Dirranbandi is on the Castlereagh Highway and the Balonne River. It is notable for the population variations each year as seasonal workers come to work on the extensive cotton fields. Due to the low annual rainfall, irrigation is used extensively. Cubbie Station, the largest cotton producing property in the southern hemisphere, is close to Dirranbandi.
History
is a language from South-West Queensland and North-West New South Wales. The Gamilaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Balonne Shire Council, including the towns of Dirranbandi, Thallon, Talwood and Bungunya as well as the border towns of Mungindi and Boomi extending to Moree, Tamworth and Coonabarabran in NSW. Yuwaalaraay is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. The Yuwaalaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Hebel extending to Walgett and Collarenebri in New South Wales.' Yuwaalayaay is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalayaay country. It is closely related to the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. The Yuwaalayaay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Shire of Balonne, including the town of Dirranbandi as well as the border town of Goodooga extending to Walgett and the Narran Lakes in New South Wales.' Dirranbandi is located on the traditional lands of the Kooma people. However people in Dirranbandi recognise themselves as Gamilaroi. The town reserve was surveyed in March 1885 by surveyor Claudius Buchanan Whish. He is believed to have named the town using an Aboriginal word, meaning either broken forest country or chorus of frogs at night. The name may be derived from a Yuwaaliyaay dialect placename, Dhurrunbandaay, relating to dhurrun.gal and baanda-y. There is also a Yuwaalaraay noun, dhirrinbaa, meaning "bad weather camp, on high ground", possibly from dhirrin and -baa. One hundred housing allotments were first set aside, followed by land for a police station, a state school, and post office. Dirranbandi Provisional School opened in 9 June 1902, but closed in April 1905. It reopened on 20 January 1908 and became Dirranbandi State School on 1 January 1909. On 29 January 1963, a secondary department to Year 10 was added. The South Western railway reached Dirranbandi on 22 May 1913. The town was served by the Dirranbandi railway station in Railway Street. Kundilam railway station served the rural areas to the east of the town. The name Kundilam is an Aboriginal word meaning scrub berry. On 28 June 1917 Kundilam railway renamed Bonathorne railway station, named after the adjacent Bonathorne pastoral station of Alfred Allen Moore. Noondoo railway station was approx east of the town ; it was named by the Queensland Railways Department on 29 October eafter the Noondoo pastoral station which in turn is an Aboriginal name either for the spring near the homestead or the shrub growing near the spring. Hawkston railway station was located approximately east of the town. Dirranbandi had the honour of being the destination for the last mail train to operate in Australia. The Thallon-to-Dirranbandi section of the line was closed on 2 September 2010. The Culgoa Floodplain National Park lies to the south-west. The town experienced serious flooding in February–March 2010 and January 2011. At the 2011 census, Dirranbandi had a population of 711. In the, Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people.
Population
In the 2016 Census, there were 640 people in Dirranbandi. 79.9% of people were born in Australia and 85.2% of people spoke only English at home. The most common responses for religion were Catholic 29.3%, Anglican 26.5% No Religion 14.8%.
Facilities
Dirranbandi has a hospital, civic centre, swimming pool, park and showground. Balonne Shire Council operates a library on the Castlereagh Highway inside the Rural Transaction Centre. The Dirranbandi branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 22 Kirby Street. St Therese's Catholic Church is at 42 Kirby Street ; it is part of the parish of St Patrick's Parish headquartered in St George. Dirranbandi Aerodrome is located at the western end of Moore Street. It is operated by the Balonne Shire Council. It has a sealed runway with lights.
Education
Dirranbandi P-10 State School is a government primary and secondary school for boys and girls at Jane Street. In 2015, the school had 73 students with 12 teachers. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 65 students with 13 teachers and 13 non-teaching staff.
Popular culture
Australian author Robert G Barrett's main character Les Norton hails from Dirranbandi. Slim Dusty sang about being the Dirranbandi Dandy in the song Cunnamulla Fella, which he co-wrote with Stan Coster.
Notable residents
Actor Ray Meagher grew up near Dirranbandi. He is best known for playing Alf Stewart on soap opera Home and Away, and credits one of his character's catchphrases "Stone the flamin' crows!" to Dick Backhouse who was a stock and station agent in town.
