Population 555 (2011 census) LGA(s) Moreton Bay Region Samsonvale Cashmere Federal division Division of Dickson | Postcode(s) 4520 State electorate(s) Pine Rivers Postal code 4520 | |
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Samsonvale is a locality within the Moreton Bay Region of Queensland, Australia.
Contents
Map of Samsonvale QLD 4520, Australia
The district is dominated by Lake Samsonvale, the waters of North Pine Dam, one of the three main water-suppliers to the metropolitan region. Samsonvale sits below the highest peak in the area, Mount Samson.
Demographics
In the 2011 census, Samsonvale recorded a population of 555 people, 49.2% female and 50.8% male. The median age of the Samsonvale population was 38 years, 1 year above the national median of 37. 83.8% of people living in Samsonvale were born in Australia. The other top responses for country of birth were England 6.1%, New Zealand 1.8%, Germany 0.9%, Papua New Guinea 0.9%, South Africa 0.7%. 94.2% of people spoke only English at home; the next most common languages were 1.4% German, 0.7% Arabic, 0.7% Spanish, 0.5% French.
History
Samsonvale was occupied by the indigenous people, who named the area Tukuwompa.
Samsonvale began as a pastoral run in 1845 predominately of the Joyner family, after whom a nearby suburb is named.
The history of Samsonvale is, it seems, one of forced resumptions with three quarters of the Joyner's original pastoral run in the 1860s being taken from them.
A little over one hundred years later, the district's farming families were once again be forced from their farms, this time to allow for the construction of the North Pine Dam.
For the first half of the last Century Samsonvale was predominantly a dairy farming community centered on a station on the Dayboro railway line.
The construction of the North Pine Dam and the flooding of Lake Samsonvale in the 1970s caused a series of forced resumptions of family farms. The flooding of the Lake also closed the Presbyterian Church, community hall, and post office.
All that remains today at the site of the old village is a cemetery with much of the former district underwater, along with the original Samsonvale pastoral run and much of the district's best farming land.
The current Samsonvale Rural Fire Brigade facility sits above what was once the center of the Kobble Creek community.
In 2006, during a drought seeing water levels of Lake Samsonvale falling to unprecedented lows, archeological works were considered by the local council to preserve historic artifacts from flooded homesteads dating back to the 19th Century. In 2010 Lake Samsonvale is once again filled to capacity, covering the historical sites and much of the district's best farming land.
The area around the cemetery has a natural beauty and a large biodiversity, with over 250 species of bird recorded.