Claims have been made that Cooladdi is Australia's smallest town by population.[5] In 2015, the population was 3 (down from 4 in 2013), all of whom lived at the general store.[6] In the 2021 census, the locality of Cooladdi had a population of 7 people.[1]
Geography
The town is in the centre of the locality. The Western railway line passes from east to west through the town and locality. The locality was served by a number of railway stations (from east to west):[7]
The railway station was originally called Yarronvale after a local pastoral station with the town taking its name from the railway station. However, it was renamed in 1913 to Cooladdi, an Aboriginal word meaning black duck, to avoid confusion with the pastoral station, which was 15 miles away.[citation needed]
Cooladdi was a railhead for the local pastoral community. At one time, Cooladdi had a school, post office, and police station with a population of about 270 people. As the railway line extended further west, Cooladdi's role and population declined.[10]
In 2015, the population was 3 (down from 4 in 2013), all of whom resided at the general store.[6]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Cooladdi had a population of 16 people.[15]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Cooladdi had a population of 7 people.[1]
Education
There are no schools in Cooladi. The nearest government primary and secondary schools Charleville State School and Charleville State High School respectively both in Charleville to the north-east. However, only those living in the east of the locality would be within daily commuting range. Other options are distance education and boarding schools.[7]
Economy
There are a number of homesteads in the locality:[16]
^Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN978-1-921171-26-0
^"WESTERN LINE". Daily Mail. No. 7289. Brisbane. 9 July 1925. p. 14. Retrieved 21 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.