Cracow, Queensland
| Cracow Queensland | |
|---|---|
  Cracow | |
| Coordinates | 25°17′0″S 150°18′0″E / 25.28333°S 150.30000°ECoordinates: 25°17′0″S 150°18′0″E / 25.28333°S 150.30000°E |
| Population | 123 (2006)[1] |
| Established | 1931 |
| Postcode(s) | 4719 |
| Location |
|
| LGA(s) | Banana Shire Council |
| State electorate(s) | Callide |
| Federal Division(s) | Flynn |
Cracow is a gold mining town in Queensland, Australia, in the Banana Shire local government area. The town is located on the Theodore - Eidsvold road, 485 kilometres north west of the state capital, Brisbane. The town was named for a pastoral run, named in 1851 by pastoralist, John Ross, presumably for the Polish city of Kraków.[2] However, in a book detailing the town's history, which was published in/around 1992/1993, Cracow got its name from the sound a whip makes ('cracko')[citation needed]. At the 2006 census, Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 123.[1]
Gold was first discovered in Cracow in 1875 by itinerant fossickers and a further discovery of a nugget was made by an Aboriginal man in 1916. In 1931, the Golden Plateau mine was established and it operated continuously until 1976.[3]
At its gold mining peak, the town included five cafes, barber shop, billiard saloon, two butchers, a picture theatre and a soft drink factory.[4] The closure of the mine led to Cracow becoming a ghost town with many deserted houses and shops. The local hotel is one of the only remaining retail business, as it attracts a lot of tourists due to its unusual array of strange artifacts adorning the ceilings and walls. The other business was the General Store, which doubled as a post office and video store. In 2004, Newcrest Mining reestablished gold mining in the town, leading to hopes the town may recover.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Cracow (Banana Shire) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
- ↑ "Place Name Details - CRACOW". Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water. Retrieved 2007-02-13.
- ↑ Beattie, Ross. "Cracow". Ross Beattie's Localities pages. Archived from the original on 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
- ↑ Lee, Tim (2006-02-23). "Old gold town revels in resources boom". Landline (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 2007-02-13.
- ↑ Lee, Tim (2006-02-23). "Old gold town revels in resources boom". Landline (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 2007-02-13.
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