Glenden, a rural town, is 110 km south-west of Mackay. It was named after the Glenden farm block (1918), which adjoined the site chosen for the township in 1981.
Glenden was designed and built by Mount Isa Mines as a township for workers at its Newlands coal mine, 30 km north-west of Glenden. The design accorded with advanced contemporary standards - no cross-road intersections and all public-utility services placed underground - and the town was administered not by the company but by Nebo Shire. Construction began in 1982 and basic services were provided quite early: an ambulance service (1982), a school (1982) a town club (1983) which is licensed and a kindergarten (1983). The school reached year 12 by 1986.
By 1990 Glenden's population was about 1800, but the late 1990s recession in the coal industry lead to a reduction to around 1000 by 2001.
Glenden has a community centre (1987), sports facilities, a local shopping centre, a medical centre and a primary school. Its census populations have been:
| Census Date | Population |
|---|---|
| 1986 | 1264 |
| 1991 | 1677 |
| 2001 | 977 |
| 2006 | 1112 |
| 2011 | 1308 |
George Mayes, Behold Nebo: A history of the Nebo Shire, Glenden, R&R Publications, 1991
