Aboriginal Shire of Cherbourg
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Cherbourg Queensland |
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 Cherbourg
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| Coordinates | 26°17′S 151°57′E / 26.283°S 151.950°ECoordinates: 26°17′S 151°57′E / 26.283°S 151.950°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 1,128 (2006 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1900 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4605 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 6 km (4 mi) E of Murgon | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Callide | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Wide Bay | ||||||||||||||
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Cherbourg (/ˈʃɜːrbɜːrɡ/, locally [ˈʃɜːbɜːɡ]) is a town and locality in the Aboriginal Shire of Cherbourg in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Cherbourg had a population of 1,128.
Cherbourg is located off the Bunya Highway approximately 250 kilometres (155 mi) north-west of Brisbane and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the town of Murgon. It is situated very close to the dam wall of Bjelke-Petersen Dam. Attractions in Cherbourg include the 'Bert Button Lookout' and 'Emu Farm Tours'.
The town, formerly known as Barambah, was founded as a settlement for Aborigines in the early 1900s under a policy of segregation being pursued by the Government of Queensland. Its history has been described in at least two books, Dumping Ground by Thom Blake and Is That You Ruthie? by Ruth Hegarty.
The town takes its name from the original 1840s pastoral run, the name of which is thought to be a corruption of "Chirbury", the town in Shropshire, England, which was the birthplace of pastoralist Richard Jones, the lessee of the run in the 1850's.
In 1900, the Salvation Army negotiated for the establishment of the Barambah Aboriginal Reserve, which was gazetted over 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) on 23 February 1901. It was initially populated with a few local Aborigines, but others from the Esk region were soon sent to the reserve. Many were forcibly removed from their homes and "settled" at Barambah which was later renamed 'Cherbourg'. Sometimes they were sent there as punishment for refusing to work. People from 109 different areas were mixed together and they were not allowed to speak their own languages.
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