Mount Morgan, Queensland

Mount Morgan Queensland
Mount Morgan's Central Business District
Mount Morgan
Population:	2,447 (2006 Census)[1]
Postcode:	4714
Location:	655 km (407 mi) from Brisbane 39 km (24 mi) from Rockhampton
LGA:	Rockhampton Regional Council
State District:	Mirani
Federal Division:	Capricornia

Mount Morgan minesite, May 2005

Mount Morgan is a town located in central Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Dee River, 38 kilometres south of the city of Rockhampton, and is 680 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane. The Burnett Highway passes through the town. At the 2006 census, Mount Morgan had a population of 2,447.^[1]

The town was the administrative centre of the Mount Morgan Shire until March 2008, when it was amalgamated with neighbouring local government areas to form the Rockhampton Regional Council. It is also the site of Queensland's most polluted river (the Dee River).

History

Mount Morgan Museum, 1 January 2004

Mount Morgan was founded as a gold mining town in 1882, and over time the Mount Morgan Mine has produced gold, silver and copper. Among those making a fortune from this mine was William Knox D'Arcy. D'Arcy used his fortune to finance oil exploration in Iran, which led to the formation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (now BP).

A rack train climbs towards Mount Morgan

The railway link between Mount Morgan and Rockhampton was not built until 1898. Until that time, everything was transported by horse teams. The Mount Morgan Mining Company had a depot in Quay Street, where the wagoners would load up. Initially there were two routes to Rockhampton, one via Crocodile (now Bouldercombe) and the other via Kabra, Boongarry and Moonmera. In 1885, a road was built over the Razorback Range.^[2]

The Mount Morgan Mine finally closed in 1981, having produced vast quantities of gold during its lifetime. During the mining operation, most of the mountain was mined away, and the town now lies adjacent to a 300 m deep acid-water filled pit. Mining companies still prospect today in the area, and plans to extract further gold from tailings at the mine site are always under development. The Queensland Government, through its Department of Natural Resources Mines and Water have begun a rehabilitation project of the minesite.

Heritage and tourism

Tourism plays a large part in the economy of the town today. A number of historic buildings still exist in the town, and tourists can take excursions to the remains of the mine. The area was host to one of the few rack railways (as part of the line from Mount Morgan to Rockhampton) to operate in Australia. The rack portion of the line was replaced by a conventional adhesion railway in the 1950s.^[3] In turn, the replacement line was closed in 1987, and the town no longer has a rail connection. There is a regular bus service between Rockhampton and Mount Morgan are provided by Young's Bus Service.

Events

Mount Morgan is known to hold the Golden Mount Festival in the main street (pictured right) at the end of April or the start of May as part of the Labour Day holiday. The festival usually starts on a Friday and finishes the next Monday. The Morgan Street is closed to vehicles during Saturday of the Festival for the day for markets and activities such as floats and "Running the Cutter" races.

Notable people from Mount Morgan

• Alma Moodie, German-based concert violinist and teacher^[4][5]

Panoramic Shot of Mount Morgan, 25 February 2008

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Mount Morgan (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL341800&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 13 June 2011. 
2. ^ "BACK TO COACHING AND TEAMSTER DAYS.". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878-1954) (Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia): p. 3 Supplement: Supplement. 7 June 1950. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56945822. Retrieved 3 March 2011. 
3. ^ Last Days of the Mount Morgan Rack Railway Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, December, 1950 pp125-126
4. ^ Chapter9: Leisure and entertainment: aspects of popular culture at Mount Morgan
5. ^ Kay Dreyfus, Alma Moodie and the Landscape of Giftedness, 2002

External links

• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Mount Morgan
• Mount Morgan
• Article in the Age Newspaper about Mount Morgan
• Mount Morgan State High School
• Mount Morgan Tourist Push
• Churches in Mount Morgan
• Rockhampton Regional Council
• ["BACK TO MOUNT MORGAN.". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878-1954) (Rockhampton, Qld.: National Library of Australia): p. 1 Supplement: Supplement. 7 June 1950. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56945700. Retrieved 3 March 2011. ]

Coordinates: 23°39′S 150°23′E / 23.65°S 150.383°E / -23.65; 150.383