Dawson Valley

About Us
Our Team
Our Location

About Dawson Valley ICPA

The Dawson Valley branch of The Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) brings together families across the central Dawson Valley who share a common goal: ensuring rural and remote children can access the same quality education opportunities as their urban peers.

Our branch represents families from Cracow, Camboon, Theodore, Moura, Baralaba, Banana, Biloela and Thangool and surrounding districts. Many of our members have children at every stage of the education journey — from early childhood, in local rural schools, studying through Distance Education ...... through to boarding school, trades, TAFE and university.

Through local meetings, conversations with schools and community groups, and formal advocacy through the Queensland and Federal ICPA conferences, our members work together to raise issues affecting rural families and help shape practical solutions.

What we focus on locally

Typical Dawson Valley ICPA discussions centre around the real, everyday matters that influence education access in rural communities, including:

Early childhood education and childcare access
Rural school bus services and student transport
Teacher attraction and retention in small schools
Specific education needs, access to program and school subject streams
Support for students studying away from home
Education pathways from primary through to tertiary and training

Local issues often become motions for the Queensland State and Federal ICPA conferences, where grassroots concerns from families like ours help guide broader advocacy and policy discussions.

Branch life

Our meetings are practical, friendly and welcoming. Whether it’s a “cuppa, cake and conversation” meetings, helping new families settle into the district through Meet & Greet functions, or working together on community events, the branch provides a place for rural families to connect and support one another.

Dawson Valley ICPA also has a long tradition of contributing to the local community. Over many years, members have partnered with community groups and has a long running fundraising tradition of catering for the annual Gyranda bull sale, a day that continues to bring people together on the banks of the Dawson River.

Our beginnings

The branch has strong local roots. In 1979, families from the Cracow–Eidsvold district held their first ICPA meeting in a paddock beside the main dirt road south-east of Cracow — a fitting reminder of the distances rural families travel to advocate for their children’s education.

The Dawson Valley branch was formed on 4 February 1987 with 37 members to address local school-based needs. Following changes to local school services in the 1990s, families connected with the Cracow bus run joined the Dawson Valley branch, while the Cracow-Eidsvold branch evolved into what is now the North Burnett branch.

Although the setting of meetings may have changed over the years, the motivation remains the same: rural families working together to improve education access for country children.

Join us

If you live in the Dawson Valley region and have an interest in rural education, we would love to welcome you.

Whether you have young children just starting school, teenagers studying away from home, or simply an interest in strengthening education opportunities in rural communities, Dawson Valley ICPA is a great way to connect, contribute and stay informed.

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the dedication of the founding committee and the many volunteers who have contributed to the branch over the decades, along with our Branch Life Members, whose commitment has helped shape Dawson Valley ICPA into the strong local voice it is today.