Baranggum (also known as Barrunggam, Barunggam Parrungoom and Murrumgama) is an
Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the
Baranggum people. The Baranggum language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the
Western Downs Regional Council, particularly Dalby,
Tara,
Jandowae and west towards
Chinchilla. Dalby was founded in the early 1840s at a place known locally as "The Crossing" on Myall Creek, a tributary of the
Condamine River. The first settler was Henry Dennis, who explored the region and chose land for himself and others in the locality. Today an
obelisk in Edward Street denotes the location where Dennis camped. In February 1853, the New South Wales government sent the Deputy Surveyor General Captain Samuel Perry to the area to survey a township. In August of the following year,
Charles Douglas Eastaughffe arrived with a document under the Seal of the NSW Government officially proclaiming 'Dalby' a township. Eastaughffe was later appointed Chief Constable and remained in Dalby until his retirement. The name of the town is believed to come from the village of
Dalby on the
Isle of Man and reflects immigration from the Isle of Man in the mid-19th century. In 1859, Dalby became part of the
new Colony of Queensland. Dalby State School opened on 1 June 1861. In 1869, the school split into Dalby Boys State School Dalby Girls State School. In 1885, the girls' school became Dalby Girls & Infants State School. In 1893, the two schools were combined as Dalby State School. In 1914, the school expanded to include a secondary school, which closed in 1954, due to the establishment of a separate secondary school, Dalby State High School. In August 1863, Dalby was officially proclaimed a municipality, the
Borough of Dalby, in the
Queensland Government Gazette. Dalby Non-Vested School opened as a Roman Catholic girls school in 1864 and in 1866 became a non-vested school (the teachers' salaries were paid by the Queensland Government but the government did not operate the school). Circa 1880, the school either closed or continued without government funding. Dalby was linked by the
Western railway line to
Ipswich on 16 April 1868. On Sunday 20 June 1869, the first Presbyterian church was opened in Dalby. Reverend
George Grimm had conducting regular services since 1865. St Columba's School was a Catholic primary school which was opened in 1877 by the
Sisters of Mercy. In 2008, it merged with St Mary's College to create Our Lady of the Southern Cross College. Dalby was believed to have a healthy climate and in October 1900 the
Queensland Government opened the Jubilee
Sanitorium for
consumptive patients. The name
Jubilee commemorates the
Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. In 1904 the
Dalby Town Council erected therapeutic thermal baths using artesian water from a local
bore for those wishing to improve their health by "
taking the waters". In 1938, the council closed the artesian baths as interest in "
taking the waters" was declining. Medical opinion became increasingly doubtful of the benefits of bathing in
mineral waters, favouring drugs and physiotherapy as better treatments. It closed in January 1938 with its remaining patients transferred to Westwood Sanatorium. Kincora Provisional School opened in 1908 "via Dalby" and was renamed Moonie River Provisional School circa December 1908. It closed circa 1916. On 8 December 1912, the Dalby
Methodist Church in Condamine Street was officially opened by the Reverend
Henry Youngman, the President of the Queensland Methodist Conference. In March 1949 it was announced that a new church would be built with the original church to be moved on the site and be used as a church hall. On 1 October 1949 the foundation stone for the new Dalby Methodist Church was laid by Reverend Henry William Prouse, the President of the Queensland Methodist Conference. Construction commenced in May 1950, but there were delays in obtaining building materials until August 1951. The new church was dedicated on Saturday 8 December 1951 by Reverend Tom Hardy Blackburn. When the Methodist Church amalgamated into the
Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, it became the Dalby Uniting Church. The Paragon Cafe was purchased in 1935 by Milton (Miltiadis) Dimitrios Samios part of the cultural phenomenon of
Greek cafes in Queensland. Paragon Cafe employed three men and six women with taking increasing from 90 pounds to 200 pounds within the first year of trading. The
Dalby Olympic Swimming Pool complex was constructed in 1936 and is the earliest identified Olympic standard pool in Queensland constructed outside Brisbane. Dalby State High School opened on 2 February 1954. Bunya Campus was acquired by Dalby State High School at the start of 2011 and has since provided students who live out of the catchment area the opportunity to attend Dalby State High School and participate in all it has to offer as a
boarding student. St Mary's College was a
Catholic secondary school opened on 21 January 1963 by the
Christian Brothers. In 2008, it merged with St Columba's School to create Our Lady of the Southern Cross College. Dalby Christian School was opened on 1 February 1981 by the Dalby Gospel Chapel. The Christian Outreach College opened on 28 January 1984. It closed on 18 September 1991. The second and larger plant opened in 2011. In 2006, the opening of Dalby Shoppingworld at the northern end of Cunningham Street has brought new life to the Dalby CBD. The centre includes
Woolworths,
Big W,
Amcal and other specialty shops. As part of nationwide restructuring,
Target Country closed its store in January 2021 and was replaced by
K Hub, which opened in February. Dalby Library opened in 2014. In 2016, Dalby's population was increasing rapidly with many new estates created and subdivisions made. Some notable new estates include Sunnyside Estate, Heritage Gardens, Callistemon Park and a new estate on the Warrego Highway side of Sandalwood Avenue. == Demographics ==