Roma, Queensland
| Roma Queensland | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Aerial view of Roma | |||||||||
  Roma | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 26°33′S 148°48′E / 26.550°S 148.800°E | ||||||||
| Population | 6,763(2004) [1] | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4455 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 299.4 m (982 ft) | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| LGA(s) | Maranoa Region | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Warrego | ||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Roma is a town in the western Darling Downs area of Queensland, Australia, 515 km (318 miles) by rail WNW of Brisbane. It is situated at the junction of the Warrego and Carnarvon highways. It is the centre of a rich pastoral and wheat-growing district, [citation needed] The town was incorporated in 1867 and is named after Lady Diamantina Bowen (née Roma), the wife of Sir George Ferguson Bowen, the Governor of Queensland at the time. Beef, grain and wool are its chief industries. [citation needed] It has a population of 6763 [1] and is in the Maranoa electoral district. It also serves as a centre for the larger Maranoa Region.
Industry and Economy
Agriculture
- The Maranoa's agriculture industry is worth approximately $620 million annually, 64.3% being generated from crops. 58.7% of businesses in the Maranoa are in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector, which employs 32.7% of the region's workforce [2].
- Beef. 2005 was a record year for Roma saleyards processing 390,000 head of cattle. Roma is home to Australia's largest cattle saleyards. [3]
- Forestry (Hardwood and Cypress Pine).
- Roma and the Maranoa region is home to Australia's most active native Cypress Pine sawmilling [4].
- Wool
Oil and Gas
In 1906 natural gas was used for lighting in Roma. The industry has expanded as more reserves were discovered.
- Origin Energy's Spring Gully Coal Seam Gas Development is located about 80 km north of Roma and its projects include an 87 km gas pipeline to Roma's neighbour town of Wallumbilla, Queensland to connect with the 434 km Roma-to-Brisbane gas pipeline hub there [1], [2] (see portfolio map of Queensland projects).
- The Proposed Spring Gully Power Station is an $870 Million, 1000MW power station that will provide electricity to South-East Queensland. [5] Being based at the Spring Gully CSG site, the power station will have the benefit of being close to the source of gas and will also be able to use the waste-water left over from the other CSG operations[6]
Employment
Roma has a relatively low unemployment rate of 2.9% in 2004.[7]
Notable People from Roma
- Darren Lockyer, Australian rugby league captain
- Arthur Beetson, Australian rugby league captain
- Willie Carne, Australian rugby league international
- Brent Tate, Australian rugby league international
- Ray Higgs, Australian rugby league international
- Wally Fullerton-Smith, Australian rugby league international
- Darren Thrupp, Gold-medal-winning Paralympian
- Ray Meagher, Actor, and amateur rugby player
- John Maunder, Wallumbilla State School house captain, Kings volleyball team
- Denzel Washington, Actor
- Lebron James, NBA player
Tourist attractions
- The Big Rig and Oil and Gas museum
- Carnarvon Gorge and Mount Moffatt National Park
- Roma Villa Winery
- Roma Saleyards
Trivia
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (May 2008) |
- The Sports Field where the footballers played was called the REC for Recreation Reserve. The surface was hard clay. Two ambulances were needed to deal with the injuries occurring in the Sunday Football Matches. The REC is no longer in use as a sport field.
- Roma is home to the only RSL club in Australia which allows indoor smoking. This is perhaps why Roma has an unusually high rate of ememphysema compared to other Australia towns and cities.
- Captain Starlight, [8] cattle rustler was tried and acquitted in the Roma Courthouse. No successful conviction for cattle rustling has been made in Roma.
- Bore water is obtained from the Artesian Basin[9]. Many homes have a tank for rainwater delivered by a third tap at the kitchen sink as the town water has a strong taste.
- Hotels, Pubs, after Public Bar, and Churches feature promanently near the centre of town. The ten hotels are within easy walking distance with most adjacent to another hotel[10]. St Paul's Church of England[11] is a copy of a 13th Century English Church in the shape of crucifix.
- Campbells Park and Lake Never-Fill were two projects initiated by a local engineer. Campbells Park featured a waterfall which operated every seven minutes. Lake Never-Fill was built using volunteer labour as a community project. This remained dry for several years due to the intermittent rainfall but eventually filled.
- 4ZR Roma is the local radio station. 4ZR was recently replaced by Zinc ZR in Roma. The Western Star is the local paper. [12]
See also
References
- ^ a b 2004 ABS figure
- ^ Maranoa
- ^ Record year for Roma saleyards
- ^ Future challenges
- ^ Proposed Spring Gully Power Station
- ^ Resource not found
- ^ ABS employment figure
- ^ Bushrangers FAQ
- ^ The Great Artesian Basin
- ^ School of Arts Hotel, Roma
- ^ St. Paul's Church of England in Roma
- ^ http://apnap.com.au/newspapers/community/4675.html
External links
- Queensland Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines (map)
- Queensland Gas Transmission and Distribution (government department of energy)