The area was originally named Mount Goulburn after Henry Goulburn by surveyor Dixon. However, later it was renamed Wongawallan, believed to be an Aboriginal word where wonga means pigeon and walla means water.[6]
However, it has been claimed that it was named after an Aboriginal man nicknamed "Peter" who killed John Wilkinson, a settler, at Wongawallan Creek in 1876.,[7] but contemporaneous newspaper reports of the death of Wilkinson only refer to the Aboriginal man as "Peter".[8][9][10][11][12][13]
The Fox and Hounds Country Inn opened its doors in 2007. The inn is an English-inspired pub and restaurant, containing both English and Irish bar areas, as well as a beer garden and upstairs suite. Much of the inn’s internal fittings, furnishings and memorabilia came from the 18th-century Sussex Arms Hotel in Tunbridge Wells, in the United Kingdom. The pub also hosts a number of regular and local events, and bookings can be made for private dinners and functions.[14]
Demographics
In the 2011 census, Wongawallan had a population of 1,103 people.[15]
In the 2016 census, Wongawallan had a population of 1,273 people.[16]
In the 2021 census, Wongawallan had a population of 1,415 people.[1]
Heritage listings
There are a number of heritage-listed sites in Wongawallan, including:
Welch Pioneer Park, 881 Tamborine-Oxenford Road: Grave of Elizabeth Welch [17]
Education
There are no schools in Wongawallan. The nearest government primary schools are Highlands Reserve State School and Upper Coomera State College, both in neighbouring Upper Coomera to the east, and Tamborine Mountain State School in neighbouring Tamborine Mountain to the south-west. The nearest government secondary schools are Upper Coomera State College in neighbouring Upper Coomera to the east and Tamborine Mountain State High School in neighbouring Tamborine Mountain to the south-east.[4]
Amenities
There are a number of parks in the locality, including:
