Morven, Queensland


Morven is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh in South West Queensland, Australia. In the, the locality of Morven had a population of 184 people.

Geography

The Warrego Highway enters the locality from the east, passes through the town, and then exits to the west. Approximately west of the town, the Landsborough Highway commences, splitting off in a north-westerly direction from the Warrego Highway, and exiting the locality to the north-west.
The Western railway line also enters the locality from the east, passes through the town, which is served by the Morven railway station, and then exits to the west.
Tregole National Park is to the south and west of the town. Apart from the national park and the town, the land use is grazing on native vegetation.

History

Originally, the area on which Morven now sits was a popular spot for bullock teams on the road between Mitchell and Charleville. In 1859, a small area was taken from the property Victoria Downs and set aside for public use and designated on maps and documents as 'Victoria Downs Reserve'. It was on the Cobb & Co mail route from Brisbane to Charleville. Later it became informally known as 'Sadlier's Waterhole' after Captain TJ Sadlier and his wife camped at the property.
In 1876, a post office was opened and called Morven. When officially surveyed in 1880, it was officially given the name Morven. It is believed to be named after Morven in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
Morven State School opened on 24 September 1887.
All Souls Anglican Church opened in 1906 and was dedicated in 1926.
On Sunday 14 March 1926, Archbishop James Duhig opened and consecrated the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic church.
On Tuesday 26 April 2016, the Morven Hotel Motel was burned down. It was a big loss to the town as it was the only hotel in the town. It was rebuilt by members of the local community in 2020 and now trades as Sadlier's Waterhole after the original name for the community.

Demographics

In the, the locality of Morven had a population of 276 people.
In the, the locality of Morven had a population of 199 people.
In the, the locality of Morven had a population of 184 people.

Heritage listings

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

Education

Morven State School is a government primary school for boys and girls on Albert Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 23 students with 3 teachers and 5 non-teaching staff. In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 20 students with 3 teachers and 5 non-teaching staff.
There are no secondary schools in Morven. School Bus Route S280 conveys students from Year 7 to Year 12 to Charleville State High School in Charleville to the west.

Transport

Morven Aerodrome has an unsealed runway of red loam,. It is operated by Murweh Shire Council.
Morven is situated at the junction of the Warrego Highway to Charleville and the Landsborough Highway to Augathella.
Morven is a timetabled stop for the Intercity Bus Services operated by Greyhound Australia:
Morven Railway Station serves the town of Morven. It is used by the twice-weekly Westlander passenger train.

Amenities

The Murweh Shire Council operates a public library in Morven on the Warrego Highway.
The Morven branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms in Roma Street.
All Souls Anglican Church is in Eurella Street and holds services on the 3rd Sunday of every month.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is in Eurella Street. No regular services are held at this church.
The Sadlier's Waterhole Hotel is on the Warrego Highway on the site of the Morven Hotel/Motel.

Facilities

  • Morven Police Station
  • Morven Fire Station
  • Morven SES Facility
  • Morven Community Health Clinic
  • Morven Ambulance Station
  • Morven Cemetery

Attractions

Morven Historical Museum is at 53 Albert Street.

Media

the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and its sister channels ABC Kids/ABC TV Plus, ABC ME and ABC News transmits to Morven through its relay station, ABMNQ, situated at 26°30′20″S 147°8′4″E and it also transmits ABC Radio National to Morven on 107.5 FM.
Radio 4VL transmits to Morven on 105.9 FM.
The Seven Network and its sister channels, 7two and 7mate transmit to Morven through its regional area affiliate, ITQ.
The Nine Network and its sister channels 9Gem and 9Go! transmit to Morven through its regional area affiliate, Imparja.
Network Ten and its sister channels 10 Bold and 10 Peach transmit to Morven through its regional area affiliate, CDT.
The Special Broadcasting Service and its sister channels SBS Viceland, SBS World Movies and SBS Food also transmit to Morven.