Fossilbrook

Fossilbrook Queensland
Fossilbrook landscape, 2013
Fossilbrook
Coordinates	17°51′34″S144°15′25″E / 17.8594°S 144.2569°E / -17.8594; 144.2569 (Fossilbrook (centre of locality))
Population	0 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	0.0000/km2 (0.0000/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4871
Area	473.2 km2 (182.7 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	51.1 km (32 mi) N of Mount Surprise 143 km (89 mi) ENE of Georgetown 261 km (162 mi) SW of Cairns 474 km (295 mi) NW of Townsville 1,786 km (1,110 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Shire of Mareeba
State electorate(s)	Cook
Federal division(s)	Kennedy
Suburbs around Fossilbrook: Amber Amber Amber Abingdon Downs Fossilbrook Springfield Mount Surprise Mount Surprise Springfield

Fossilbrook is a rural locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Fossilbrook had "no people or a very low population". ^[1]

Geography

Fossilbrook has the following mountains (from north to south):

• Charlies Knob ( 17°47′22″S144°17′54″E / 17.7894°S 144.2984°E / -17.7894; 144.2984 (Charlies Knob) ) 548 metres (1,798 ft) ^{[3] [4]}
• Ruby Hill ( 17°50′58″S144°18′44″E / 17.8495°S 144.3122°E / -17.8495; 144.3122 (Ruby Hill) ) 542 metres (1,778 ft) ^{[3] [5]}
• Bally Knob ( 17°53′41″S144°20′49″E / 17.8948°S 144.3469°E / -17.8948; 144.3469 (Bally Knob) ) 612 metres (2,008 ft) ^{[3] [6]}
• Bains Knob ( 17°54′03″S144°23′24″E / 17.9008°S 144.3899°E / -17.9008; 144.3899 (Bains Knob) ) 587 metres (1,926 ft) ^{[3] [7]}

The Tablelands railway line passes through the eastern edge of the locality with the locality being served by Lyndbrook railway station ( 17°50′08″S144°26′34″E / 17.8356°S 144.4427°E / -17.8356; 144.4427 (Lyndbrook railway station) ). ^[8]

The land use is grazing on native vegetation. ^[9]

History

On 26 June 1872, William Hann set out from Fossilbrook, an outstation of Mount Surprise Station owned by Ezra Firth, to lead an exploration into North Queensland, which discovered gold in the Palmer River. Hann and his team returned to Fossibrook on 27 October 1872. ^[10]

Fossilbrook Provisional School opened in 1908. On 1 January 1909, it became Fossilbrook State School. It closed on 1926. ^[11] It was on a 6-acre (2.4 ha) site within the town reserve (approx 17°48′45″S144°23′31″E / 17.8124°S 144.3919°E / -17.8124; 144.3919 (Fossilbrook State School (former)) ). ^{[12] [13]}

Fossilbrook was flooded in January 1927 following 15 inches (380 mm) of rain. Residents took refuge in the school building which was not flooded. ^{[14] [15]}

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Fossilbrook had a population of 5 people. ^[16]

In the 2021 census, Fossilbrook had "no people or a very low population". ^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Fossilbrook. The nearest government primary school is Mount Surprise State School in neighbouring Mount Surprise to the south. There are no nearby secondary schools; the alternatives are distance education and boarding school. ^[17]

Attractions

Savannahlander passing through Fossilbrook, 2013

The Savannahlander tourist train service passes briefly through the locality on the railway line. ^[18]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Fossilbrook (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Fossilbrook – locality in Shire of Mareeba (entry 48641)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 28 December 2020.
3. "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.
4. "Charlies Knob – mountain in Mareeba Shire (entry 6924)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
5. "Ruby Hill – mountain in Mareeba Shire (entry 29260)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
6. "Bally Knob – mountain in Mareeba Shire (entry 1409)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
7. "Bains Knob – mountain in Mareeba Shire (entry 1248)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
8. "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
9. "Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 August 2025.
10. Taylor, Peter Illingworth; Huxley, Nicole (2021). "A re-examination of William Hann's Northern Expedition of 1872 to Cape York Peninsula, Queensland". Historical Records of Australian Science. 32 (1): 67. doi: 10.1071/HR20014 . hdl: 1885/279715 . Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
11. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN   978-1-921171-26-0
12. "Reserves Proclaimed". Observer And Evening Brisbane Courier . Vol. XXIX, no. 8394. Queensland, Australia. 8 September 1910. p. 5. Retrieved 22 August 2025– via National Library of Australia.
13. "Queensland Four Mile First series sheet 18A" (Map). Queensland Government. 1914. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
14. "The Fossilbrook Flood". The Telegraph . No. 16892. Queensland, Australia. 22 January 1927. p. 2 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 22 August 2025– via National Library of Australia.
15. "The Fossilbrook Flood". The Telegraph . No. 16897. Queensland, Australia. 28 January 1927. p. 9 (CITY EDITION). Retrieved 22 August 2025– via National Library of Australia.
16. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Fossilbrook (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
17. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 August 2025.
18. "Route Map". Savannahlander. Retrieved 21 August 2025.