Canoona

The Fitzroy River forms the southern boundary of the locality, while Marlborough Creek and Mountain Hut Creek form most of its western boundary. The Bruce Highway forms most of the north-eastern boundary with North Coast railway line running closely beside it. A number of creeks flow through the locality, all are tributaries of the Fitzroy River. • Merimal railway station, now abandoned () Despite its name, Kunwarara railway station is located within the boundaries of present-day Canoona. == History ==

British colonisation Scottish colonists and brothers William Thomas Elliot and George Mackenzie Elliot came to the frontier Fitzroy River region in September 1855 to establish a sheep station, which they named Canoona. The brothers had previously established the Johngboon property near Barambah to the south. Their father was James Elliot, 3rd Laird of Wolfelee House near Hawick in Scotland. One of their other brothers was Walter Elliot of the East India Company and secretary to the governor of the Madras Presidency. In January 1856, after a massacre of local Aboriginal people perpetrated by Lieutenant John Murray of the Native Police at nearby Nankin Creek, some 200 Aboriginal men, women and children came to Canoona and began shouting at the employees of the Elliots. William Thomas Elliot and his men opened fire at random upon the group which fled after a short time. Two of the white men were wounded and about seven of the local inhabitants were killed. Fellow colonist, Charles Archer of Gracemere and a group of Native Police troopers later pursued these Aboriginal people toward the east and punished them further. Local Aboriginal people friendly to Archer were also fired upon, killing one. George Mackenzie Elliot died of illness soon after, while William Thomas Elliot remained in the region for some time, later dying in Munich in 1890. However, relatively little gold was found at Canoona The North Coast railway line through Canoona was opened in 1915. == Demographics ==

In the , Canoona had a population of 81 people. In the , Canoona had a population of 90 people. == Education ==

There are no schools in Canoona. The nearest government primary schools are Milman State School in Milman to the south-east and Marlborough State School in neighbouring Marlborough to the north-west. The nearest government secondary school is Glenmore State High School in Kawana, Rockhampton; however, some parts of Canoona are too distant for a daily commute so the alternatives would be distance education and boarding school. == Notable deaths ==

• Alwyn Torenbeek (1937-2015), a notable Australian drover, endurance- and bronc rider, was killed in an accident on a rural property at Canoona in 2015. It is believed that the accident occurred when Torenbeek inadvertently pressed the accelerator while attempting to move over to the passenger side of the vehicle he was in, causing it to collide into a post. == References ==