The Leap, Queensland

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Suburb of Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia

The Leap
Queensland

The Leap

Coordinates| 21°03′50″S 149°01′22″E﻿ / ﻿21.0638°S 149.0227°E﻿ / -21.0638; 149.0227﻿ (The Leap (centre of locality))
Population| 664 (2021 census)[1]
• Density| 11.986/km2 (31.04/sq mi)
Postcode(s)| 4740
Area| 55.4 km2 (21.4 sq mi)
Time zone| AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location|

* 22.7 km (14 mi) NW of Mackay CBD
* 994 km (618 mi) NNW of Brisbane

LGA(s)| Mackay Region
State electorate(s)| Whitsunday
Federal division(s)| Dawson
| Suburbs around The Leap:

Mount Jukes | Coral Sea | Habana
Kuttabul | The Leap | Habana
Hampden | Balnagowan | Farleigh

The Leap is a coastal rural locality in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2021 census, The Leap had a population of 664 people.[1]

## Geography

[edit]

The locality is bounded to the north-west by Constant Creek and to the north by its mouth (21°00′00″S 149°01′00″E﻿ / ﻿21.0000°S 149.0167°E﻿ / -21.0000; 149.0167﻿ (Constant Creek (mouth))) into the Coral Sea.[3] Sand Bay is offshore (20°57′00″S 149°03′13″E﻿ / ﻿20.95000°S 149.0536°E﻿ / -20.95000; 149.0536﻿ (Sand Bay)).[4][5][6]

The locality has a number of named peaks, including:

* Sugarloaf Peak (21°06′12″S 149°01′52″E﻿ / ﻿21.1034°S 149.0310°E﻿ / -21.1034; 149.0310﻿ (Sugarloaf Peak)) 254 metres (833 ft)[7]
* The Leap (Mount Mandurana) (21°04′06″S 149°01′30″E﻿ / ﻿21.0682°S 149.0251°E﻿ / -21.0682; 149.0251﻿ (The Leap (Mount Mandurana))) 306 metres (1,004 ft)[7][8]
* The Sister (21°03′42″S 149°02′31″E﻿ / ﻿21.0617°S 149.0420°E﻿ / -21.0617; 149.0420﻿ (The Sister)) 182 metres (597 ft)[7][9]

There is a section of the Pioneer Peaks National Park in the centre of the locality. To the immediate west and south of the national park are areas of rural residential housing. The land use in the rest of the locality is a mixture of grazing and crop growing (predominantly sugarcane).[6]

The Bruce Highway enters the locality from the south-east (Farleigh) and exits to the south-west (Hampden). The North Coast railway line follows a similar route to the north of the highway but there are no railway stations on that line serving the locality.[6] There is a network of cane tramways in the locality to transport the harvested sugarcane to the sugar mill for processing.[10]

## History

[edit]

The Leap is named for a historical event in which it is widely believed an Aboriginal woman carrying her daughter leapt off a cliff to evade capture by the Queensland Native Police circa 1860. The woman died but her daughter survived.[11]

The Leap Provisional School opened on 13 March 1893. On 1 January 1909, it became The Leap State School. In 1919, Arthur Edward Hunter (of The Leap Hotel) donated 1.1786 hectares (2.912 acres) of land for the school.[12] The school closed on 8 August 1969.[13] As the land had been donated for school purposes, the usual practice was that the land was returned to the donor or their heirs. Two people made claims to be Hunter's relatives, but the Queensland Government did not find the claims to be proven and decided in 1988 to sell the land and kept the proceeds.[12] The school was at 2105 Maraju Yakapari Road (21°04′12″S 149°00′30″E﻿ / ﻿21.0700°S 149.00847°E﻿ / -21.0700; 149.00847﻿ (The Leap State School (former))).[14][15][6]

The North Coast railway line reached The Leap in 1924, [citation needed] with the area being served by the following now-abandoned stations (from south to north):

* Wundaru railway station (21°05′13″S 149°03′35″E﻿ / ﻿21.0869°S 149.0597°E﻿ / -21.0869; 149.0597﻿ (Wundaru railway station))[10]
* Mapalo railway station (21°04′56″S 149°02′33″E﻿ / ﻿21.0823°S 149.0426°E﻿ / -21.0823; 149.0426﻿ (Mapalo railway station))[10]

* The Leap railway station (21°04′39″S 149°01′29″E﻿ / ﻿21.0774°S 149.0247°E﻿ / -21.0774; 149.0247﻿ (The Leap railway station))[10]
* Yakapari railway station (21°04′08″S 149°00′10″E﻿ / ﻿21.0690°S 149.0029°E﻿ / -21.0690; 149.0029﻿ (Yakapari railway station))[10]

## Demographics

[edit]

