ALMADEN
Population: Approx. 30
Standing on the verandah of the pub looking over to the old railway station it is hard to imagine today, that in 1907 over 1000 construction workers were gathered for the building of the Etheridge line. Or, that in 1929, Ernest Atherton, a former Almaden baker and butcher, was appointed to the position of Minister for Mines in the Queensland cabinet. He was the only cabinet minister representing the northern interests of the State.
ATHERTON
Atherton and the Tablelands were named after John, of the legendary Atherton Family who, as pastoralists, played an important role in the development of the region. They opened up vast tracts of land, paving the way for the small miners, prospectors, and the entrepreneurs. The Tableland’s link with the Cairns Outback is its volcanic geology.
Interestingly, the ghosts of the Atherton area are distinctly oriental. The Hou Wang temple is traditional Chinese on the inside, pioneer Australian on the outside. A glimpse into their past is truly fascinating.
CHILLAGOE
Imagine a mystical landscape. A place created eons ago, when a now outback land was washed by the warm waters of an ancient sea. A coral reef flourished; tall sea lilies swayed with the current, and jawless fish darted in the shallows. Down through the ages, Mother Nature carved a wondrous cave system from the limestone, remnants of that early coral reef.
Violent volcanic eruptions thrust rich ore deposits upwards to the surface, only to refold and thrust them downward, deep into the earth’s layers. Slowly, the land surface cooled. The climate changed. Rainforest gave way to open savannah lands. Aboriginal people camped under protected limestone ledges. They hunted the mega fauna, which roamed the vast grasslands.
Discover the beauty of this ancient landscape. View world famous caves and a specialized fossil collection. Be amazed at the myriads of stars in the night sky and at dusk listen to the ghosts at the old State Smelter Reserve.
www.chillagoeqld.com.au – Town Information Website
Download – Chillagoe Town Map in Detail
DIMBULAH
Dimbulah is the gateway to the Hodgkinson Goldfield, which was settled in1876, and lead to the establishment of Cairns as a port. The township of Dimbulah grew up on the Walsh River in 1900 as a watering place for locomotives on the Chillagoe Line.
Mines at Wolfram Camp and the rail from Mount Mulligan coal mine aided development. Late1930s Dimbulah became a thriving township based on tobacco farming. With the completion of the Mareeba-Dimbulah irrigation scheme in 1963 the scope for farming expanded. Many other crops have now replaced tobacco
For the visitor Dimbulah offers:
- A friendly, comfortable caravan park with onsite cabins
- Museum with tour info and daily Driver Reviver facility
- Themed painted power poles
- Tyrconnel Historic Gold Mine
- A Well stocked general store with internal ATM
- Bendigo Bank with ATM
- New Post Office & Chemist supplies
- Café
- Corner store with Fuel.
- Time to relax.
EMUFORD
In the mid 1890s, famous Australian painter Ellis Rowan visited North Queensland. In her book ‘The Flower Hunter’, she describes her adventures in a series of letters written to her husband. Included is the Cobb & Co stagecoach trip she undertook from Herberton via Emuford, to Chillagoe… ‘Said to be the roughest road in Australia, the coach dropped from one boulder to another, along the steep track.’ Little wonder that the passengers opted to walk. Fortunately this is not the case today!
HERBERTON
Established in 1880, Herberton is a charming heritage-listed town, with a wonderful climate, and a fair share of ghosts from its tin-mining past. You can sense their presence as you marvel at old pictures on the Photo Post walk, or when visiting the peaceful cemetery, where many pioneers are buried. Herberton boasts the oldest buildings on the Tablelands, museums, picnic spots, and a range of accommodation and services. Since the decline of tin-mining, Herberton has become renowned as a centre for bush walking, mountain-biking and horse riding, and the flora and fauna – including wildflowers and over 100 species of birds – make for a memorable experience. Base yourself in Herberton and explore the extensive walking trails, and the old Army campsites in the area – headquarters of the 6th and 7th Australian divisions during WW11.
IRVINEBANK
Originally set up as a mining camp (1882) Irvinebank was to become the centre of a vast empire. Legendary entrepreneur John Moffat purchased leases and set up his headquarters in the heart of the mining field. John Moffat’s homestead was open to his staff, which made up small dance parties, or stood around the grand piano, or browsed among the books in the cedar lined library (G C Bolton). Today, Irvinebank with its old buildings still retains a certain sense of grandeur. A visit to the Loudoun House Museum, historical home of John Moffat, will bring the sense of yesteryear alive in your mind. Irvinebank is famous amongst plant enthusiasts for two species, which are found only in that area a purple flowering wattle and an orange-red flowering grevillea. Free camping is available on the Town Common for bona fide travellers.
JULATTEN
Although not included in the Cairns Outback region, Julatten is tucked away in a pocket of rainforest, in the cool mountains just back of Port Douglas. This location offers a milder climate and is central to a diverse range of habitats. It is famous worldwide for its bird life.
MAREEBA
Driving from Cairns up the Kuranda Range, Mareeba is the gateway to the Wheelbarrow Way. Founded by pastoralist John Atherton, it was his son William who, in 1888, applied for pastoral leases in the Chillagoe area, with the intent of supplying beef to the spreading mining camps.
Mareeba played an important role during World War 2; the original airstrip was constructed for the defense of Australia. Mareeba was home base to many American servicemen, the RAAF’s 100 squadron, which conducted bombing missions, and Australian’s first parachute battalion.
Today Mareeba is a big country town, with a multicultural population. In 1958, with the introduction of the irrigation waters from the Tinaroo Dam, a scheme which cost $12,666,000, Mareeba became a prosperous farming community. Some of those farms welcome visitors (see below).