Childers

Childers is a town in southern Queensland, Australia, situated at the junction of the Bruce and Isis Highways. The township lies north of the state capital Brisbane and south-west of Bundaberg. Childers is located within Bundaberg Region local government area. At the 2011 census, Childers had a population of 1,410. The township is set on a ridge overlooking fields of rich volcanic soil. Childers is renowned for its heritage character and is classified a National Trust town. The historic colonial buildings of the main street (Bruce Highway) are set amongst large, shady leopard trees. The sugar cane industry features prominently in Childers and has sustained the town over the years. Fruit and vegetable cropping is common on the lands around town. Tourism is a growing industry in Childers, with a number of the preserved historic buildings in town becoming tourist attractions.

History

Europeans first arrived in the area in the 1850s. Pastoralists established properties soon after to raise cattle on the fertile lands. Back then, sugar was (as it is now) the key crop grown in the Isis. The railway line to Childers opened in 1887 and was pivotal in the early development of the area. The town is reportedly named after Hugh Childers, British statesman, who was the Auditor-General of Victoria in the 1850s. The railway line closed in 1964.