Forsayth, Queensland

Last updated

Forsayth
Queensland
Forsayth-north-queensland-australia.jpg
Forsayth, outback north Queensland
Australia Queensland location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Forsayth
Coordinates 18°35′21″S143°36′13″E / 18.5891°S 143.6036°E / -18.5891; 143.6036 (Forsayth (town centre))
Population107 (2021 census) [1]
 • Density0.02891/km2 (0.0749/sq mi)
Established1871
Postcode(s) 4871
Area3,701.5 km2 (1,429.2 sq mi)
Time zone AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
  • 415 km (258 mi) from Cairns
  • 1,788 km (1,111 mi) from Brisbane
  • 2,328 km (1,447 mi) from Sydney
LGA(s) Shire of Etheridge
State electorate(s) Traeger
Federal division(s) Kennedy
Mean max tempMean min tempAnnual rainfall
32.6 °C
91 °F		18.4 °C
65 °F		819.2 mm
32.3 in
Localities around Forsayth:
Georgetown Georgetown Einasleigh
Northhead Forsayth Einasleigh
Gilberton Gilberton Lyndhurst

Forsayth is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. [2] [3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Forsayth had a population of 107 people. [1]

Contents

Geography

Forsayth is in Far North Queensland approximately 415 kilometres (258 mi) by road from Cairns.

The town is the terminus of the Etheridge Railway. [4]

History

Jangga, also known as Yangga, is a language of Central Queensland. The Jangga language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Etheridge Shire Council. [5]

Originally known as Finnigan's Camp after the prospector who discovered gold nearby in 1871, within a year the settlement had become Charleston township, and it continued to grow despite near desertion when its inhabitants rushed to the Palmer River Goldfield in 1874 and to the Hodgkinson in 1876. Charleston Post Office opened on 1 February 1876, was renamed Charleston West in 1910 and closed in 1915. [6] After a slump in the mid-1880s the township was again a flourishing centre by the mid-1890s, having five hotels, a school and a court of petty sessions.

Charleston Provisional School opened on 4 March 1895. On 1 January 1909 it became Charleston State School a. In 1920 it was renamed Forsayth State School. [7]

By the late 1890s base metal prices were high: a number of promising copper deposits were opened up in the Etheridge district at Charleston, Einasleigh and Ortona, and several were acquired by a subsidiary of the Chillagoe Company. This led the company to commence a rail link in 1907 from Almaden to Einasleigh and the Charleston area, which was completed in January 1910. The Etheridge Railway terminated at a new settlement on the other side of the Delaney River. First known as New Charleston, it was renamed Forsayth after the railways commissioner, James Forsyth Thallon. During the year, all the buildings in Charleston, including the police station and the school, which had previously been at Gilberton, were moved across the Delaney River to Forsayth.

The second Charleston Post Office opened here by April 1910 and was renamed Forsayth in December 1910. [6] New buildings and services followed the opening of the railway; these included a hospital, a new court house and a new school built in 1912, and a public hall built two years later.

In 1914 the Chillagoe smelters were shut down and the town's importance as an ore-loading facility and centre for miners and their families declined as mining activity in the area was scaled back.

Queensland Railways took the railway line over in 1918. [8]

Forsayth remained the railhead for transport to the west, although plans in the 1930s to extend the railway to connect to the Normanton-Croydon railway did not proceed. From the 1980s, renewed mining activity in the area and increased livestock traffic revived the town.

The Cobbold Gorge Nature Reserve was established in 2009. [9]

Demographics

In the 2006 census, the locality of Forsayth had a population of 101 people. [10]

In the 2011 census, the locality of Forsayth had a population of 347 people. [11]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Forsayth had a population of 129 people. [12]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Forsayth had a population of 107 people. [1]

Heritage listings

Forsayth has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Economy

Forsayth is a service centre for road transport and regional tourism. [4]

Amenities

The Forsayth branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its QCWA Hall in Fourth Street. [15]

St Augustine of Canterbury Church is shared by the Anglican and Catholic communities. It is on the corner of Third and Fourth Streets. It is within the Gulf Savannah Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns. [16]

Education

Forsayth State School, 1922 Forsayth State School in Queensland 1922.tif
Forsayth State School, 1922

Forsayth State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at Third Street ( 18°35′23″S143°36′09″E / 18.5897°S 143.6025°E / -18.5897; 143.6025 (Forsayth State School) ). [17] [18] In 2014, the school had an enrolment of 8 students with 2 teachers. [19] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 9 students with 2 teachers and 4 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent). [20]

Attractions

Forsayth is now serviced by a weekly, privately operated, tourist train, The Savannahlander. [4]

