Jandowae

Jandowae is a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia.

Jandowaeis a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Jandowae had a population of 1,047 people.

Baranggum (also known as Barrunggam, Barunggam Parrungoom, Murrumgama) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Baranggum people. The Baranggum language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Western Downs Regional Council, particularly Dalby, Tara, Jandowae and west towards Chinchilla.The first European settlers arrived in the area in the 1860s and the first documented European birth was Henry Bateman in 1866. Bateman descendants still live in the town today. The town was at first called Jindowie, from the local Aboriginal word for a waterhole. Later, a man called John or Jack Dowiae established a camp and rest area for travellers called the John Dowiae camp. This led to some early settlers using the name Jondowiae. With the coming of the railway in 1914, the name was changed again to Jandowae, to avoid confusion with nearby Jondaryan.The fertile soil allowed the development of agriculture and combined with a flourishing timber industry saw the expansion of industry and commerce and the establishment of churches, halls and banks.Jondowaie Provisional School opened on 28 March 1887 with thirteen students enrolled for the first year. It became Jondonwaie State School on 1 January 1909. In 1915 it was renamed Jandowae State School. In 1988 it was expanded with a secondary department (to Year 10 ).Jondowae's first Post Office opened on 1 January 1890, and exists today as a private residence. The post office was renamed Jandowae in 1913.The cemetery opened in 1900. There was an earlier cemetery in Market Street, two blocks from the Church of England, but nothing remains of the site and the Western Downs Regional Council believes it is under subsequent developments.Jondowaie Creek Provisional School opened on 6 February 1902. In 1903 it was renamed Yee-am Provisional School. On 1 January 1909 it became Yee-Am State School. It closed in April 1921.Jondowaie's Immaculate Conception Catholic Church at 49 Hickey Street was opened and dedicated on 25 April 1909 by Reverend Father Thomas Nolan. This church still exists but a new church was erected beside it in 1964.At a town land sale in June 1909, blocks of land were purchased for an Anglican church and a Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian block was sold in 1914 at a considerable profit in order to buy another site.In 1914 land was purchased by the Methodists intending to build a church.Wilga Downs Provisional School opened on 26 January 1916 as a half time school sharing a teacher with Currandale Provisional School. In 1922 the half time configuration was changed and Wilga Downs shared a teacher with Carlyle Provisional School (while Currandale shared with Glenmorriston). In 1923 Wilga Downs Provisional School was renamed Jandowae East Provisional School continuing to share a teacher with Carlyle until Carlyle closed in 1929. Jandowae East then became a full time provisional school and became Jandowae East State School in 1955. It closed in 1964.St Paul's Anglican Church was opened on Sunday 19 March 1917 by Archdeacon Arthur Richard Rivers. On 17 September 1953 Archbishop Reginald Halse laid the foundation for the current church building. It was opened and dedicated in June 1957 in the presence of over 300 people. The new church cost of a total £14,000 including fittings and furnishings with some of the work being done by local volunteers.The stump-capping ceremony for the Jandowae Presbyterian Church in George Street was held on Saturday 19 August 1922. The church was officially opened on Sunday 3 December 1922 by Reverend Alexander McIntyre Martin, Moderator of the Toowoomba Presbytery. The wooden church was 41 by 22 feet (12.5 by 6.7 m). It held 150 people at the opening with others standing outside.

The Jandowae war memorial was unveiled by Victor Drury and the Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Dalby, Walter Sparkes, on 25 April 1935.On Saturday 12 March 1949 there was a stump-capping cemetery for a Methodist church. Prior to this Methodist services had been held in the Presbyterian church. On Saturday 24 September 1949 the church was officially opened.In 1964 a Lutheran church was opened at 43 Sydney Street, the church building having been relocated from Meringandan where it had been the Methodist Church since it was built in about 1908. It was deconsecrated in 1999 and is now in private ownership.Sewerage was provided for the town in 1974.The current Jandowae Public Library opened in 2000 and had a minor refurbishment in 2014.In 2001, in order to stem a decline in population and economic activity and encourage new residents and industry to Jandowae, Wambo Shire Council ran a "dollar block" promotion. The promotion involved the sale of 38 parcels of land, both residential and industrial, for one dollar each. The promotion made news throughout Australia and overseas including New Zealand, Hong Kong, England and the United States. The promotion proved popular with over 1,000 applications received. To maintain fairness, a ballot system was implemented along with a condition requiring the establishment of a house on the block within 12 months or the land would return to the ballot. As a result of the promotion, the decline in population was halted and new industry was attracted to town including a manufacturer of RFID cattle ear tag readers.At the 2006 census Jandowae had a population of 1,006.At the 2011 census, Jandowae had a population of 1,246.In the 2016 census the locality of Jandowae had a population of 1,047 people.