Caboolture, Queensland


Caboolture is a town and suburb in the City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia. It is located on the northern side of the Caboolture River. In the, the suburb of Caboolture had a population of 29,534 people.

Geography

Caboolture is a major urban centre of the Moreton Bay local government area. It is located approximately north of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland. Caboolture is now considered to be the northernmost urban area of the greater Brisbane metropolitan region within South East Queensland, and it marks the end of the Brisbane suburban commuter railway service along the North Coast railway line.
The urban extent of the town of Caboolture is not formally defined but is generally regarded as including the following suburbs:

Indigenous history

Duungidjawu is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Duungidjawu country. The Duungidjawu language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of Somerset Region and the City of Moreton Bay, particularly the towns of Caboolture, Kilcoy, Woodford and Moore.
Gubbi Gubbi is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Gubbi Gubbi country. The Gubbi Gubbi language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Sunshine Coast Region and Gympie Region, particularly the towns of Caloundra, Noosa Heads, Gympie and extending north towards Maryborough and south to Caboolture.
The Gubbi Gubbi people are the traditional custodians of the area now known as Caboolture. The name Kabultur is derived from the Yugarabul dialect meaning "place of the carpet snake". The Gubbi Gubbi people harvested bush food, fresh water mussels, oysters, fish, and some game animals, moving around the land to take best advantage of seasonally-available produce.
Towards the south of Caboolture is the Yugarabul traditional Aboriginal country of the Brisbane and surrounding regions.

19th century

The Caboolture area was colonised by European people in 1842 when the land around the Moreton Bay penal colony was opened up to free settlers.
By the mid-1860s the local pastoralists were experimenting with sugar cane and cotton. In 1867, a tiny settlement was established as a supply and trading centre for the settlers in the area and to service the needs of miners trekking from Brisbane to the goldfields near Gympie. The local shire was constituted in 1879 and in 1888 the railway line from Brisbane was opened.
Caboolture Post Office opened on 1 September 1869.
Settlement in Caboolture was accelerated with the discovery of gold at Gympie. In 1868, the town was used as a stop-over point by the Cobb and Co coach service connecting Brisbane, Gympie and Maryborough. This function continued with the rail link established in 1888.
Caboolture State School opened on 4 August 1873. In 1890 it became Caboolture South State School. In 1908 it became Morayfield State School.
The foundation stone of St Laurence's Anglican Church was laid on Saturday 26 January 1889 by Mrs W.G. Geddes in a service conducted by Canon Glennie and Archdeacon Matthews. Mr W.G. Geddes, one of the oldest settlers in Caboolture had donated the land. It was consecrated in 1959. It was re-built and re-dedicated in 1982.
Caboolture North State School opened on 25 November 1889. In June 1912 it became Caboolture State School. Between 1940 and 1960 it was called Caboolture Rural State School. It had a secondary department from 1955 to 1961, after which a separate secondary school was established.

20th century

St Peter's Catholic School opened on 30 January 1951 in the parish church. It was initially operated by the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart under principal Sister Juan McGrath, assisted by Sister Timothy and Sister Salome.
Caboolture State High School opened on 23 January 1961, replacing the secondary department that operated at Caboolture State School from 1955 to 1960.
Caboolture Special School opened in January 1980 with 50 students who had previously been in the Special Education Unit at Caboolture State School.
Caboolture East State School opened on 29 January 1980.
St Michael's College opened on 25 January 1983 with 4 students in a small farmhouse. It is associated with the Abbey Church of Christ the King, an Orthodox Catholic Church of Christ the King.
St Paul's Lutheran Primary School opened in 1985.
Caboolture Square opened on 4 November 1986.
Tullawong State School opened on 1 February 1993.
Tullawong State High School opened in January 1994.
Before the 2008 local government amalgamations in Queensland, Caboolture Shire Council governed the area.
Caboolture Christian School opened in 1998. In 2009 it was renamed Australian Christian College – Moreton.
Harmony Montessori School opened in 1998.

