- Herberton, Queensland
Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Herberton
state = qld
caption = The main street of Herberton
lga = Tablelands Regional Council
postcode = 4887
est =
pop = 974(total)(2006 census)
elevation=
maxtemp =
mintemp =
rainfall =
stategov = Tablelands
fedgov = Kennedy
dist1 =
location1=
dist2 =
location2=Herberton is a town on the
Atherton Tableland in Far NorthQueensland ,Australia , located at coord|17|22|55|S|145|23|03|E|region:AU_type:city|display=inline,title, 882 m abovesea level . It has a population of approximately 1,500.History
The first European exploration of this area was undertaken in
1875 byJames Venture Mulligan . Mulligan was prospecting for gold, but instead found tin on the Herbert River. The town of Herberton was established on19 April 1880 by John Newell to exploit the tin find, and mining began on9 May . By the September of that year, Herberton had a population of 300 men and 27 women. In December1881 a State School was established.In the late 19th century the Mulligan Highway was carved through the hills from Herberton and passed through what is now Main Street, Atherton, before continuing down to Port Douglas. This road was used by the coaches of
Cobb and Co to accesswestern Queensland .At its apogee, Herberton was the richest tin mining field in Australia, and was home to 17 pubs, 2 local newspapers and a brewery.
Tin mining ceased in Herberton in
1978 .Geography
Herberton is situated in the hills of the south-west ranges that surround Atherton.
Average Temperature
*Jan 18.2–28.0 °C
*July 9.6–21.4 °CAverage Rainfall
1146.8 mm - Annual a year
Government
Herberton is in the
Australian House of Representatives Division of Kennedy and theQueensland Legislative Assembly electoral district of Tablelands .Industries
Several crops are grown around Herberton, and it is the location of Queensland's only tropical vineyard. Herberton is a mini salad bowl with crops including avocados, lettuce, tomatoes, maize and pumpkins . Poultry and beef industries are also present.
Tourism
Herberton is attracting more tourists, with the 2 year old 'Mining Museum and Tourist Information Centre' catering to the needs of the tourist industry. With accommodation at every level from caravan park, pub, motel and b&b available, travellers are now able to spend time in the small town. Herberton is the oldest town on the Atherton Tablelands and is often referred to as the Village in the hills. Spectacular during the Jacaranda season, it is a pretty little town with several buildings of historical significance and a Heritage Walk for tourists that takes in some of the old buildings and historical features of the town.
The Tepon Equestrian Grounds just out of Herberton have recently been upgraded with a large undercover pavilion for equestrian and other sporting events such as cycling and mountain biking. Local markets are held on the 3rd Sunday of every month at the Wondecla Oval.
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