Originally known as Woodend, the name was officially changed to Kalapa in 1923 to avoid confusion with other communities of the same name such as Woodend.^[3][4]

Woodend State School opened on 8 June 1915 after local property owner Benjamin Dallow donated two acres of land to the education department for the purpose of erecting a new primary school.^[5] The opening was celebrated with a picnic on the banks of Neerkol Creek and an evening dance at the new school where an official ceremony was also held during which Dallow declared the school open.^[5] Some improvements were implemented following the initial opening, including raising the school onto stumps and boarding up unenclosed sides.^[6] The school was then officially opened by Herbert Hardacre in February 1917.^[7]

In 1934 it was renamed Kalapa State School in line with the community's name change a decade earlier.^[8]

Kalapa State School closed on 13 December 1996.^[8][9] The school was at 22 Kalapa Black Mountain Road (23°30′38″S 150°16′06″E / 23.5105°S 150.2682°E / -23.5105; 150.2682 (Kalapa State School (former))).^[10] Following the school's closure, the building was donated and relocated to the Rockhampton Heritage Village township museum at Parkhurst where it has been preserved as a typical Australian country school of the 20th century.^[11] In 2015, the school's centenary was celebrated at Kalapa which included opening a time capsule which had been buried at the school's 75th anniversary in 1990.^[12]

In 2013, Australia's first farm-born, hand-cloned cow was born on a local Kalapa cattle property which attracted considerable interest from the scientific community and agricultural industry.^{[13][14][15][16]} The calf, named "Eve", was cloned from a prize Australian Brangus cow which had been purchased for $20,000.^[15] It was born on Oaklands Brangus Stud during the 2013 floods which were caused by ex-Cyclone Oswald.^[14] Australian reproductive specialists described the event as significant as it was believed to have been the first time a successful handmade cloning had been achieved using a somatic cell nuclear transfer outside a laboratory setting.^[14]

In the 2016 census, Kalapa had a population of 86 people.^[1]

Kalapa is served by the Kalapa & District Fire Brigade. The brigade, made up of volunteer firefighters from the local community, was established in 1956.^[17] It celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2015 when it had 36 active members.^[17] In 2019, that number had grown to 55 active members, aged between 17 and 70.^[18]

The Kalapa Hall and Sports Committee manage the local community hall situated at 16 Kalapa-Black Mountain Road, where various local events, activities and functions are held including the annual Kalapa Horse Sports days.^[19] Repairs to the building and the surrounding grounds had to be undertaken following the major 2013 floods caused by ex-Cyclone Oswald which severely impacted the community of Kalapa.^[20] In 2019, a chair lift was installed to improve access to the hall for people with mobility issues.^[21] The Kalapa branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association regularly meets at the hall.^[22]