Cracow is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Banana, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 114 people.[1]
| Cracow Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Third Avenue, Cracow, 2022 | |||||||||||||||
  Cracow | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 25°17′48″S 150°18′17″E / 25.2967°S 150.3047°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 114 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.1579/km2 (0.4090/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1931 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4719 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 721.9 km2 (278.7 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Banana | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Callide | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Flynn | ||||||||||||||
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Historically, Cracow is a gold mining town, with some recent mines opening.[4]
Geography
The town is located on the Eidsvold–Theodore Road, 494 kilometres (307 mi) by road north-west of the state capital, Brisbane.[5]
Cracow has the following mountains:
- Mount Edwards (Mount Bannister) (25°21′29″S 150°20′25″E / 25.3580°S 150.3403°E) 460 metres (1,510 ft)[6][7]
- Mount Elvinia (25°20′56″S 150°20′21″E / 25.3490°S 150.3392°E) 441 metres (1,447 ft)[6][8]
- Mount Irving (25°12′45″S 150°16′46″E / 25.2125°S 150.2794°E) 460 metres (1,510 ft)[6][9]
- Mount Steel (25°13′19″S 150°13′17″E / 25.2219°S 150.2214°E) 440 metres (1,440 ft)[6][10]
History
The town was named after a pastoral run, which was in turn named by pastoralist John Ross, in 1851, for the Polish city of Kraków, which had recently been the centre for a fight for Polish national independence.[2][11] However, some believe it to have gotten the name sound of cracking stock whips echoing throughout the ranges.[citation needed]
Gold was first discovered in Cracow in 1875 by itinerant fossickers and a further discovery of a nugget was made by an Aboriginal stockman, Johnny Nipps in 1916. In 1931, the Golden Plateau mine was established and it operated continuously until 1976.[12] A total of 592,578 ounces of ore was mined from the Golden Plateau, which at the time of its closure was an equivalent of $60mil.[citation needed]
Cracow Post Office opened on 1 October 1932[13] and was destroyed in a fire in 2006.[citation needed]
Cracow State School opened on 12 June 1933.[14] It was moved in 1935 after a young boy drowned in a nearby creek.[citation needed] The school remained there until its closure on 12 December 1997.[14][15] It was at 11-17 Third Avenue (25°17′36″S 150°18′04″E / 25.2933°S 150.3010°E).[16] The school building was moved to a nearby cattle station.[citation needed]
At its gold mining peak, the town included five cafes, barber shop, billiard saloon, two butchers, a picture theatre and a soft drink factory. The closure of the mine led to Cracow becoming a ghost town with many deserted houses and shops.[17]
Circa 2000, Fred Brophy and wife Sandi purchased the Cracow Hotel.[18] He operated his famous boxing tent as an annual event in Cracow.[19]
In 2004, Newcrest Mining reestablished gold mining in the town, leading to hopes the town may recover.[17] This mine is now operated by Aeris Resources.[20] The shops are vacant although the hotel remains open.[citation needed]
The 2019 horror-comedy film Two Heads Creek was filmed on location in Cracow.[21][22]
Demographics
In the 2011 census, the locality of Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 196 people.[23]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 89 people.[24]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 114 people.[1]
Facilities
The Cracow Hotel at 30 Third Avenue (corner Tenth Avenue, 25°17′43″S 150°18′09″E / 25.2954°S 150.3026°E)[25] is the only remaining business in the township, as it attracts a lot of tourists due to its array of antique and unusual artifacts adorning the ceilings and walls.[20]
The Cracow community centre is at 57-63 Tenth Avenue (25°17′43″S 150°18′06″E / 25.2953°S 150.3018°E) and is operated by the Banana Shire Council.[26]
There is also a caravan park located at 11 Third Avenue, next to the old court house which has been turned into a museum.[citation needed]
Education
There are no schools in Cracow. The nearest government schoola is Theodore State School in Theodore to the north-west and Taroom State School in Taroom to the south-west; it provides primary education and secondary education to Year 10. There is no nearby school providing secondary education to Year 12; options are distance education and boarding school.[27]
References
External links
- "Cracow". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland.
- "Environs of Cracow" (Map). Queensland Government. 1963.
