Tamborine is a rural town in the Scenic Rim Region and a locality split between the Scenic Rim Region and the City of Logan in Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Tamborine had a population of 4,388 people.
Yugembah (also known as Yugumbir, Jugambel, Jugambeir, Jugumbir, Jukam, Jukamba) is one of the Australian Aboriginal languages in areas that include the Beenleigh, Beaudesert, Gold Coast, Logan, Scenic Rim, Albert River, Coolangatta, Coomera, Logan River, Pimpama, Tamborine and Tweed River Valley, within the local government boundaries of the City of Gold Coast, City of Logan, Scenic Rim Region and the Tweed River Valley.
Before British colonisation the region was inhabited by the Wanggeriburra clan of the Yugambeh people. They called the area Tamboreen or Tchambreen meaning "place of yams".
British colonists, Mr Whitting and Hicks, took land at Tamboreen in 1845 and changed the name to Burton Vale. Since then, the pastoral property has been called Tamboreen then Tambourine, while the name of the present-day settlement is Tamborine. During the 1850s, various raids by the Native Police, particularly under Sub-Inspector Frederick Wheeler, liquidated most of the Wanggeriburra people from the region.
Dugald Graham bought the Tambourine property in the 1850s while Joseph Delpratt took ownership in the 1870s. Closer settlement followed with Thomas Plunkett opening a store at Tambourine in 1872, and a post office opened two years later.
St Patrick's Catholic Church was established in the early 1870s on the south bank of the Albert River on Michael Yores' property "Spiddle" near a swamp. Originally there was a cemetery near the church but due to flooding, it was decided to relocate the Catholic cemetery to land donated by Thomas Plunkett on Plunkett Road. In the 1960s the church was moved to the site of the former Tamborine railway station, where it was renovated and then dedicated in June 1966 by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane Patrick Mary O'Donnell. As at 2020, a monthly vigil service is held at the church.
Tambourine Provisional School was instigated by Michael Yore and Thomas Plunkett. It was opened on 24 August 1874 in St Patrick's Catholic Church. In February 1905, the Queensland Government provided 10 acres (4.0 ha) for a permanent school building at 2680-2726 Waterford Tamborine Road (27°52′36″S 153°07′30″E / 27.8767°S 153.1250°E). On 1 January 1909 the school became Tambourine State School. The spelling was changed to Tamborine on 29 April 1926. In 1933 a larger teacher's residence was built. Tamborine State School closed on 10 July 1970. The teacher's residence was relocated to Tamrookum. The school building was relocated to Chambers Flat at the Beaudesert Shire Council's depot. The site of the school is now the Tamborine School Park. The former school building has been returned to the park where it is signed as "The Little School House" and is available for community meetings.
The Canungra railway line from Logan Village railway station on the South Coast railway line to Canungra was opened on 2 July 1915. The railway line closed on 1 July 1955. There were three railway stations on the line within present day locality of Tamborine:
The Tamborine Memorial Hall was built in 1919.
During World War II, the 32nd Infantry Division of the American Army established a camp initially called Camp Tamborine (but later called Camp Cable after deceased soldier Gerald O. Cable) at Tamborine in 1942. Its location is now Logan Village / Yarrabilba.
Formerly in the Shire of Beaudesert, Tamborine was split between Logan City and Scenic Rim Region following the local government amalgamations in March 2008.
In the 2011 census, Tamborine had a population of 3,464 people.
In the 2016 census, the locality of Tamborine had a population of 3,950 people.
In the 2021 census, the locality of Tamborine had a population of 4,388 people.
History info courtesy of Wikipedia
