Minnie Downs, Queensland

Minnie Downs Queensland
A bottle tree, 20 ft in girth, Minnie Downs station, 1919
Minnie Downs
Coordinates	25°05′09″S145°51′08″E / 25.0858°S 145.8522°E / -25.0858; 145.8522 (Minnie Downs (centre of locality))
Population	12 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	0.0129/km2 (0.0335/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4478
Area	928.6 km2 (358.5 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	75.8 km (47 mi) SW of Tambo 159 km (99 mi) SSE of Blackall 404 km (251 mi) NW of Roma 881 km (547 mi) WNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Blackall-Tambo Region
State electorate(s)	Gregory
Federal division(s)	Maranoa
Suburbs around Minnie Downs: Blackall Blackall Macfarlane Blackall Minnie Downs Lansdowne Blackall Lumeah Lansdowne

Minnie Downs is a rural locality in the Blackall-Tambo Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] In the 2021 census, Minnie Downs had a population of 12 people. ^[1]

Geography

The Landsborough Highway passes to the north-east. Langlo Road commences at the highway and enters the locality from the north-east (Macfarlane) and exits to the south (Lumeah). ^{[3] [4]}

Elizabeth Creek commences in the north of the locality at the confluence of Western Head Creek and Boggy Creek. It is a braided creek which flows south, exiting to the south (Lumeah) where Elizabeth Creek becomes a tributary of the Langlo River. ^{[5] [6]}

The pastoral station "Minnie Downs" is in the north-east of the locality. ^[7]

The land use in the locality is grazing on native vegetation. ^[8]

History

In 1861, Mr J. T. Allen established the "Elizabeth Creek" pastoral station. In 1873, it was bought by the Archer brothers who renamed it Minnie Downs in honour of Mary Louise (Minnie) Mackenzie, the eldest daughter of Sir Robert Ramsay Mackenzie, who married Alexander Archer (one of the Archer brothers) in 1871. In 1890, Alexander and Minnie Archer died in the shipwreck of the RMS Quetta. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

Minnie Downs was developed as a sheep station and horse stud. ^{[12] [13]} The Minnie Downs pastoral station can be seen on an 1892 map. ^[14]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Minnie Downs had a population of 13 people. ^[15]

In the 2021 census, Minnie Downs had a population of 12 people. ^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Minnie Downs. The nearest government school is Tambo State School (Kindergarten to Year 10) in Tambo to the north-east, but it would be too distant from some parts of Minnie Downs to attend. Also there is no nearby school providing education to Year 12. The alternatives are distance education and boarding school. ^[16]

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Minnie Downs (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Minnie Downs – locality in Blackall-Tambo Region (entry 47063)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 2 November 2019.
3. "Minnie Downs, Queensland" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 1 October 2021.
4. "Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Railways; Railway stations". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
5. "Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
6. "Elizabeth Creek – watercourse in the Blackall Tambo Region (entry 11495)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 21 June 2025.
7. "Layers: Locality; Property names". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
8. "Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Sugarcane areas". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
9. Mennell, Philip (1892). "Archer, Alexander"  . The Dictionary of Australasian Biography. London: Hutchinson & Co. p. 16 – via Wikisource. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
10. "ABOUT THE PIONEERS". The Capricornian . Vol. L, no. 51. Queensland, Australia. 19 December 1925. p. 45. Retrieved 21 June 2025– via National Library of Australia.
11. "THE QUETTA DISASTER". The Capricornian . Vol. 54, no. 9. Queensland, Australia. 28 February 1929. p. 4 (CAPRICORNIAN PICTORIAL.). Retrieved 21 June 2025– via National Library of Australia.
12. "Minnie Downs" (PDF). Central Queensland University . Retrieved 21 June 2025.
13. "MINNIE DOWNS". The Longreach Leader . Vol. 19, no. 1015. Queensland, Australia. 3 May 1941. p. 4. Retrieved 22 June 2025– via National Library of Australia.
14. "Outline Map of the Warrego District illustrating the Pastoral Holdings" (Map). Queensland Government. 1892. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
15. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Minnie Downs (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
16. "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 19 December 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2025.