Springsure, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Springsure is a small town in Queensland
, 66 km south of Emerald
on the Gregory Highway
. It is 765 km northwest of Brisbane
. At the 2006 census
, Springsure had a population of 829.
and his favourable reports encouraged settlers to move in. Springsure saw a massacre of Europeans by the Aboriginal Australian people, the Kairi, who resisted encroachment on their lands (Known as the Wills massacre or Cullin-La-Ringo massacre
). At least 19 are known to have perished.
Today, Springsure is a pastoral settlement serving cattle
farms as well as sunflower
, sorghum
, wheat
and chickpea
plantations.
, although years of erosion have blurred the original resemblance.
.
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...
, 66 km south of Emerald
Emerald, Queensland
Emerald is a town located in the Central Highlands district of Central Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Emerald had a population of 10,999. The town is the business centre for the Central Highlands Regional Council....
on the Gregory Highway
Gregory Highway
The Gregory Highway is a state highway in Queensland that serves the major coal-mining centres of Central Queensland. The highway was named after Augustus Gregory, an early explorer....
. It is 765 km northwest of 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...
. 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,...
, Springsure had a population of 829.
History
The area was first explored by Ludwig LeichhardtLudwig Leichhardt
Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt, known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a Prussian explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.-Early life:...
and his favourable reports encouraged settlers to move in. Springsure saw a massacre of Europeans by the Aboriginal Australian people, the Kairi, who resisted encroachment on their lands (Known as the Wills massacre or Cullin-La-Ringo massacre
Cullin-La-Ringo massacre
The Cullin-La-Ringo massacre, which occurred in central Queensland on 17 October 1861, was the largest massacre of white settlers by Aborigines in Australia....
). At least 19 are known to have perished.
Today, Springsure is a pastoral settlement serving cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
farms as well as sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
, sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
plantations.
Feature
A cliff face in the hills surrounding Springsure is known to the area as Virgin Rock, named because it once looked like the Virgin Mary cradling the baby JesusJesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, although years of erosion have blurred the original resemblance.
Facilities
Facilities at Springsure include an airport, caravan park, hospital, library, motocross track, police station, service station and showground.Mining
Springsure is the hub for several coal mines such as the Minerva Mine and the Rolleston Mine. These mines are letting Springsure prosper. Significant exploration is ongoing in the district. It is also a staging point for expeditions to the Carnarvon National ParkCarnarvon National Park
Carnarvon National Park is located in the Southern Brigalow Belt bioregion in Central Queensland , 593 km northwest of Brisbane...
.