The land is mostly low-lying 10 metres (33 ft) or less above sea level but with some hills rising to 60 metres (200 ft).[4]
The land in the east and south-east of the suburb is residential. There is a small industrial estate in the south-east. The remainder of the suburb remains rural, mostly growing sugarcane and some grazing on native vegetation.[4]
The Bruce Highway passes through the suburb from the east (Mount Pleasant) to the west (Farleigh). The North Coast railway line enters the suburb from the north-east (Richmond) and exits to the west (Farleigh). There is a network of cane tramways through the suburb operated by Mackay Sugar to deliver the harvested sugarcane to the sugar mills, the nearest being Farleigh mill in Farleigh.[4]
History
Mackay North State School opened on 3 February 1879 with an initial enrolment of 35 children. The first teacher was Daniel Shea. It was renamed Glenella State School on 1 April 1912. The school was so badly damaged in the 1918 Mackay cyclone that it was completely rebuilt.[5] (It should not be confused with the current Mackay North State School in North Mackay which opened in 1915). The school was also known informally as Hill End State School as that was an earlier name for Glenella.[6][7]
Glenella Hall opened on Saturday 8 October 1938 with a dance to raise funds for the Mackay Ambulance. Over 300 people attended. The owner of the hall was Ted Jackson and it was located next door to his Glenalla Hotel on the corner of Hill End Road and Davey Street. The hotel was demolished in circa 1980.[8][9]
Demographics
In the 2011 census, the suburb of Glenella had a population of 4,633 people.[10]
In the 2016 census, the suburb of Glenella had a population of 4,519 people.[11]
In the 2021 census, the suburb of Glenella had a population of 4,545 people.[1]
^"History". Glenella State School. 22 December 2019. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
^"New Hall Opened". Daily Mercury. Vol. 72, no. 243. Queensland, Australia. 12 October 1938. p. 8. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.