It is part of the Border Rivers region of waterways. The confluence of the Macintyre Brook and Canning Creek is sited just north of Inglewood, with the brook running 270° around the town.[5]
Olive growing is a comparatively new industry in the area. Other established industries include sheep and cattle raising, grain growing and timber harvesting. Tobacco growing was common around Inglewood over the last 60 years.
English botanist and explorer Allan Cunningham has been credited with being the first European to discover the Inglewood area. He passed through east of the present township in May 1827. The first settlement in the area was known as Browns Inn[2] and was an important watering point for bullock teams moving west. The inn opened in the late 1850s on the south side of Macintyre Brook.
In April 1862, a town was surveyed by L.F. Landsbergon on the higher northern side of Macintyre Book. Plans were drawn up for the present site and the name changed from Pariagna to Inglewood by Landsberg using a compound word ingol (an Aboriginal word meaning cypress pine) and the English word wood referring to a clump of trees on the northern side of the brook.[2]
Inglewood Post Office opened on 16 September 1866.[7] Most of the hinterland consisted of station holdings which were selected as early as 1848 and were the start of the wool, cattle and wheat base of the region.[8]
Inglewood State School opened on 13 February 1872 as a primary with a secondary department opened on 25 January 1960.[9]
Anglican and Catholic churches opened in 1894 and 1902 respectively.[8]
Inglewood Presbyterian Church was officially opened and dedicated by Reverend Richard Kerr on Sunday 30 September 1906.[8][10]
The Thane-to Inglewood section of the South Western railway line opened on 8 July 1907, with Inglewood being served by the Inglewood railway station. The station was originally called 'Pariagna' but the name was changed to Inglewood when the town's name changed. The next section from Inglewood to Goondiwindi was completed on 13 October 1908.[11]
Nine years later Inglewood became a rail junction when the line to Texas was opened. It carried freight, including fuel to, and ore from, the Silverspur mine east of Texas. The Texas rail line was closed in 1994, due to lack of passengers and the usage of trucks to move freight. Local dairying was served by a branch factory of the Warwick Co-operative between 1940 and 1960.
Because Inglewood only offers schooling up to Year 10, students often travel daily to Goondiwindi by bus service (established in 1993) or attend boarding schools in Warwick, Toowoomba and Brisbane to complete Years 11 and 12.
Facilities
Our Lady of the Southern Cross Roman Catholic Church, 2008Inglewood Presbyterian Church
Inglewood has a public library open to the community, a Civic Centre which hosts local events and plays, sports grounds, tennis courts, swimming pool, golf course, and bowling club.[22] The Goondiwindi Regional Council operates a public library in Inglewood at the Civic Centre, corner of Albert and Elizabeth Streets.[23]
Inglewood Presbyterian Church is at 15 Regent Street.[25]
Attractions
Inglewood's main attraction is Lake Coolmunda, 13 km (8.1 mi) east of town. The lake is a popular location for water skiing, sailing, canoeing, fishing, camping and bird watching.[26] The Inglewood & District Historical Society runs a small exhibit in the Inglewood Heritage Centre showcasing the history of exploration, settlement, education, culture, agriculture, industry and transportation in the area.[27]
