- Miriam Vale, Queensland
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Miriam Vale
Queensland
Miriam ValePopulation: 361[1] Coordinates: 24°19′S 151°33′E / 24.317°S 151.55°ECoordinates: 24°19′S 151°33′E / 24.317°S 151.55°E Location: - 464 km (288 mi) from Brisbane
- 119 km (74 mi) from Bundaberg
- 68 km (42 mi) from Gladstone
- 170 km (106 mi) from Rockhampton
LGA: Gladstone Regional Council State District: Burnett Federal Division: Flynn Miriam Vale is a town in the state of Queensland, Australia. The town is situated on the Bruce Highway, 464 km north of Brisbane, the state capital, and 170 km south of Rockhampton.
Miriam Vale is renowned as a traditional cattle growing area, and also supports timber, beef and dairy cattle. Tourism is an emerging industry within the shire and the town is a gateway to the tourist resorts of Agnes Water and the Town of 1770.
In the 1970s signs at the entry to town proudly proclaimed "Welcome to Miriam Vale - Cattle, Tobacco, Timber and Dairy". The tobacco industry faded in the late 1970s followed by the dairy industry in the 1990s.
Contents
Timber industry
The timber industry has roots in the late 19th century, with early timber cutters working along the Bobby Range cutting hoop pine. In these early days hoop pine was cut and two timer chutes allowed logs to be shot to the foot of the range where bullock wagons were waiting. Evidence of these old chutes can still be found at the back of Boreelum on the sides of the range. The southern chute was on tram rails and consisted of two carriages. As the log was lowered down the mountain the other empty carriage was drawn to the top. This was achieved by a small overtaking siding in the middle. The other chute to the west was smaller and built out of logs. The timber was in most cases ferried to rail at Lowmead.
There were also many timber mills in the district but many of these closed in the late part of the century. Perhaps the closet mill to town was located on the flat at House Creek.
Across House Creek there is also evidence of an old speed way ground (circa 1970s) and if you look around the district you can find history in old horse race tracks.
Dairy industry
Historically the dairy industry has the most iconic claim to fame with a massive fig tree near the railway station being the drop off point of "cream cans" full of milk. This depot (being no more than a wooden stage) was the district dairy focal point. Locals would deliver the fresh milk to the depot where it was then loaded onto Claude's Truck for the trip to the PCD. Fresh milk wasn't always the delivery and in the 1950s cream was separated on farms and delivered to town. Cream in those days was sold on "degrees of Rancid" as there was no refrigeration. The cream even then was going to the PCD in Gladstone.
A visit to Miriam Vale is surely not complete without a trip to the nine hole golf course. This course with its postage-stamp-sized greens and mature gum trees is well worth a stopover. At times in its history the course was stretched to twelve holes but the members and district could not sustain the extra work needed to keep these holes open.
The town can proclaim itself as the gate way to Queensland as Captain Cook in 1770 visited the coast in May of that year. Locals know the area as Round Hill but it is now more famously referred to as the Town of 1770.
Long Distance services Inbound Service Outbound Bundaberg The Sunlander Gladstone Bundaberg Electric Tilt Train Gladstone Bundaberg Spirit of the Outback Gladstone References
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Miriam Vale (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL338800&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
External links
Categories:- Towns in Queensland
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