21st century

Grace Lutheran College Caboolture opened in 2008 adjacent to St Paul's Lutheran Primary School. The college is campus of Grace Lutheran College at Rothwell.
The Caboolture Library opened in 2011.
Pumicestone State School opened in 2017.
As part of the 30th Anniversary of Expo 88 celebration, on 26 October 2018, artist Ken Done unveiled the restoration of his iconic signs made for the Australia pavilion at Expo 88. It had spent the intervening years in a cow paddock beside the Bruce Highway at Deception Bay. The restoration was undertaken by the Caboolture Historical Village where they will remain on display.
Lee Street State Special School opened in 2020.

Demographics

In the, the suburb of Caboolture had a population of 26,433 people.
In the, the suburb of Caboolture had a population of 29,543 people. The median age of residents is 36 years. Crime rates per 100,000 persons in Moreton Bay North is lower than that of Ipswich, Logan and Toowoomba regions.

Heritage listings

Caboolture has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

State schools

Caboolture State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 12 George Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 558 students with 41 teachers and 39 non-teaching staff. It includes a special education program.
Caboolture East State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 44 Manley Street. It includes a special education program and an early childhood developmental program. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 624 students with 54 teachers and 54 non-teaching staff.
Pumicestone State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 75 Cottrill Road. It includes a special education program. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 380 students with 27 teachers and 17 non-teaching staff.
Tullawong State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at 60–94 Smiths Road. It includes a special education program. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 757 students with 57 teachers and 47 non-teaching staff.Caboolture State High School is a government secondary school for boys and girls at 7–69 Lee Street. It includes a special education program. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1248 students with 110 teachers and 57 non-teaching staff.
Tullawong State High School is a government secondary school for boys and girls at 22-70 Del Rosso Road. It includes a special education program. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 912 students with 86 teachers and 43 non-teaching staff.
Lee Street State Special School is a government special education secondary school for boys and girls. It operates from the campus of Caboolture State High School at 7–69 Lee Street.

Private schools

Alta-1 College is a private secondary school for boys and girls at 94 Parish Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 32 students with 3 teachers and 5 non-teaching staff.
Australian Christian College – Moreton is a private primary and secondary school for boys and girls at 34 Cottrill Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1173 students with 47 teachers and 22 non-teaching staff.
Caboolture Montessori School is a private primary school for boys and girls at 200 Old Gympie Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 139 students with 14 teachers and 24 non-teaching staff.
Grace Lutheran College Caboolture is a private secondary campus at 129 Toohey Street of Grace Lutheran College at Rothwell. It operates in partnership with St Paul's Lutheran Primary School.
Horizons College is a private secondary school for boys and girls at 2 King Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 110 students with 14 teachers and 11 non-teaching staff.
St Columban's College is a Catholic secondary school for boys and girls at 100 McKean Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 1004 students with 83 teachers and 67 non-teaching staff.
St Michael's College is a private primary school for boys and girls at Jan-63 The Abbey Place. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 335 students with 25 teachers and 28 non-teaching staff.
St Paul's Lutheran Primary School is a private primary school for boys and girls at 55 Smith Road. It operates in collaboration with Grace Lutheran College Caboolture. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 356 students with 23 teachers and 28 non-teaching staff.
St Peter's Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary school for boys and girls at 30 Beerburrum Road. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 677 students with 42 teachers and 27 non-teaching staff.

Amenities

The Moreton Bay City Council operates a public library, memorial hall, customer service centre and an art gallery at 4 Hasking Street. The Hub which houses the library, art gallery, and other amenities, has fifteen event and business spaces. The Caboolture Regional Art Gallery has a AAA rating, which makes it an international standard exhibition space.
The Caboolture branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 10 George Street. It is one of the oldest in Queensland, having commenced in 1929.
St Laurence's Anglican Church holds regular services at 165 King Street.
Caboolture Uniting Church is at 2-8 Smiths Road. It is part of the Caboolture Region Uniting Church.
New Hope Church meets at the Senior Citizens Centre at 24 Hasking Street. It is part of the Wesleyan Methodist Church.