Georgetown, Queensland

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For other uses, see Georgetown (disambiguation).

Georgetown
Queensland

Population:

254 ^[1]

Postcode:

4871

Elevation:

292 m (958 ft) ^[2]

LGA:

Etheridge Shire Council

State District:

Charters Towers

Federal Division:

Kennedy

Mean Max Temp	Mean Min Temp	Rainfall
32.6 °C ^{91 °F}	18.4 °C ^{65 °F}	817.7 mm ^{32.2 in}

Georgetown is a town on the Etheridge River in Far North Queensland, Australia. The Gulf Developmental Road passes through the town, linking Cairns - 412 km to the east - and Normanton - 301 km to the west. Georgetown is the administrative headquarters of Etheridge Shire Council, a local government area encompassing the nearby settlements of Mt Surprise, Forsayth and Einasleigh. At the 2006 census, Georgetown had a population of 254.^[1]

The Etheridge River was the site of a gold rush in the 1870s; the town of Georgetown was established on the site of the diggings. Originally known by the name Etheridge, the town's name was changed in 1871 to honour an early gold commissioner, Howard St George.[1] By 1900, grazing had replaced gold mining as the region's primary source of income.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Georgetown (L) (Urban Centre/Locality). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2007-10-28.
^ Bureau of Meteorology

This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007)
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