Cracow, Queensland

Cracow
Queensland

Third Avenue, Cracow, 2014
Cracow
Coordinates 25°17′0″S 150°18′0″E / 25.28333°S 150.30000°E / -25.28333; 150.30000Coordinates: 25°17′0″S 150°18′0″E / 25.28333°S 150.30000°E / -25.28333; 150.30000
Population 196 (2011 census)[1]
Established 1931
Postcode(s) 4719
Location
LGA(s) Banana Shire Council
State electorate(s) Callide
Federal Division(s) Flynn
Localities around Cracow:
Isla Camboon Eidsvold West
Spring Creek Cracow Eidsvold West
Glebe Cockatoo Eidsvold West

Cracow is a gold mining town and locality in Queensland, Australia, in the Banana Shire local government area.[2][3] The town is located on the TheodoreEidsvold road, 485 kilometres (301 mi) north west of the state capital, Brisbane. At the 2011 census, Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 196.[1]

History

Goldfield Stores, circa 1932

The town was named for a pastoral run, named in 1851 by pastoralist, John Ross, for the Polish city of Kraków which had made a brave stand for independence.[2][4]

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.[5]

Cracow Post Office opened on 1 October 1932.[6]

At its gold mining peak, the town included five cafes, barber shop, billiard saloon, two butchers, a picture theatre and a soft drink factory.[7] The closure of the mine led to Cracow becoming a ghost town with many deserted houses and shops.

In 2004, Newcrest Mining reestablished gold mining in the town, leading to hopes the town may recover.[7]

Facilities

Cracow Hotel bar, 2014

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.

Events

Fred Brophy, owner of the Cracow Hotel, 2014

Every year, Cracow hosts Fred Brophy's Boxing Tent.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Cracow (Banana Shire) (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
    Edit this at Wikidata
  2. 1 2 "Cracow (town) (entry 8648)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  3. "Cracow (locality) (entry 40425)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  4. "NOMENCLATURE OF QUEENSLAND—100.". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 24 January 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  5. Beattie, Ross. "Cracow". Ross Beattie's Localities pages. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  6. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  7. 1 2 Lee, Tim (2006-02-23). "Old gold town revels in resources boom". Landline. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2007-02-13.
  8. "Simple Pleasures: Banana Shire" (PDF). The Gladstone Region. Tourism Queensland. p. 3. Retrieved 8 June 2014.

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