In the 2011 census, The Leap had a population of 673 people.[16]

In the 2016 census, The Leap had a population of 642 people.[17]

In the 2021 census, The Leap had a population of 664 people.[1]

## Heritage listings

[edit]

The Leap cane lift, 2011

The Leap has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

* The Leap Cane Lift, Bruce Highway (21°05′07″S 149°02′01″E﻿ / ﻿21.0854°S 149.0335°E﻿ / -21.0854; 149.0335﻿ (The Leap cane lift))[18]

## Education

[edit]

There are no schools in The Leap. The nearest government primary schools are Coningsby State School and Farleigh State School, both in neighbouring Fairleigh to the south-east. The nearest government secondary school are Mackay Northern Beaches State High School in Rural View to the east and Mackay North State High School in North Mackay to the south-east.[19]

## Attractions

[edit]

A sculpture representing the Aboriginal woman who jumped from the cliff was erected outside a local hotel in the area.[20]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "The Leap (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. ^ "The Leap – locality in Mackay Region (entry 46844)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
3. ^ "Constant Creek – watercourse in the Mackay Region (entry 7980)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
4. ^ "Bays - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
5. ^ "Sand Bay – bay in the Mackay Region (entry 29571)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
6. ^ a b c d "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
7. ^ a b c "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
8. ^ "The Leap – mountain in Mackay Region (entry 34007)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
9. ^ "The Sister – mountain in Mackay Region (entry 34110)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
10. ^ a b c d e "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
11. ^ "Instagram-friendly signage at Aboriginal massacre site prompts outrage". ABC News. 14 February 2018. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
12. ^ a b "Item ID3000035, Disposal of the Former The Leap State School Site. - Mr B.G. Littleproud". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
13. ^ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
14. ^ "Mackay (western half)" (Map). Queensland Government. 1942. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
15. ^ "Queensland Two Mile series sheet 2m309" (Map). Queensland Government. 1952. Archived from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
16. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "The Leap". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
17. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "The Leap (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
18. ^ "The Leap Cane Lift (entry 602748)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
19. ^ "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
20. ^ Hall, Glen (24 October 2022). "The legend of The Leap Aboriginal massacre: Truth or fiction?". The Daily Mercury. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.

## Further reading

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Leap, Queensland.

* Tareha, Nicola Jane; Foundation for Australian Literary Studies (1986), The legend of The Leap, Foundation for Australian Literary Studies, ISBN 978-0-86443-204-9
* Pym, Rob (1987), Hampden State School 1887-1987, Centenary 1987 : incorporating the Leap State School, 1893-1969, Hampden Parents and Citizens Association

* v
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Towns, suburbs and localities in the Mackay Region, Queensland

* Alexandra
* Alligator Creek
* Andergrove
* Armstrong Beach
* Bakers Creek
* Balberra
* Ball Bay
* Balnagowan
* Beaconsfield
* Belmunda
* Benholme
* Blacks Beach
* Bloomsbury
* Brightly
* Broken River
* Bucasia
* Calen
* Campwin Beach
* Cape Hillsborough
* Chelona
* Crediton
* Cremorne
* Dalrymple Heights
* Devereux Creek
* Dolphin Heads
* Dows Creek
* Dumbleton
* Dunnrock
* East Mackay
* Eimeo
* Erakala
* Eton
* Eungella
* Eungella Dam
* Eungella Hinterland
* Farleigh
* Finch Hatton
* Foulden
* Freshwater Point
* Gargett
* Glenella
* Grasstree
* Grasstree Beach
* Greenmount
* Habana
* Half Tide
* Haliday Bay
* Hampden
* Hay Point
* Hazledean
* Hector
* Homebush
* Kinchant Dam
* Kolijo
* Koumala
* Kuttabul
* Laguna Quays
* Mackay (city)
* Mackay (suburb)
* Mackay Harbour
* Marian
* McEwens Beach
* Mentmore
* Mia Mia
* Midge Point
* Mirani
* Mount Charlton
* Mount Jukes
* Mount Martin
* Mount Ossa
* Mount Pelion
* Mount Pleasant
* Munbura
* Netherdale
* Nindaroo
* North Eton
* North Mackay
* Oakenden
* Ooralea
* Owens Creek
* Paget
* Palmyra
* Pindi Pindi
* Pinevale
* Pinnacle
* Pleystowe
* Racecourse
* Richmond
* Rosella
* Rural View
* Sandiford
* Sarina
* Sarina Beach
* Sarina Range
* Seaforth
* Septimus
* Shoal Point
* Slade Point
* South Mackay
* St Helens Beach
* Sunnyside
* Te Kowai
* The Leap
* Victoria Plains
* Walkerston
* West Mackay
* Yalboroo
* Zelma

Main Article: Local government areas of Queensland
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