Cloncurry, Queensland

Cloncurry Queensland
Sunset at Chinaman Creek Dam, Cloncurry
Cloncurry
Population:	2,384[1]
Postcode:	4824
Coordinates:	20°42′S 140°30′E / 20.7°S 140.5°E / -20.7; 140.5Coordinates: 20°42′S 140°30′E / 20.7°S 140.5°E / -20.7; 140.5
Elevation:	186 m (610 ft) [2]
Location:	1707 km (1,061 mi) NW of Brisbane 783 km (487 mi) W of Townsville 121 km (75 mi) E of Mount Isa
LGA:	Shire of Cloncurry
State District:	Mount Isa
Federal Division:	Kennedy
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 33.2 °C 92 °F 18.8 °C 66 °F 528 mm 20.8 in

Cloncurry is a town situated in north west Queensland, Australia, 770 kilometres west of the city of Townsville via the Flinders Highway. The town lies adjacent to the Cloncurry River. It is the administrative centre of the Cloncurry Shire. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 2,384.^[1]

Cattle grazing is the significant industry in the region, and a large saleyards is located in the town. Cloncurry is known as the Friendly Heart of the Great North West.^[3] The population in Cloncurry decreased from 3,898 in 1996 to 2,900 in 2002.^[3]

History

The first Europeans to traverse the area were Burke and Wills on their epic, and ultimately fatal, transcontinental expedition. The Cloncurry River was named by Burke after Lady Elizabeth Cloncurry, his cousin, with the town eventually taking its name from the river. Ernest Henry discovered copper in the area in 1867, and the town sprang up to service the Great Australia Mine to the south. The town was surveyed in 1876.^[4] Cloncurry was proclaimed a town in 1884.

Queensland's Northern Line railway reached Cloncurry in December 1907^[4] and was officially opened the next year. The discovery of uranium at Mary Kathleen brought wealth to the community in the 1950s.^[4] Until the development of Mount Isa in the 1960s, Cloncurry was the administrative centre of the region.^[4]

The first ever flight of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia took place from Cloncurry on 15 May 1928, using a de Havilland DH.50 aircraft hired from the then small airline, Qantas. A Royal Flying Doctor Service museum is situated in the town.

Climate

Cloncurry was widely regarded as holding the record for the highest temperature recorded in Australia at 127.5 °F (53.1 °C) on 16 January 1889. Recent investigations have revealed that this temperature was measured in an improvised screen made from a beer crate and that it equated to 47–49 °C under standard conditions.^[5] Because of the area's extreme solar conditions, Cloncurry is expected to become Australia's first solar-powered town once a concentrated solar power plant is constructed.^[6]

Climate data for Cloncurry
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	36.1 (97.0)	36.0 (96.8)	35.8 (96.4)	33.6 (92.5)	29.4 (84.9)	26.4 (79.5)	26.3 (79.3)	28.9 (84.0)	33.1 (91.6)	36.3 (97.3)	37.7 (99.9)	38.7 (101.7)	33.2
Average low °C (°F)	24.5 (76.1)	24.2 (75.6)	22.4 (72.3)	20.1 (68.2)	15.4 (59.7)	11.5 (52.7)	10.4 (50.7)	12.4 (54.3)	16.7 (62.1)	20.4 (68.7)	23.0 (73.4)	24.8 (76.6)	18.8
Precipitation mm (inches)	190.4 (7.496)	109.5 (4.311)	78.1 (3.075)	19.9 (0.783)	6.0 (0.236)	5.6 (0.22)	2.0 (0.079)	3.7 (0.146)	7.2 (0.283)	22.8 (0.898)	29.0 (1.142)	82.2 (3.236)	540.8 (21.291)
Source: [7]

Notable residents

• Writer Alexis Wright grew up in Cloncurry.^[8]
• Association Footballer Kasey Wehrman was born in Cloncurry (16 August 1977). He went on to play domestically and in Scandinavia. His achievements include winning a NSL Championship in 1996-1997 with the Brisbane Strikers and being capped several times with the Australian National Team.

See also

Queensland portal

• Cloncurry Airport

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Cloncurry (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL314000&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
2. ^ Bureau of Meteorology - Retrieved 27 January 2008
3. ^ ^{a b} Community Research Report - Cloncurry (QLD) Introduction (20 September 2002)
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) (2002). Heritage Trails of the Queensland Outback. State of Queensland. pp. 85–86. ISBN 0-7345-1040-3. 
5. ^ "Queensland to bake on Christmas Day". AM. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 24 December 2003. http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2003/s1015670.htm. Retrieved 17 November 2009. 
6. ^ “Town so hot it’s first on the solar block”, Sydney Morning Herald (5 November 2007)
7. ^ "Climate Statistics For Cloncurry". Australian Bureau of Meteorology. http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_029141.shtml. 
8. ^ Perlez, Jane (18 November 2007). "Aboriginal Lit". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/books/review/Perlez-t.html?_r=3&8bu&emc=bu&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin. Retrieved 30 April 2010. 

External links

• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Cloncurry