Giru
town
Stateqld
Coordinates19.5125°S 147.1072°E
Zoom9
Pop387
Postcode4809
Area77.8
Time zoneAEST
Utc+10:00
Dist 139.5
Dir 1WNW
Location 1Ayr
Dist 254.0
Dir 2SE
Location 2Townsville
Dist 31283
Dir 3NNW
Location 3Brisbane
LgaShire of Burdekin
StategovBurderkin
FedgovDawson
Near-nCoral Sea
Near-neJerona
Near-eJerona
Near-seHorseshoe Lagoon
Near-sShirbourne
Near-swMount Surround
Near-wCromarty
Near-nwCape Cleveland

Giru is a rural town and coastal locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia,[1][2] situated on the Haughton River, 54 kilometres (34 mi) south-east of Townsville. In the , the locality of Giru had a population of 387 people.[3]

Geography

Giru is mainly sugarcane farms. The Invicta sugar mill in Giru is owned by Wilmar Sugar Cane Limited with three iconic chimney stacks.[4]

The Bruce Highway bypasses the town.[5]

History

The name of the town and the locality derives from the railway station name, assigned on 31 March 1916, derived from "goru", a type name for a species of sugarcane from New Guinea which was successfully experimented with and widely grown in the district.[1][6]

The Invicta Sugar Mill was originally located on the Richmond River in New South Wales. In 1906, it was relocated to Bucca near the Kolan River near Bundaberg. In 1919, it was moved north to the Haughton River in the Burdekin district, where the township of Giru grew around it. It commenced crushing there under the same name on 4 August 1921.[7][8][9][10]

On Saturday 1 May 1926, the School of Arts Hall was officially opened with a dance.[11]

The Giru Post Office opened by 1922.[12]

Giru State School opened on 1 October 1924.[13] The school celebrated its golden jubilee (50th anniversary) in 1974.[14]

St Joseph's School opened in 1945 and closed in 1998.[15]

The Palm Creek Folk Festival was an annual event held in Giru on the Queen's Birthday public holiday, and spanned four days. It commonly featured known and up-and-coming bands from several music genres, ranging from folk to alternative.[16][17]

Demographics

In the , the locality of Giru had a population of 354 people.[18]

In the , the locality of Giru had a population of 387 people.[3]

Economy

Giru is noted for the Invicta Sugar Mill, which is owned by Wilmar Sugar. The company crushes about 3,000,000 tonnes (3,000,000 long tons; 3,300,000 short tons) of raw sugar cane annually.[19]

Education

Giru State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 45–51 Luxton Street (19.5129°S 147.1096°E).[20][21] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 46 students with 4 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 4 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent).[22]

There is no government secondary school in Giru. The nearest government secondary school is Ayr State High School in Ayr to the east.[23]

Amenities

The Giru branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall at 9 Carey Street.[24]

Giru School of Arts Hall is at 3 Invicta Street (19.51556°S 147.10452°E).[25]

There is a bowling club, and the main source of accommodation is the Giru International Hotel.[citation needed]

Attractions

There is serious game fishing in the region, as the barramundi and grunter are highly sought after.[26]

In September every year, the Giru Show is held, offering activities such as food stalls, homemade cake shops and show rides, horse rides, and an animal farm, as well as a display of several pieces of farming equipment.[27][28]

See also

References

  1. ^ Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  2. ^ Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  3. ^
  4. ^ "Invicta Sugar Mill". Archived 2 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  5. ^
  6. ^ "The Sugar industry". Cairns Post. Vol. XXVI, no. 1542. 15 February 1913. p. 2. Archived 13 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 November 2018. – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Invicta Mill Centenary celebrations". Wilmar Sugar. 18 October 2021. Archived 23 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  8. ^ "Invicta Mill Site and Tram Tracks". Bundaberg Regional Council. Archived 22 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  9. ^ "History". Australian Sugar Cane Railway. Archived 23 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  10. ^ "THE INVICTA MILL.". The Bundaberg Mail. 15 March 1919. p. 3. Archived 8 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 February 2020. – via Trove.
  11. ^ "OPENING OF GIRU SCHOOL OF ARTS". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Vol. XLII, no. 109. 7 May 1926. p. 6. Archived 17 February 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 February 2023. – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived 15 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  13. ^ Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  14. ^ Giru State School (1974), "Golden jubilee 1924–1974", Giru, archived 13 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved 3 February 2018
  15. ^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present, Version 1.01 ed., Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  16. ^ Kuch, Jesse (19 January 2014). "Smaller is better: Your guide to the year's best boutique festivals from January-June, 2014". Cairns Eye. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  17. ^ Iorio, Kelsie (6 June 2019). "2019 Palm Creek Folk Festival kicks off today". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
  18. ^
  19. ^ "Mills". Wilmar Sugar. Archived 26 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  20. ^ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived 21 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  21. ^ "Giru State School". Giru State School. 2020-11-29. Archived 25 September 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  22. ^ "ACARA School Profile 2017". Archived 22 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  23. ^ "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived 19 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Branch Locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived 26 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  25. ^ "Giru School of Arts Inc.". Burdekin Shire Council. Archived 27 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  26. ^ "Giru International Fishing Classic Results". www.burdekinlife.com. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
  27. ^ "Giru Show". Tourism & Events Queensland. Queensland Government. Retrieved 2026-04-03.
  28. ^ "Giru Show". Townsville North Queensland. Retrieved 2026-04-03.