January 13, 2023
The usage of uncovered corrugated iron to clad the historic Sir William Wallace Masonic Lodge at Georgetown is extremely uncommon.
Picture credit score: Bruce Elder
This laid-back tropical locale first grew up throughout an 1870s gold rush however is now greatest identified for gems, cattle and weird geology.
Georgetown is a pleasing, sleepy little place on the Etheridge River, in far north Queensland.
It’s famed for gems and surrounded by wealthy beef-cattle nation, the district being identified for Brahman and Droughtmaster cattle.
One among Australia’s most complete non-public assortment of gems, minerals and crystals – the Ted Elliott Mineral Assortment – might be considered on the TerrEstrial Customer Data Centre. Close by are the O’Briens Creek and Agate Creek fossicking areas.
And about 85km south of the city is the beautiful Cobbold Gorge, which might be traversed by boat from Cobbold Gorge Village. In some locations the partitions of this slender sandstone characteristic are not more than 2m aside.
Location:
Georgetown is situated 1850km north-west of Brisbane, by way of Emerald and Mount Shock. It’s 377km south-west of Cairns and 302km east of Normanton on the Gulf Developmental Street (Savannah Method).
Origin of Identify:
The settlement that grew on the goldfields right here was first referred to as Etheridge however by 1871 had been named Georgetown, after Howard St George – the assistant gold commissioner within the close by city of Gilberton.
Helpful Web sites:
1. The AntBed Home
Situated in South Avenue and a part of a Georgetown pioneer stroll, the heritage-listed Antbed Home was inbuilt 1889 by Queensland authorities mining surveyor T.R. Geraghty. The Queensland Heritage Register describes it as “a uncommon adobe residence” and “an vital illustration of Nineteenth century difficulties skilled in Queensland’s far northern goldmining cities in acquiring accessible, inexpensive and acceptable constructing supplies”.
In addition to being Queensland’s solely considerably intact Nineteenth-century adobe dwelling, it’s notable due to its use of termite mounds as a development materials, slightly than mud.
2. TerrEstrial Centre
You’ll discover the vacationer info centre right here and free web. The pleasant workers can advise on issues to do and the place to eat and keep within the space.
It’s additionally the place you may see the famed Ted Elliott Mineral Assortment, which has greater than 4500 minerals displayed in a sequence of rooms, every devoted to particular rock specimens.
They vary from fossils and petrified woods, agates from the Etheridge area (together with thunder eggs and agate bowls’ quartz), to gold and valuable minerals and fluoresced minerals.
3. Georgetown Peace Monument
Situated in a backyard behind the TerrEstrial Centre, the Peace Monument is a set of stones devoted to nice peace activists. These embody Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Dr Daisaku Ikeda,
Julian Burnside and Eddie Mabo.
A plaque on the monument explains that its goal is to honour “the brave efforts of women and men who’ve devoted their lives to a peaceable and harmonious world”. It goes on to say: “The folks of the Shire of Etheridge acknowledge these identified and unknown heroes of humanity all through the ages. We additionally notice the large contributions of those champions of peace whose legacy will final for eternity.”
4. Stamper Battery
Situated in a park beside the Etheridge River are the stays of a five-stamper battery, used to crush rocks to launch gold.
It was inbuilt 1937 and owned and operated by Jim, Jack and Tom Nugent (the Nugent Bros), however pressured to stop operations abruptly in 1941, due to interruptions to native mining attributable to World Conflict II.
5. Georgetown River Stroll
This stroll of about 6km passes alongside the banks of each the Etheridge River and Sandy Creek. Indicators en route embody details about Georgetown’s historical past.
It additionally gives a pleasing alternative to look at native riverine tree species, together with the river pink gum, weeping paperbark, yellowwood, swamp mahogany, rain tree, sandpaper fig, lolly bush, batswing coral, inland bloodwood and corkwood wattle.
Historical past
Earlier than Europeans arrived the realm was house to the Agwamin folks.
Alluvial gold discovered on Etheridge goldfields in early 1869.
By July 1869 the goldfields had 3000 prospectors.
The city fashioned in 1870 with the title of Etheridge.
The title was modified in 1871 to Georgetown. By this time the inhabitants was 600.
A publish workplace and court docket home opened in 1872.
By 1876 Georgetown reportedly had 28 resorts.
Mining flourished within the Eighties and the city’s inhabitants reached 3000.
In 1888–89 the city was surveyed and divided into residential allotments.
The Financial institution of New South Wales opened in 1890.
By the 1900s goldmining was on the wane and the city grew to become the executive centre for the Etheridge Shire.
In 1908 the Shire Corridor was constructed.
The TerrEstrial Centre was opened in 2003.
In 2004 the Agwamin folks surrendered native title in change for entry to conventional lands and housing in Georgetown
Picture credit score: Getty
