Mount Morgan, Queensland

Mount Morgan
Queensland

Mount Morgan's Central Business District
Mount Morgan
Coordinates 23°39′S 150°23′E / 23.650°S 150.383°E / -23.650; 150.383Coordinates: 23°39′S 150°23′E / 23.650°S 150.383°E / -23.650; 150.383
Population 2,115 (2011 census)[1]
Established 1882
Postcode(s) 4714
Location
LGA(s) Rockhampton Regional Council
State electorate(s) Mirani
Federal Division(s) Capricornia

Mount Morgan is a town located in central Queensland, Australia. The town was the administrative centre of the Mount Morgan Shire until March 2008, when it was amalgamated with neighbouring local government areas to form the Rockhampton Region. In the 2011 census, Mount Morgan had a population of 2,115 people.[1]

Geography

The town of Mount Morgan is situated on the Dee River, 38 kilometres (24 mi) south of the city of Rockhampton, and is 680 kilometres (420 mi) north of the state capital, Brisbane. The Burnett Highway passes through the town.


History

View of the town of Mount Morgan and the mine beyond from the Queensland National Hotel
Mount Morgan Museum, 2004
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1907

Mount Morgan was founded as a gold mining town in 1882, and over time the Mount Morgan Mine has produced gold, silver and copper. Among those making a fortune from this mine was William Knox D'Arcy. D'Arcy used his fortune to finance oil exploration in Iran, which led to the formation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (now BP).

Mount Morgan Post Office opened on 18 May 1885 (a receiving office had been open from 1884).[2]

The town of Mount Morgan grew in a haphazard fashion around the entrance to the mining lease near the Dee River from the early 1880s. By 1889 a number of the major religions had established congregations and erected churches including the Primitive Methodists (1885), the Catholics (1887) and the Anglicans (1889). That year the town's name was formally changed from 'South Calliungal' to 'Mount Morgan', and by 1891 the Queensland census recorded a population of 3514.[3]

A rack train climbs towards Mount Morgan

The railway link between Mount Morgan and Rockhampton was not built until 1898. Until that time, everything was transported by horse teams. The Mount Morgan Mining Company had a depot in Quay Street, where the wagoners would load up. Initially there were two routes to Rockhampton, one via Crocodile (now Bouldercombe) and the other via Kabra, Boongarry and Moonmera. In 1885, a road was built over the Razorback Range.[4]

Mount Morgan minesite, 2005

The Mount Morgan Mine finally closed in 1981, having produced vast quantities of gold during its lifetime. During the mining operation, most of the mountain was mined away, and the town now lies adjacent to a 43 m deep acid-water filled pit. Mining companies still prospect today in the area, and plans to extract further gold from tailings at the mine site are always under development. The Queensland Government, through its Department of Natural Resources Mines and Water have begun a rehabilitation project of the minesite.

At the 2006 census, Mount Morgan had a population of 2,447.[5]

Heritage listings

Mount Morgan has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Tourism

Panoramic Shot of Mount Morgan, 2008

Tourism plays a large part in the economy of the town today. A number of historic buildings still exist in the town, and tourists can take excursions to the remains of the mine. The area was host to one of the few rack railways (as part of the line from Mount Morgan to Rockhampton) to operate in Australia. The rack portion of the line was replaced by a conventional adhesion railway in the 1950s.[19] In turn, the replacement line was closed in 1987, and the town no longer has a rail connection. The Mount Morgan railway station is still standing and now operates as a Museum and Tourist Information Centre. There is a regular bus service between Rockhampton, Gracemere and Mount Morgan provided by Young's Bus Service.

Events

Mount Morgan is known to hold the Golden Mount Festival in the main street at the end of April or the start of May as part of the Labour Day holiday. The festival usually starts on a Friday and finishes the next Monday. The Morgan Street is closed to vehicles during Saturday of the Festival for the day for markets and activities such as floats and "Running the Cutter" races.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Mount Morgan". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  2. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Erik Eklund, Mining Towns: making a living, making a life, UNSW Press, Sydney, 2012, pp. 75-76.
  4. ↑ "BACK TO COACHING AND TEAMSTER DAYS.". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878-1954). Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 7 June 1950. p. 3 Supplement: Supplement. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  5. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Mount Morgan (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  6. ↑ "Mount Morgan Mine Site (entry 600751)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Grand Hotel (entry 600743)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Mount Morgan Cemetery including Chinese Shrine and Linda Memorial (entry 600753)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "Masonic Temple Mount Morgan (entry 600744)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "St Mary's Anglican Church, Church hall and Bell Tower (entry 601690)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Court House and Police Station (entry 600745)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Coronation Lamp (entry 600750)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Queensland National Hotel (former) (entry 600748)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  14. ↑ "School of Arts Hall & Library (entry 600749)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "Commonwealth Bank (former) (entry 600746)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  16. ↑ "Central State School (entry 600747)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Mount Morgan Railway Station Complex (entry 600752)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Adolphus William Copper Smelter and Dee Township (entry 700013)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  19. ↑ Last Days of the Mount Morgan Rack Railway Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, December, 1950 pp125-126
  20. ↑ Chapter9: Leisure and entertainment: aspects of popular culture at Mount Morgan
  21. ↑ Kay Dreyfus, Alma Moodie and the Landscape of Giftedness, 2002
  22. ↑ Anderson, John, "Tough bush adversary", Townsville Bulletin, 22 December 2001.
  23. ↑ "Fitting farewell for bush policeman", Townsville Bulletin, 22 December 2001.

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