Cracow, Queensland
Encyclopedia
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
. However, in a book detailing the town's history, which was published in/around 1992/1993, Cracow got its name from the sound a whip makes ('cracko'). At the 2006 census
, Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 123.
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.
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. 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.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in the Banana Shire Local Government Area. The town is located on the Theodore
Theodore, Queensland
Theodore is a town in Queensland, Australia, situated on the Dawson River. The town - like the Canberra suburb - is named in honour of Labor politician Ted Theodore, Premier of Queensland and Treasurer of Australia in the ministry of Prime Minister James Scullin...
- Eidsvold
Eidsvold, Queensland
Eidsvold is a small town in the North Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Burnett Highway approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The town is the self-proclaimed Beef Capital of the Burnett and is a hub for the regional cattle industry...
road, 485 kilometres north west of the state capital, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. The town was named for a pastoral run, named in 1851 by pastoralist, John Ross, presumably for the Polish city of Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. However, in a book detailing the town's history, which was published in/around 1992/1993, Cracow got its name from the sound a whip makes ('cracko'). At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 123.
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.
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
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
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
Newcrest Mining
Newcrest Mining Limited engages in the exploration, development, mining and sale of gold and gold-copper concentrate. Newcrest is an Australian based Company which initially incorporated in Victoria in 1980. Today it has become Australia’s leading gold mining company...
reestablished gold mining in the town, leading to hopes the town may recover.