Cracow, Queensland
| Cracow Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Third Avenue, Cracow, 2022 | |||||||||||||||
  Cracow | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°17′48″S 150°18′17″E / 25.2967°S 150.3047°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 89 (2016 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.1233/km2 (0.3193/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1931 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4719 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 721.9 km2 (278.7 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Banana | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Callide | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Flynn | ||||||||||||||
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Cracow is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Banana, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 89 people.[1]
Historically, Cracow is a gold mining town, with some recent mines opening.[4]
Geography[edit]
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:
- Mount Edwards (Mount Bannister) (25°21′29″S 150°20′25″E / 25.3580°S 150.3403°E) 460 metres (1,510 ft)[6][7]
- Mount Elvinia (25°20′56″S 150°20′21″E / 25.3490°S 150.3392°E) 441 metres (1,447 ft)[6][8]
- Mount Irving (25°12′45″S 150°16′46″E / 25.2125°S 150.2794°E) 460 metres (1,510 ft)[6][9]
- Mount Steel (25°13′19″S 150°13′17″E / 25.2219°S 150.2214°E) 440 metres (1,440 ft)[6][10]
History[edit]
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] However, some believe it to have gotten the name sound of cracking stock whips echoing throughout the ranges.[citation needed]
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] A total of 592,578 ounces of ore was mined from the Golden Plateau, which at the time of its closure was an equivalent of $60mil.[citation needed]
Cracow Post Office opened on 1 October 1932[13] and was destroyed in a fire in 2006.[citation needed]
Cracow State School opened on 12 June 1933.[14] It was moved in 1935 after a young boy drowned in a nearby creek.[citation needed] The school remained there until its closure on 12 December 1997.[14][15] It was at 11-17 Third Avenue (25°17′36″S 150°18′04″E / 25.2933°S 150.3010°E).[16] The school building was moved to a nearby cattle station.[citation needed]
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 a ghost town with many deserted houses and shops.[17]
Circa 2000, Fred Brophy and wife Sandi purchased the Cracow Hotel.[18] He operated his famous boxing tent as an annual event in Cracow.[19]
In 2004, Newcrest Mining reestablished gold mining in the town, leading to hopes the town may recover.[17] This mine is now operated by Aeris Resources.[20] The shops are vacant although the hotel remains open.[citation needed]
In the 2011 census, Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 196.[21]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 89 people.[1]
The 2019 horror-comedy film Two Heads Creek was filmed on location in Cracow.[22][23]
Facilities[edit]
The Cracow Hotel at 30 Third Avenue (corner Tenth Avenue, 25°17′43″S 150°18′09″E / 25.2954°S 150.3026°E)[24] 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.[20] The hotel has been under new ownership as of March 2021. The Cracow hotel is now owned by Nikki Burke and family.[citation needed]
The Cracow community centre is at 57-63 Tenth Avenue (25°17′43″S 150°18′06″E / 25.2953°S 150.3018°E) and is operated by the Banana Shire Council.[25]
There is also a caravan park located at 11 Third Avenue, next to the old court house which has been turned into a museum.[citation needed]
Education[edit]
There are no schools in Cracow. The nearest government school 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.[26]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Cracow (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Cracow – town in Shire of Banana (entry 8648)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "Cracow – locality in Shire of Banana (entry 49544)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ "Cracow Gold Operations". Aeris Resources. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ Google (11 December 2021). "Brisbane to Cracow" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Mount Edwards – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 11235)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Mount Elvinia – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 11585)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Mount Irving – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 16851)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "Mount Steel – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 32315)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Beattie, Ross. "Cracow". Ross Beattie's Localities pages. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
- ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.[dead link]
- ^ 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
- ^ "Queensland state school - centre closures" (PDF). Queensland Government. 20 August 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
- ^ "Environs of Cracow" (Map). Queensland Government. 1963. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "The Town of Cracow in the Banana Shire". Sandstone Wonders. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Cracow (Banana Shire) (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
- ^ Burt, Jemima; Stünzner, Inga. "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.
- ^ "Two Heads Creek (2019)". IMDB. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ "Cracow Hotel". Google Maps. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ "Halls". Banana Shire Council. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
External links[edit]
- "Cracow". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
- "Environs of Cracow" (Map). Queensland Government. 1963.