Macalister, Queensland

Macalister is a town and a locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Macalister and the surrounding area had a population of 486.GeographyThe town is located in the Darling Downs and on the Warrego Highway, 235km north west of the state capital, Brisbane. Within the locality to the south-east of the town of Macalister is the neighboroughood of Apunyal.HistoryThe town is named after Arthur Macalister, Premier of Queensland from 1866 to 1867. The name Apunyal is an Aboriginal word meaning large plain.Macalister Post Office opened on 1 July 1880 (a receiving office had been open from 1876, known as Jimbour Creek until 1878) and closed in 1980.Macalister Provisional School opened on 27 August 1894, becoming Macalister State School on 1 January 1909. In 1913 it was renamed Apunyal State School, while a newly opened school took the name Macalister State School. Apunyal State School closed about 1935, while the second Macalister State School closed on 4 May 1973.