Mitchell, Queensland
| Mitchell Queensland |
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 Looking downstream on the Maranoa River on the eastern side of Mitchell |
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 Mitchell
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| Population: | 944 (2006 Census)[1] | ||||||
| Established: | 1864 | ||||||
| Postcode: | 4465 | ||||||
| Coordinates: | 26°28′59″S 147°57′58″E / 26.483°S 147.966°ECoordinates: 26°28′59″S 147°57′58″E / 26.483°S 147.966°E | ||||||
| Elevation: | 336.3 m (1,103 ft) | ||||||
| Location: |
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| LGA: | Maranoa Region | ||||||
| State electorate: | Warrego | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Maranoa | ||||||
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Mitchell is a town in the Western Downs district of South West Queensland, Australia. It is on the Warrego Highway, 587 kilometres west of Brisbane and 176 kilometres east of Charleville.[2] At the 2006 census, Mitchell had a population of 944.[1]
The Warrego Highway passes through town to form the main street, Cambridge Street. The Maranoa River flows around the northern and eastern sides of the town before eventually flowing into the Balonne River.[3]
The town services the local area, a cattle and sheep farming district.
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[edit] History
Before the invasion of Europeans, the Maranoa region was occupied by the Mandandanji Aboriginal people. Based on archeological excavations in the Mount Moffatt area, it has been deduced that the Aboriginals had lived there for around 19,500 years.
The town is named after Sir Thomas Mitchell explorer and Surveyor General of New South Wales, who explored the area in 1846.[4] In 1854, Edmund Morey established the property of Mitchell Downs. When the original homestead was largely destroyed by a flood in 1864, Thomas Close acquired the building's ruins established the Maranoa Hotel. On 1 January 1865, Mitchell Downs Post Office opened and around 1878, was re-named Mitchell Post Office.[5]
In 1902, after a short stand-off, bushrangers Patrick and James Kenniff were captured south of Mitchell at a location now known as arrest creek. Patrick was hanged in 1903 for the murder of Constable George Doyle and Albert Dahlke, while James was released after 12 years imprisonment and died peacefully in 1940.[6]
Mitchell was once the administrative centre of the Shire of Booringa local government area. The town is now part of the Maranoa Region.
[edit] Great Artesian Spa
The Great Artesian Spa was opened in 1998 and is situated in the town’s aquatic centre. There are two pools of artesian water, one heated and the other designed for those who prefer a cooler experience. Both spa pools have been designed with disabled access in mind and facilities include a chairlift to allow easy access for physically disabled people.[7]
The water used in the spa pools is renewed regularly and comes from the Great Artesian Basin, which is one of the largest artesian basins in the world, which underlies around one-fifth of Australia.[8] It covers a total area of more than 1,711,000 square kilometres, and has been relied upon for the town water supply since 1927.[9][10]
[edit] Notable people
- The 15th Prime Minister of Australia, Francis Forde was born in Mitchell. He is Australia's shortest serving Prime Minister, with a term lasting just eight days. He was also Australia's longest living Prime Minister,[11] until surpassed by Gough Whitlam on 21 January 2009.
[edit] Water Supply
The water supply for the town comes from three bores. The depth of the bores is about 1000 meters. The water is pumped into a large concrete water tower on the western side of the town. The water is hot when it emerges from the ground, and in the tank it is about 50°C. Houses close to the tank, have free hot water. In fact it is necessary to cool the water before it can be used.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Mitchell (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=UCL339600&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
- ^ Queensland holidays - places to visit - outback - Queensland holidays. Retrieved 1/3/2009
- ^ Queensland natural resources and water - "Maranoa river at Mitchell". Retrieved 1/3/2009
- ^ Queensland Natural Resources and Water - Place Name Search - Retrieved 7 December 2006
- ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=qld&country=. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ The Kenniff centenary moot. Mitchell, Queensland. 22 June 2002.
- ^ visit Mitchell - relaxation - Great artesian spa. retrieved 1/3/2009.
- ^ "The Great Artesian Basin". QLD Department of Environment and Resource Management. http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/factsheets/pdf/water/w68.pdf. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ^ Queensland natural resources and water - The great artesian basin. Retrieved 1/3/2009.
- ^ Region - Booringa online - "Mitchell". Retrieved 1/3/2009.
- ^ Scaramouche. "Prime Minister - Francis Michael Forde". Archived from the original on 22-11-2011. http://web.archive.org/web/20101122191001/http://gavmag.com/austpm/pm_forde.htm. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
[edit] External links
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