El Arish

El Arish is a rural town and locality in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia.

El Arish is a rural town and locality in the Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of El Arish had a population of 344 people.

The town was named in 1921 after the city of Arish in Egypt where the Australian Light Horse saw action in December 1916 and which was later developed as a major base area with an allied hospital. The name Quatia was assigned by the Queensland Railways Department on 31 August 1922 and was the suggestion of the soldier settlers and refers to a place in Palestine where the Australian Imperial Force engaged in the Battle of Katia in World War I.The town was founded in 1921 as a soldier settlement area. Many of the streets were named after high-ranking officers, including:

Chauvel Street after General Harry Chauvel

Glasgow Street after Major General Thomas William Glasgow

Monash Street after General John Monash

Royston Street after Brigadier General John Royston

Ryrie Street after Major General Granville RyrieAnd some were named after general veterans such as:

Francis Martin Street after Francis Paxton Martin who set up some soldier settlements in El Arish in the 1920s.The El Arish War Memorial is located on the south-west corner of Monash and Ryrie Streets (17.806332°S 146.004821°E? / -17.806332; 146.004821? (El Arish War Memorial)). It was unveiled in September 1947.The Maria Creek State School opened on 13 May 1922; it was renamed El Arish State School in 1925.El Arish Post Office opened by 1926 (a receiving office had been open from 1921).El Arish Tavern was established in 1927.The RSL Memorial Hall opened in October 1930. It was built by local people using timber donated by the Myers sawmill.The area was later settled by Italian Australians who worked in the sugar cane fields.

At the 2006 census El Arish had a population of 232.The town was hit by Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi in February 2011.In the 2011 census El Arish had a population of 442 people.In the 2016 census the locality of El Arish had a population of 344 people.

The former El Arish railway station building has been reoriented on its block in order to face Chauvel Street (17.8072°S 146.0025°E? / -17.8072; 146.0025? (El Arish Diggers Museum)). It is used as a local history museum, and is currently known as the El Arish Diggers Museum (formerly the El Arish History Station).