Calen, Queensland

Calen is a small town and locality in Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2011 census, Calen had a population of 451 people.GeographyThe locality of Calen is loosely bounded by One Mile Creek to the south and Blackrock Creek to the north. The land is mostly flat and used for sugar cane farming, apart from some undeveloped mountains across the western boundary of the locality and some small undeveloped hill land in the east.The Bruce Highway passes from the south-east to the north-west of the locality. The North Coast railway line runs immediately north and parallel to the highway.The town of Calen is located on the south-eastern of the locality with the highway and railway passing through it. The Calen railway station is located in the town.A second town of Kolijo is located on the south-eastern edge of the locality, again with the highway and railway passing through it. Calen and Kolijo are separated by St Helens Creek, which might explain the development of two towns less than apart.A neighbourhood called Moondaba exists at the north-western edge of the locality along the highway and railway line. It takes its name from the former Moondaba railway station and is reportedly an Aboriginal word meaning place of snakes. Moondaba is very close to the town of Pindi Pindi to the north, but are separated by the Blackrock Creek.