Ilfracombe, Queensland

Ilfracombe
Queensland

Town entry signs.
Ilfracombe
Coordinates 23°30′S 144°30′E / 23.500°S 144.500°ECoordinates: 23°30′S 144°30′E / 23.500°S 144.500°E
Population 269 (2006 census)[1]
Established 1891
Postcode(s) 4727
Elevation 214 m (702 ft)
Location
LGA(s) Longreach Region
State electorate(s) Gregory
Federal Division(s) Maranoa
Farming equipment along the Landsborough Highway, 2011

Ilfracombe /ˈɪlfrəkoʊm/ is a small town in Central West Queensland, Australia that calls itself The Hub of the West. The main industry is sheep rearing, mainly for wool. Ilfracombe is situated on the Landsborough Highway, about 27 kilometres (17 mi) east of Longreach, 214 metres above sea level,[2] within the Longreach Region local government area.

The townsites of Ilfracombe and Longreach were amongst resumed portions of Wellshot Station.[3] In 1892, Wellshot was known as the biggest sheep station in the world, not because of the area it occupied but because of the number of sheep it ran; 460,000. So important was the property that Ilfracombe was known as Wellshot until 1890.[4] 40,000 two-year-old wethers were sold off from the property later the same year.[5]

The town was named after the coastal town of Ilfracombe in North Devon, England.[6] At the 2006 census, Ilfracombe and the surrounding region had a population of 269.[1] The town itself has a population of 190.[7]

It is home to a collection of antique agricultural machinery at the Ilfracombe Machinery and Heritage Museum. Other attractions and facilities in the town include a public library, swimming pool, a 14-hole golf course, racecourse and caravan park.[2]

History

Sheep stations were established in the area from 1864.[8] The Central railway line reached Ilfracombe in 1891[9] and the Post Office opened on 7 December 1891.[10] The town was much larger in the past. It once had three hotels instead of the single hotel now and two general stores.[2]

Heritage listings

Ilfracombe has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Notable people

Notable people from the area include:

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Ilfracombe (Ilfracombe Shire) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2008-04-14.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Ilfracombe". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  3. ↑ "Wellshot Station". The Capricornian (Rockhampton, Queensland: National Library of Australia). 24 September 1898. p. 20. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "Ilfracombe". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Commercial". The Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Queenland: National Library of Australia). 29 December 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  6. ↑ "Ilfracombe". Queensland Holidays. Tourism Queensland. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  7. ↑ "Ilfracombe". Longreach Regional Council. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  8. ↑ "Langenbaker House (entry 601088)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council.
  9. ↑ "Longreach Regional Council". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  10. ↑ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  11. ↑ "Beaconsfield Station Sheep Wash (former) (entry 15322)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  12. ↑ "Langenbaker House (entry 15861)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
  13. ↑ Schubert, Misha (2008-04-14). "A woman takes the keys to Yarralumla". Melbourne: The Age. Retrieved 14 April 2008.
  14. ↑ Ross, Deborah (2 March 1998). "Interview: Paul Wilson - The storm before Mr Calm". The Independent (London).

External links