Julia Creek, Queensland

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Julia Creek
Queensland

Population:

506 ^[1]

Postcode:

4823

Elevation:

123 m (404 ft)

Location:

1642 km (1020 mi) NW of Brisbane
664 km (413 mi) W of Townsville
278 km (173 mi) E of Mount Isa

LGA:

McKinlay Shire Council

State District:

Mount Isa

Federal Division:

Kennedy

Mean Max Temp	Mean Min Temp	Rainfall
33.3 °C ^{92 °F}	17.4 °C ^{63 °F}	461.3 mm ^{18.2 in}

Julia Creek (20°39′S, 141°44′E) is a town in northern Queensland, located on the Overlander's Way, the main road between Mount Isa and Townsville. It is 664 kilometres (413 mi) west of Townsville, and is located 123 m above sea level.^[2] At the 2001 census, Julia Creek had a population of 506.^[1]

1 History
2 Economy
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The town was named after the niece of Donald McIntyre, the first white settler in the area.^[3] McIntyre originally built a property about 70 km north of the present site of the town in 1862, only a year after the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition passed through the area. The small town that built up around the property began to grow about 1908 when the first railway was built in the region, connecting the town to the cities on the coast.

A one-room school was established in 1911 with nine students, and was expanded in 1932 and again in 1934. A separate high school was constructed in 1963.^[4] A sixteen-bed hospital was established in 1972.^[5] The town did not receive an electricity supply until 1952.

[edit] Economy

The town's main industries are farming, (especially the beef and wool industries), and mining, which is mainly centred around the BHP Billiton mine at nearby Cannington. The town is a major centre for cattle sales and stock trucking, with a large saleyard and associated facilities. Prior to the expansion of the railway to the larger towns of Cloncurry and Mount Isa, the town was also a major transport hub for freight and passengers.