Cracow, Queensland

Cracow, Queensland
Cracow
Queensland
Cracow is located in Queensland
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Cracow
Population: 123[1]
Established: 1931
Postcode: 4719
Coordinates: 25°17′S 150°18′E / 25.283°S 150.3°E / -25.283; 150.3Coordinates: 25°17′S 150°18′E / 25.283°S 150.3°E / -25.283; 150.3
Location:
LGA: Banana Shire Council
State District: Callide
Federal Division: Flynn

Cracow is a gold mining town in Queensland, Australia, in the Banana Shire Local Government Area. The town is located on the Theodore - Eidsvold road, 485 kilometres north west of the state capital, Brisbane. The town was named for a pastoral run, named in 1851 by pastoralist, John Ross, presumably for the Polish city of Kraków.[2] However, in a book[which?] detailing the town's history, which was published in/around 1992/1993, Cracow got its name from the sound a whip makes ('cracko')[dubious – discuss][citation needed]. At the 2006 census, Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 123.[1]

Gold was first discovered in Cracow in 1875 by itinerant fossickers and a further discovery of a nugget was made by an Aboriginal man in 1916. In 1931, the Golden Plateau mine was established and it operated continuously until 1976.[3]

At its gold mining peak, the town included five cafes, barber shop, billiard saloon, two butchers, a picture theatre and a soft drink factory.[4] The closure of the mine led to Cracow becoming a ghost town with many deserted houses and shops. The local hotel is one of the only remaining retail business, as it attracts a lot of tourists due to its unusual array of strange artifacts adorning the ceilings and walls. The other business was the General Store, which doubled as a post office and video store. In 2004, Newcrest Mining reestablished gold mining in the town, leading to hopes the town may recover.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Cracow (Banana Shire) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC35713&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2007-10-28. 
  2. ^ "Place Name Details - CRACOW". Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water. http://www.nrw.qld.gov.au/property/placenames/detail.php?id=8648. Retrieved 2007-02-13. 
  3. ^ Beattie, Ross. "Cracow". Ross Beattie's Localities pages. Archived from the original on 2009-10-23. http://web.archive.org/web/20091023055852/http://geocities.com/Heartland/Park/2283/localities/oz/cracow.html. Retrieved 2007-07-20. 
  4. ^ Lee, Tim (2006-02-23). "Old gold town revels in resources boom". Landline (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2006/s1576528.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-13. 
  5. ^ Lee, Tim (2006-02-23). "Old gold town revels in resources boom". Landline (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2006/s1576528.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-13. 

External links

v · d · eTowns in the Banana Shire Local Government Area

Banana · Baralaba · Biloela · Cracow · Dululu · Goovigen · Jambin · Moura · Rannes · Thangool · Theodore · Wowan
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