It was named by the Queensland Railways Department on 11 May 1916 and is an Aboriginal word describing a particular species of tree.[6]
History
The town's name is derived from a pastoral run name used from 1862, reportedly an Aboriginal word group for trees by a creek (from womal meaning tree/timber and illa meaning creek).[2]
Womalilla Creek No 1 Provisional School and Womalilla Creek No 2 Provisional School were to be opened together in 1913 to operate as a pair of part-time schools (meaning they would share one teacher between the two schools. However, the No 2 school opened on 24 August 1913 but it was not until 3 July 1914 that the No 1 school opened. Both schools closed in 1929 due to low student numbers.[7]
On 17 April 1935, the new Womalilla Provisional School opened and operated on a full-time basis. In 1937, it became Womalilla State School. The school closed in 1954.[7][8]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, the locality of Womalilla had a population of 39 people.[9]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Womalilla had a population of 72 people.[1]