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Cracow, Queensland

Coordinates: 25°17′48″S 150°18′17″E / 25.2967°S 150.3047°E / -25.2967; 150.3047 (Cracow (town centre))
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Cracow
Queensland
Third Avenue, Cracow, 2022
Cracow is located in Queensland
Cracow
Cracow
Coordinates25°17′48″S 150°18′17″E / 25.2967°S 150.3047°E / -25.2967; 150.3047 (Cracow (town centre))
Population114 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density0.1579/km2 (0.4090/sq mi)
Established1931
Postcode(s)4719
Area721.9 km2 (278.7 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Banana
State electorate(s)Callide
Federal division(s)Flynn
Localities around Cracow:
Isla Camboon Eidsvold West
Spring Creek Cracow Eidsvold West
Glebe Cockatoo Eidsvold West

Cracow is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Banana, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] Historically, Cracow is a gold mining town, with some recent mines opening.[4] In the 2021 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 114 people.[1]

Geography

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The town is located on the Eidsvold–Theodore Road, 494 kilometres (307 mi) by road north-west of the state capital, Brisbane.[5]

Cracow has the following mountains:

History

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Third Avenue of Cracow, 1961

The town was named after a pastoral run, which was in turn named by pastoralist John Ross, in 1851, for the Polish city of Kraków, which had recently been the centre for a fight for Polish national independence.[2][11]

Gold was first discovered in Cracow in 1875 by itinerant fossickers and a further discovery of a nugget was made by an Aboriginal stockman, Johnny Nipps in 1916. In 1931, the Golden Plateau mine was established and it operated continuously until 1976.[12] As of 1977, 19,910 kilograms (43,890 lb) of gold had been extracted from the mine.[13]

Cracow Post Office opened on 1 October 1932.[14]

Cracow State School opened on 12 June 1933.[15][16][17] It was found to be too small with a few months so it was relocated and extended with an annex.[18][19] It closed on 12 December 1997.[15][20] It was at 11-17 Third Avenue (25°17′36″S 150°18′04″E / 25.2933°S 150.3010°E / -25.2933; 150.3010 (Cracow State School (former))).[21]

At its gold mining peak, the town included five cafes, barber shop, billiard saloon, two butchers, a picture theatre and a soft drink factory. The closure of the mine led to Cracow becoming almost a ghost town with many deserted houses and shops.[22]

Fred Brophy, former owner of the Cracow Hotel, 2014

Circa 2000, Fred Brophy and wife Sandi purchased the Cracow Hotel.[23] He operated his famous boxing tent as an annual event in Cracow.[24][25][26]

In 2004, Newcrest Mining reestablished gold mining in the town, leading to hopes the town may recover.[22] This mine is now operated by Aeris Resources.[27]

The 2019 horror-comedy film Two Heads Creek was filmed on location in Cracow.[28][29]

Demographics

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In the 2011 census, the locality of Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 196 people.[30]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 89 people.[31]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 114 people.[1]

Facilities

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Cracow Hotel, est 1937
The Cracow Pub Bar, 2022

The Cracow Hotel at 30 Third Avenue (corner Tenth Avenue, 25°17′43″S 150°18′09″E / 25.2954°S 150.3026°E / -25.2954; 150.3026 (Cracow Hotel))[32] is the only remaining business in the township, as it attracts a lot of tourists due to its array of antique and unusual artifacts adorning the ceilings and walls.[27]

The Cracow community centre is at 57-63 Tenth Avenue (25°17′43″S 150°18′06″E / 25.2953°S 150.3018°E / -25.2953; 150.3018 (Cracow Community Centre)) and is operated by the Banana Shire Council.[33]

There is also a caravan park located at 11 Third Avenue, next to the old court house which has been turned into a mining museum.[34]

Education

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There are no schools in Cracow. The nearest government schoola is Theodore State School in Theodore to the north-west; it provides primary education and secondary education to Year 10. There is no nearby school providing secondary education to Year 12; options are distance education and boarding school.[35]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Cracow (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b "Cracow – town in Shire of Banana (entry 8648)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Cracow – locality in Shire of Banana (entry 49544)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Cracow Gold Operations". Aeris Resources. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Brisbane to Cracow" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Mount Edwards – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 11235)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Mount Elvinia – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 11585)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Mount Irving – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 16851)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Mount Steel – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 32315)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  11. ^ "NOMENCLATURE OF QUEENSLAND—100". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 24 January 1936. p. 12. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  12. ^ Beattie, Ross. "Cracow". Ross Beattie's Localities pages. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  13. ^ WILDE, A.R. (May 1988). "A review of gold mineralization in Eastern Australia" (PDF). Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology & Geophysics. p. 31. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  14. ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 19 August 2008. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  15. ^ a b Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  16. ^ "CRACOW GOLD FIELD. - BIG PRICES FOR CLAIMS. Northern Mill on Field. - Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 - 1954) - 12 Aug 1932". Trove. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  17. ^ "CRACOW SCHOOL". Central Queensland Herald. 29 June 1933. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  18. ^ "CRACOW". 28 September 1933. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  19. ^ "PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACTS". Courier-Mail. 24 November 1933. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  20. ^ "Queensland state school - centre closures" (PDF). Queensland Government. 20 August 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  21. ^ "Environs of Cracow" (Map). Queensland Government. 1963. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  22. ^ a b Lee, Tim (23 February 2006). "Old gold town revels in resources boom". Landline. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 April 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  23. ^ Ross, Shelley (November–December 2007). "Meet you at The Cracow" (PDF). Flying. pp. 60–63. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  24. ^ "Simple Pleasures: Banana Shire" (PDF). The Gladstone Region. Tourism Queensland. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  25. ^ Ross, Shelley (November–December 2007). "Meet you at The Cracow" (PDF). Flying. pp. 60–63. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  26. ^ "Simple Pleasures: Banana Shire" (PDF). The Gladstone Region. Tourism Queensland. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  27. ^ a b "The Town of Cracow in the Banana Shire". Sandstone Wonders. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  28. ^ Burt, Jemima; Stünzner, Inga (December 2019). "Two Heads Creek is the cannibal movie that could put the tiny Queensland town of Cracow back on the map". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  29. ^ "Two Heads Creek (2019)". IMDB. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  30. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Cracow (Banana Shire) (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 April 2016. Edit this at Wikidata
  31. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Cracow (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018. Edit this at Wikidata
  32. ^ "Cracow Hotel". Google Maps. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  33. ^ "Halls". Banana Shire Council. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  34. ^ "Cracow & District 2017/2027 Place Based Plan". Banana Shire Council. 24 May 2017. p. 6. Archived from the original on 20 March 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  35. ^ "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
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