Middlemount, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Middlemount is a town in Queensland
, Australia
, located 242 kilometres (150 mi) inland (by road) from Mackay
and Rockhampton
. It is a mining
town servicing two coal mines, Foxleigh and German Creek. At the 2006 census
, Middlemount had a population of 2,038.
The German Creek mine (or Capcoal), operated by Anglo Coal, is notable as having the deepest longwall coal
mine in Queensland, and also for operating Australia's only 'thin-seam' underground coal mine, using technology from the USA. It has five producing underground mines (Central, Southern, Bundoora, Grasstree and Aquila) and two open cut (open pit) mines (Oak Park and Lake Lindsay). Central and Southern mines are no longer operating, Southern has become Grasstree West and Central Closed in 2006.
The Foxleigh mine is a joint venture between the QLD government, CAML resources and a number of other partners. It is currently producing around 2 million tonnes of coal for the export market.
Middlemount, like many other mining towns in Queensland virtually sprung up overnight in the early 1980s; this means that the houses are all almost identical, in this instance there are three types of houses; lowset L-shaped, lowset square and highset.
Nicknamed the "Giant Peanut
" by some locals due to its slightly bizarre road layout. Some of Middlemount's notable former residents are Olympic
cyclists Anna Meares
and Kerrie Meares
and music producer Blake Brown. It is also one of Queensland's highest earning locations - in 1998, it returned the 5th highest average
taxable income
(according to the Australian Tax Office). It should also be said that the locations in spots 1-4 were Glenden, Tieri
, Moranbah and Dysart
, all of which are similar mining towns in the same region.
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...
, located 242 kilometres (150 mi) inland (by road) from Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
and Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
. It is a mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
town servicing two coal mines, Foxleigh and German Creek. 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,...
, Middlemount had a population of 2,038.
The German Creek mine (or Capcoal), operated by Anglo Coal, is notable as having the deepest longwall coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mine in Queensland, and also for operating Australia's only 'thin-seam' underground coal mine, using technology from the USA. It has five producing underground mines (Central, Southern, Bundoora, Grasstree and Aquila) and two open cut (open pit) mines (Oak Park and Lake Lindsay). Central and Southern mines are no longer operating, Southern has become Grasstree West and Central Closed in 2006.
The Foxleigh mine is a joint venture between the QLD government, CAML resources and a number of other partners. It is currently producing around 2 million tonnes of coal for the export market.
Middlemount, like many other mining towns in Queensland virtually sprung up overnight in the early 1980s; this means that the houses are all almost identical, in this instance there are three types of houses; lowset L-shaped, lowset square and highset.
Nicknamed the "Giant Peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
" by some locals due to its slightly bizarre road layout. Some of Middlemount's notable former residents are Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
cyclists Anna Meares
Anna Meares
Anna Maree Meares, OAM is an Australian track cyclist.She has been the 500m TT world champion twice, and a gold medalist at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.-Biography:...
and Kerrie Meares
Kerrie Meares
Kerrie Meares is an Australian professional racing cyclist. She is the older sister of Anna Meares. She was a contender for the 2004 Olympic team, but pulled out from competition due to nagging injuries, suffered during numerous crashes that occurred during competitions earlier that year.-Career...
and music producer Blake Brown. It is also one of Queensland's highest earning locations - in 1998, it returned the 5th highest average
Average
In mathematics, an average, or central tendency of a data set is a measure of the "middle" value of the data set. Average is one form of central tendency. Not all central tendencies should be considered definitions of average....
taxable income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
(according to the Australian Tax Office). It should also be said that the locations in spots 1-4 were Glenden, Tieri
Tieri, Queensland
Tieri is a town in Central Queensland, Australia, located in the Central Highlands. Established in 1983, the town like nearby Middlemount and Dysart, is a service centre for local coal mines. At the 2006 census, Tieri had a population of 1,679....
, Moranbah and Dysart
Dysart, Queensland
Dysart is a town in central Queensland, Australia, located in the Isaac Region. Established in 1973, Dysart is a service centre for the nearby Norwich Park and Saraji coal mines, as well as grazing properties in the district. Most residents are employed by the coal mines...
, all of which are similar mining towns in the same region.