Home Hill, Queensland is a town and locality in the Burdekin Shire, Queensland, Australia at the delta of the Burdekin River. It is a sugarcane growing area with underground water supplies to irrigate crops. In the 2011 census, Home Hill had a population of 3,027 people.
Geography
Home Hill lies approximately 98 kilometres (61 mi) south of Townsville and 1,269 kilometres (789 mi) north of the state capital Brisbane on the Bruce Highway. It is a part of the Burdekin Region which includes the neighbouring town of Ayr. Both towns are governed by the Burdekin Shire Council.
The Burdekin River forms the locality's north-western boundary. The urban area is situated centrally within the locality surrounded by crop farming. The Bruce Highway passes through the town from the south-east to the north-west crossing the river via the Burdekin Bridge to Ayr. The North Coast railway line runs immediately parallel and south of the highway with the Home Hill railway station located in the town centre; it too crosses the river on the Burdekin Bridge. To the west of the town is Gardiner's Lagooon. Despite its name, the land in the locality is very flat.
Economy
The town relies on its primary industries. The major crop grown in Home Hill is sugarcane. Other crops include mango and various vegetables.
History
Home Hill was originally part of the Inkerman Downs Cattle Station. In August 1910, the Inkerman estate was resumed by the Queensland Government under the Closer Settlement Act. It was subdivided into farming allotments. Although the town of Ayr was very close by, there was no bridge across the Burdekin River and hence it was necessary to establish a separate town to support the new farming community. The first blocks of town land were offered for sale in December 1912 under the name of Home Hill.
The origin of the name Home Hill is much disputed. The Queensland Government claims it was named after Home Hill, a hilltop defended by the British Army in the Battle of Inkerman in the Crimean War. However it has also been claimed that it was named after Colonel Home who lived in the district and had fought in the Crimea. Another claim is that the name was originally Holme Hill which was corrupted into Home Hill, possibly by a signwriter painting the name at the railway station. A newspaper report in September 1912 calls the proposed town Holme Hill but also makes the connection with the Battle of Inkerman. There are also numerous early references to the town as Holm Hill. Certainly the Hill part of the name does not relate to the local geography which is quite flat with the nearest hill is about 10 kilometres away.
Home Hill Post Office opened by 1913 (a receiving office had been open from 1912). In the 1990s there were rumours that the post office would be closed. However, eventually the decision was made to privatise it in 1997.
A tent school was opened in the district on 23 March 1913 but was replaced by the Inkerman State School on 25 October 1913 which was renamed Home Hill State School on 19 January 1914. Another Inkerman State School was opened in 1915 and was closed on 31 December 1974.
A low-level railway bridge was built across the river in 1913 enabling a railway link between Ayr and Bowen via Home Hill. A low-level road bridge was built in 1923. However, the frequent flooding of the Burdekin River made these bridges frequently unusable and often damaged. Due to the lack of rock in the sandy soil to use as foundations, for many years it was not believed possible to build a high-level bridge across the Burdekin River. However, by copying construction techniques used in India for sand-footing bridges, work began on the Burdekin Bridge in April 1947 but it was not opened until 15 June 1957. At 1097 metres (3,600 ft) in length, the Burdekin Bridge is one of the longest multi-span bridges in Australia and the only one in Australia without a firm footing.
The farming allocations were taken up to grow sugar cane and the town developed quite quickly after the establishment of the Inkerman sugar mill in 1914.
The earliest recorded burials in Home Hill cemetery were in 1917. In 2007 a lawn cemetery section was added.
In 1922, a power station was built enabling electricity to be supplied for the first time in Home Hill.
In 1923, the first courthouse in Home Hill opened, operating from a timber building that had formerly been used as Jensen's Boot Palace. The building was relocated to the present courthouse site, where it was replaced by the extant brick structure in 1937. The court house closed in 1991 after which it was occupied by a tourist information centre and then local radio station Sweet FM.
Home Hill's own newspaper the ''Home Hill Observer'' commenced in 1923 under proprietor and editor Thomas (Tom) Jackson, relocating offices a number of times over the years. In June 2014, the newspaper ceased publication; the then editor was David Jackson, grandson of Tom.
The Home Hill Agricultural, Horticultural and Industrial Society held its first show on 20 November 1926. In 1935 the society established its own grounds and erected pavilions.The shows were held annually (apart from 1942 to 1944 due to World War 2) until 2001 when the shows were no longer economically viable.
On 16 February 1959, Cyclone Connie struck Home Hill. No building escaped damage with every window broken in the main street. One hundred people were made homeless.
The first Home Hill Harvest Festival was held in 1963. It continues to be held annually in November to celebrate the end of the sugar cane crushing season.
Home Hill State High School opened on 28 January 1964.
Some farmers began to experiment with rice in the 1960s with a local rice mill opening in 1968. However, the rice industry collapsed in Queensland in 1994 when the Queensland Rice Marketing Board experienced financial difficulties bringing this crop to an end in the Home Hill area. However, other crops have been introduced to the area and found their niche in the economy; they include mangoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, chillies, sorghum, maize, cotton and cassava.
Town water via a water tower was supplied in Home Hill from 27 March 1968. Prior to this many used windmills and electric pumps to extract water from beneath the ground. Sewerage was installed from 1976 to 1979 with most household using septic tanks before then.
In the mid 1980s, the economics of sugarcane farming worsened with rising costs and falling prices. Mechanisation was needed to reduce labour costs but the cost of purchasing the equipment was high. Small farms became increasingly less viable leading to the slogan "Get big or get out" which saw many leave the industry allowing those who remained to create larger more viable farms.
When the railway station closed in 2003, its buildings found a new role as a tourist information office and community bank.
At the 2006 census, Home Hill had a population of 2,907.
Heritage listings
Home Hill has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Tourism
The main attractions in Home Hill are the Burdekin bridge, Inkerman Sugar Mill and Ashworth's Rock Shop. In the past few years it has become increasingly popular for backpackers, who flock to the area to earn money planting and harvesting crops.