Dimbulah, Queensland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dimbulah is a town located in Far North Queensland, Australia, 114 kilometres from Cairns by road, on the Atherton Tableland. The town was established in 1876 to service the Tyrconnell Gold Mine, one of the richest mines on the Hodgkinson Gold Fields. The name "Dimbulah" is thought to have come from the local Indigenous Australian word for "long waterhole", referring to the Walsh River that runs nearby the town.
The area around Dimbulah was originally home to the Djankun and Kuku Djungan tribe. During the 1920s the Queensland government forcibly removed most of their children, forcing the tribe to scatter.
In the early 1900's the area received an influx of Italian migrants and in 1928 tobacco was introduced, becoming the areas major industry soon after. At its peak, there were 800 growers in the area, producing over 8,000 tonnes (60% of national yield) of tobacco a year.
Tobacco remained the dominant crop until recent years when government policy compelled its demise. Recent attempts at alternative crops such as tea trees, mangos, sugar cane and cash crops (pumpkins, melons, etc.) have met with mixed success.
[edit] Education
- Dimbulah State School (founded September 1914), Age range 5-15 years
- St Anthony's School (Catholic - founded January 1966)
[edit] External links
- Dimbulah State School
- Peace Art by students of St Anthony's School.
- Djankum Tribe in Tindale's Catalogue of Australian Aboriginal Tribes
| Atherton Tableland | |
|---|---|
| Attractions: Lake Tinaroo | Lake Eacham | Lake Barrine | Malanda Falls | Millaa Millaa Falls | Mount Hypipamee Crater | Mount Quincan | Seven Sisters | Curtain Fig Tree | Davies Creek | |
| Towns: Atherton | Dimbulah | Herberton | Kairi | Kuranda | Mareeba | Malanda | Millaa Millaa | Mutchilba | Ravenshoe | Tinaroo | Tolga | Walkamin | Yungaburra | |
| Local Government Areas: Atherton Shire | Eacham Shire | Herberton Shire | Mareeba Shire |
