Mount Britton, Queensland

Mount Britton
Suburb
Royal Mail Hotel and doctor's cottage, Mount Britton Goldfield, circa 1881
Mount Britton
Coordinates: 21°25′07″S148°35′59″E / 21.4186°S 148.5997°E / -21.4186; 148.5997 (Mount Britton (centre of locality))
Country	Australia
State	Queensland
LGA	Isaac Region
Location	50.1 km (31.1 mi) N of Nebo 131 km (81 mi) SW of Mackay 150 km (93 mi) NE of Moranbah 994 km (618 mi) NNW of Brisbane
Established	1881
Government
•  State electorate	Burdekin
•  Federal division	Capricornia
Area
• Total	398.3 km2 (153.8 sq mi)
Population
• Total	4 (2021 census) [1]
• Density	0.0100/km2 (0.026/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+10:00 (AEST)
Postcode	4742
Suburbs around Mount Britton Eungella Dam Crediton Septimus Hail Creek Mount Britton Pinevale Hail Creek Nebo Epsom

Mount Britton (originally Mount Britten) is a rural locality in the Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia. ^[2] It contains the abandoned gold rush town of Mount Britton in the former Nebo Shire. ^[3] In the 2021 census, Mount Britton had a population of 4 people. ^[1]

The Mount Britton area was part of the traditional lands occupied by the Wiri Aboriginal people. ^[4] Native title was first applied for in 2006 and legally recognised on 31 July 2019. ^{[5] [6]}

Geography

The terrain is mountainous with a number of named peaks (from north to south):

• The Stalk ( 21°18′37″S148°29′22″E / 21.3103°S 148.4895°E / -21.3103; 148.4895 (The Stalk) ) 660 metres (2,170 ft) ^{[7] [8]}
• Sydney Heads ( 21°24′55″S148°34′47″E / 21.4152°S 148.5798°E / -21.4152; 148.5798 (Sydney Heads) ) 921 metres (3,022 ft) ^{[7] [9]}
• The Marling Spikes ( 21°25′09″S148°33′48″E / 21.4191°S 148.5633°E / -21.4191; 148.5633 (The Marling Spikes) ) 723 metres (2,372 ft) ^{[7] [10]}
• Mount Seaview ( 21°26′29″S148°42′40″E / 21.4414°S 148.7112°E / -21.4414; 148.7112 (Mount Seaview) ) 860 metres (2,820 ft) ^{[7] [11]}
• Mount Britton ( 21°28′09″S148°34′44″E / 21.4691°S 148.5790°E / -21.4691; 148.5790 (Mount Britton) ) 727 metres (2,385 ft) ^{[7] [12]}
• Mount Adder ( 21°29′11″S148°43′19″E / 21.4864°S 148.7219°E / -21.4864; 148.7219 (Mount Adder) ) 712 metres (2,336 ft) ^{[7] [13]}
• Boundary Gap Mountain ( 21°30′26″S148°42′53″E / 21.5071°S 148.7146°E / -21.5071; 148.7146 (Boundary Gap Mountain) ) 700 metres (2,300 ft) ^{[7] [14]}

Dullawunna is a neighbourhood in the west of the locality ( 21°26′00″S148°32′00″E / 21.4333°S 148.5333°E / -21.4333; 148.5333 (Dullawunna (neighbourhood)) ). ^[15]

History

School children and teacher portrait at the Provisional School, Mount Britton, 1885

The township began in 1881 with the discovery of a gold field and, at its height, had a population of 1500 inhabitants. ^[16]

Mount Britten Post Office opened on 1 June 1881 and closed in 1912. ^[17] Mount Britten Provisional School opened c. 1883 and closed in 1906. ^[18]

After alluvial and shallow reef gold diminished by the late 1880s, the town experienced a decline and was eventually abandoned. ^[16]

The former township is now a historical site at the end of Mount Britton Road ( 21°24′13″S148°32′43″E / 21.4035°S 148.5452°E / -21.4035; 148.5452 (Mount Britton (historic town)) ). ^[19]

Demographics

In the 2006 census, the locality of Mount Britton and the surrounding area had a population of 255 people. ^[20]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Mount Britton had a population of 9 people. ^[21]

In the 2021 census, the locality of Mount Britton had a population of 4 people. ^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Mount Britton. The nearest government primary school is Nebo State School in neighbouring Nebo to the south. There are no nearby secondary schools; distance education or boarding schools are the alternatives. ^[19]

See also

• Queensland portal

• List of ghost towns

References

1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Mount Britton (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
2. "Mount Britton – locality in Isaac Region (entry 47030)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 27 December 2020.
3. "Mount Britton – town in Isaac Region (entry 47030)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 2 June 2024.
4. Queensland Government. "Map 10: Native Title" (PDF). Queensland Government, data assets, Native Title. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
5. "Pegler on behalf of the Widi People of the Nebo Estate #1 v State of Queensland (No. 2) [2019] FCA 1159 | AIATSIS corporate website". aiatsis.gov.au. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
6. "Pegler on behalf of the Widi People of the Nebo Estate #1 v State of Queensland (No 2) [2019] FCA 1159 (31 July 2019)". www8.austlii.edu.au. Archived from the original on 10 August 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
7. "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.
8. "The Stalk – mountain in Isaac Region (entry 34140)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
9. "Sydney Heads – mountain in Isaac Region (entry 33018)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
10. "The Marling Spikes – mountain in Isaac Region (entry 34018)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
11. "Mount Seaview – mountain in Isaac Region (entry 30337)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
12. "Mount Britton – mountain in Isaac Region (entry 4577)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
13. "Mount Adder – mountain in Isaac Region (entry 111)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
14. "Boundary Gap Mountain – mountain in Isaac Region (entry 4062)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 November 2020.
15. "Dullawunna – locality unbounded in Isaac Regional (entry 10788)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 8 March 2023.
16. "Mount Britton". Tourism & Events Queensland. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 1 August 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
17. Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List Mount Britten". Phoenix Auctions. Archived from the original on 23 July 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
18. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN   978-1-921171-26-0
19. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland . Retrieved 3 March 2021.
20. Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Mount Britton (Nebo Shire)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
21. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mount Britton (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.

Further reading

• Ford, Lyall R. (Lyall Robert) (2001), Below these mountains : the adventures of John Henry Mills - pioneer photographer and gold miner, Taipan Press, ISBN   978-0-9590776-1-2 (includes historical aspects of Mount Britton)

External links

• "Mount Britton". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.