Eromanga, Queensland


Eromanga is a small town and locality in the Shire of Quilpie in South West Queensland, Australia. At the 2016 census, the locality of Eromanga had a population of 119. However, the town of Eromanga has a population averaging from 30-40.

Geography

The town lies on the edge of what is called the Eromanga Inland Sea, which existed in the Early Cretaceous. The Eromanga region has abundant oil wells and opal mines. There are also agricultural industries such as cattle and sheep as many pioneering property owners came and took up land in the 1860s. Dinosaur fossils, including Australia's largest dinosaur a titanosaur species of sauropod, have also been found here making it an area of interest for palaeontologists. It is located on what was Ngandangara territory.
Eromanga has been touted as the town in Australia located the farthest from any ocean. However, this claim does not stand up to scrutiny. See Pole of inaccessibility for approximations of other locations in Australia that could also make such claims.

History

The name of the town Eromanga goes back as far as about 1860. The name is thought to have come from an Aboriginal word that means "hot gale plain" or "windy plain", though the language and dialect is unknown. But Erromango/Erromanga is also the name of an island in the New Hebrides.
Eromanga Post Office opened by October 1902.
Eromanga Provisional School opened on 5 July 1897 but closed in 1908. In 1910 it reopened as Eromanga State School but closed again on 28 February 1911. The school reopened on 23 October 1917 but closed again. It reopened in 1919 until it closed on 22 March 1936. It reopened on 28 May 1956 and closed again on 11 December 1981. It reopened 29 January 1990.
One property which is located in Eromanga which was first written up in 1928 by Keith Pegler, Monler Station, is now in its third generation of farmers. The property, located 11 km south of the town centre, was originally run as a sheep and cattle farm by Keith and has since been passed to Ross Pegler before the current Scott Pegler who runs the station with his family. The property has struggled over the years with natural disasters ranging from drought to flooding, however, the area has received very little rain in its recent history as it has been in it longest drought in history.

Education

Eromanga State School is a government primary school located in Donald Street. Between 2010 and 2013, the school had between 5 and 6 students enrolled; all students have an individual learning plan. There is one permanent teacher, a teacher aide plus visiting teachers from other schools.

Amenities

The Eromanga branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms on the corner of Deacon and Donald Streets.

Popular culture

Due to its name, the town was referenced in the second episode of Ichigo Mashimaro, the first episode of Volume 2 in the anime Ninja Nonsense, in episode 18 of Samurai Flamenco, and again in the light novel/anime Eromanga Sensei for its similarity to the term ero manga.