 1980 . 8062-22 Tully . 9 October 2024 . . Map . 9 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241009082949/https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/topographic/topo-map-25000-line-colour-8062-22-tully-ed-1-1980/original . live .
  10. 20 May 2024.
  11. Silky Oak Creek (township). 10 October 2024.
  12. Web site: Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Sugarcane areas . 9 October 2024 . Queensland Globe . . 19 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ . live .
  13. Book: Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations . Some notes and comments on Bureau History . 1972 . Sugar Research Australia . 69–71 . Tully Experiment Station . 10 October 2024 . 10 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241010003700/https://elibrary.sugarresearch.com.au/server/api/core/bitstreams/f07cb6d0-1ba5-45bf-b4f7-73869949dc08/content . live .
  14. News: 16 October 1922 . New Mill Sites. . 10 October 2024 . . Queensland, Australia . 4 . National Library of Australia . XXXVIII . 12,371 . 10 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241010004306/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62531474 . live .
  15. News: 2 November 1922 . RANYAN. . 10 October 2024 . . Queensland, Australia . 8 . National Library of Australia . XXXVIII . 12,386 . 10 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241010004908/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62458416 . live .
  16. Web site: About Tully Sugar . 2024-10-09 . en-AU . 18 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240718205221/https://www.tullysugar.com/about/ . live .
  17. Web site: Tully . 2024-10-09 . Queensland Places . University of Queensland . 15 June 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240615140545/https://queenslandplaces.com.au/tully . live .
  18. Web site: 1944 . Tully . 8 October 2024 . . Map . 8 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241008042512/https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/topographic/topo-map-1mile-military-line-colour-tully-1944/original . live .
  19. Web site: 1974 . 8062 Tully . 8 October 2024 . . Map . 8 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241008044518/https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/cadastral/cad-map-100000-8062-tully-admin-bdy-1974/original . live .
  20. Web site: Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments . 8 October 2024 . Queensland Globe . . 19 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ . live .
  21. Web site: Strategic Plan 2021-2026 Update . 10 October 2024 . Sugar Research Australia . 2–3 . 9 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241009221736/https://sugarresearch.com.au/sugar_files/2023/09/SRA-Strategic-Plan-2021-2026-update-Digital.pdf . live .
  22. Web site: District Productivity Plan: Tully . 10 October 2024 . Sugar Research Australia . 6-7 . 10 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241010004822/https://sugarresearch.com.au/sugar_files/2024/05/Tully-District-Productivity-Plan-2024.pdf . live .
  23. Web site: Tully MCC . 2024-10-09 . Motorcycling Queensland . en-US . 10 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241010004907/https://www.mqld.org.au/business-directory/17233/tully-mcc/ . live .
  24. Web site: Tully Motorcycle Club . 2024-10-09 . . 10 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241010004848/https://www.facebook.com/people/Tully-Motorcycle-Club/100064492847853/ . live .
  25. Tully Motorcycle Club circuit. 10 October 2024.

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