Cobbold Gorge is a 4,720-hectare (47.2 km2) nature reserve offering a range of ecotourism experiences. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chillagoe, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Chillagoe is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Chillagoe had a population of 214 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuranda, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Kuranda is a rural town and locality on the Atherton Tableland in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. It is 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Cairns, via the Kuranda Range road. It is surrounded by tropical rainforest and adjacent to the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage listed Barron Gorge National Park. In the 2021 census, the locality of Kuranda had a population of 3,273 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannahlander</span> Australian passenger train service

The Savannahlander is an Australian passenger train service that operates in Far North Queensland. It travels on the Tablelands railway line and the Etheridge railway line from the coastal city of Cairns to Forsayth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgetown, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Georgetown is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Georgetown had a population of 348 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Etheridge</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Etheridge is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia in what is known as the Savannah Gulf region. Its economy is based on cattle grazing and mining.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Surprise, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Mount Surprise is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Mount Surprise had a population of 138 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chillagoe smelters</span> Heritage listed smelter in Queensland, Australia

The Chillagoe smelters is a heritage-listed refinery at Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park, Mareeba Mining District, Chillagoe, Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. It operated in the early 1900s. It is also known as Chillagoe State Smelters. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Einasleigh, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Einasleigh is a town and a locality in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Einasleigh had a population of 87 people.

Gilberton is a rural locality in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Gilberton had a population of 4 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chillagoe Railway and Mining Co.</span> Australian railway and mining company

The Chillagoe Railway and Mining Company was an Australian business established in 1897 initially under the name Chillagoe Proprietary. Its initial purpose was to build a railway to the town of Chillagoe, Queensland to support the development of mining. In 1898, the company was recapitalised as the Chillagoe Railway and Mining Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tablelands railway line</span> Railway line in Queensland, Australia

The Tablelands railway line is a railway line in North Queensland, Australia. It was opened in a series of sections between 1887 and 1916. It commences at Cairns and at its maximum extent, reached Ravenshoe at the southern end of the Atherton Tableland. The rail system served by this line was unusual for Queensland in that the majority of lines that connected to it were built by private companies and later purchased by the Queensland Government.

Einasleigh Copper Mine and Smelter is a heritage-listed mine at Daintree Road, Einasleigh, Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1867 to 1922. It is also known as Lynd Copper Mine and New Einasleigh Copper Mine. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 11 December 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Einasleigh Hotel</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Einasleigh Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at Daintree Street, Einasleigh, Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1908 to 1909. It is also known as Central Hotel. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 6 February 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Station Master's Residence, Einasleigh</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Station Master's Residence is a heritage-listed detached house at Railway Reserve, Einasleigh, Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. It was built c. 1909. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etheridge railway line</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

The Etheridge railway line is a heritage-listed railway line between Mount Surprise and Forsayth, both in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. It includes Mount Surprise railway station, Einasleigh railway station, Wirra Wirra railway station and Forsayth railway station. Etheridge railway line was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 16 February 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almaden, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Almaden is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Almaden had a population of 41 people.

Station Master's Residence is a heritage-listed detached house at Fourth Street, Forsayth, Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. It was built c. 1910. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quartz Hill Coach Change Station</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Quartz Hill Coach Change Station Site and Cemetery is a heritage-listed coach station in Mount Surprise, Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1888 to 1908. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 4 July 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petford</span> Suburb of Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia

Petford is a rural locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Petford had a population of 22 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyndhurst, Queensland</span> Suburb of Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia

Lyndhurst is a rural locality in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Lyndhurst had a population of 11 people.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Forsayth (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. ↑ "Forsayth – town in Shire of Etheridge (entry 12914)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  3. ↑ "Forsayth – locality in Shire of Etheridge (entry 41670)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "A spectacular Australian outback rail holiday - The Savannahlander".
  5. ↑ CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map". State Library of Queensland. State Library of Queensland . Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  6. 1 2 Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  7. ↑ Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN   978-1-921171-26-0
  8. ↑ The Last Great Train Ride Leach, M Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, July 1998 pp243-248
  9. 1 2 "About". Cobbold Gorge Nature Refuge. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  10. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Forsayth (Etheridge Shire) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  11. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Forsayth (SSC)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 26 June 2016. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  12. ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Forsayth (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  13. ↑ "Station Master's Residence Forsayth (former) (entry 600507)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  14. ↑ "Etheridge Railway (entry 601637)". Queensland Heritage Register . Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "Branch locations". Queensland Country Women's Association . Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "Gulf Savannah Parish". Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns . Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  17. ↑ "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  18. ↑ "Forsayth State School" . Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  19. ↑ "2014 School Annual Report" (PDF). Forsayth State School. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  20. ↑ "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority . Retrieved 28 January 2020.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.