The name Dugandan is believed to be an Aboriginal word dugai/tugai meaning mountain spur place. Originally the name was used for a large pastoral run established in 1884, covering a much larger area than the current locality from Boonah to Mount Joyce. As a result, the name Dugandan was used for the present day town of Boonah until the 1880s when it acquired its present name. The Dugandan Provisional School which opened in 1878 was located in Boonah. This school was renamed Boonah State School in 1895. The Fassifern railway line opened from Ipswich to Harrisville on 10 July 1882. On 12 September 1887 the line was extended to Dugundan with town being served by Dugandan railway station. The line closed in June 1964. By 1887 a sawmill was already established in Dugandan under the combined partnership of Josias Hancock and James Cossart. The mill burned down in 1897. Cossart's Mill became one of the major employers in the region and contributed significantly to the prosperity of Boonah and Dugandan into the twentieth century. It was located at to the south of the Dugandan railway station. Dugandan Post Office opened on 11 September 1887 and closed in 1929. In 1886 Carl Stumer erected the Dugandan General Store. It was raised following flooding in 1887. In 1913 it was renovated and became the Dugandan Hotel. There was an earlier hotel in Boonah called the Dugandan Hotel but it was not operating in 1913. The TrinityLutheran church opened on 23 April 1889. Dugandan State School opened in Dugandan on 13 January 1917. It closed in 1966.
Demographics
Dugandan has a population of 593 at the. The locality contains 254 households, in which 47.7% of the population are males and 52.3% of the population are females with a median age of 45, 7 years above the national average. The average weekly household income is $1,125, $313 below the national average. 3.1% of Tarome's population is either of Aborigional or Torres Strait Islander descent. 63.4% of the population aged 15 or over is either registered or de facto married, while 36.6% of the population is not married. 29.2% of the population is currently attending some form of a compulsory education. The most common nominated ancestries were Australian, English and German, while the most common country of birth was Australia, and the most commonly spoken language at home was English. The most common nominated religions were Catholic, Anglican and No religion. The most common occupation was a labourer and the majority/plurality of residents worked 40 or more hours per week.
