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]
| Mount Britton Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Royal Mail Hotel and doctor's cottage, Mount Britton Goldfield, circa 1881 | |||||||||||||||
  Mount Britton | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 21°25′07″S 148°35′59″E / 21.4186°S 148.5997°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 4 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.0100/km2 (0.026/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1881 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4742 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 398.3 km2 (153.8 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Isaac Region | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Burdekin | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Capricornia | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Geography
The terrain is mountainous with a number of named peaks (from north to south):
- The Stalk (21°18′37″S 148°29′22″E / 21.3103°S 148.4895°E) 660 metres (2,170 ft)[4][5]
- Sydney Heads (21°24′55″S 148°34′47″E / 21.4152°S 148.5798°E) 921 metres (3,022 ft)[4][6]
- The Marling Spikes (21°25′09″S 148°33′48″E / 21.4191°S 148.5633°E) 723 metres (2,372 ft)[4][7]
- Mount Seaview (21°26′29″S 148°42′40″E / 21.4414°S 148.7112°E) 860 metres (2,820 ft)[4][8]
- Mount Britton (21°28′09″S 148°34′44″E / 21.4691°S 148.5790°E) 727 metres (2,385 ft)[4][9]
- Mount Adder (21°29′11″S 148°43′19″E / 21.4864°S 148.7219°E) 712 metres (2,336 ft)[4][10]
- Boundary Gap Mountain (21°30′26″S 148°42′53″E / 21.5071°S 148.7146°E) 700 metres (2,300 ft)[4][11]
Dullawunna is a neighbourhood in the west of the locality (21°26′00″S 148°32′00″E / 21.4333°S 148.5333°E).[12]
History
The township began in 1881 with the discovery of a gold field and, at its height, had a population of 1500 inhabitants.[13]
Mount Britten Post Office opened on 1 June 1881 and closed in 1912.[14] Mount Britten Provisional School opened c. 1883 and closed in 1906.[15]
After alluvial and shallow reef gold diminished by the late 1880s, the town experienced a decline and was eventually abandoned.[13]
The former township is now a historical site at the end of Mount Britton Road (21°24′13″S 148°32′43″E / 21.4035°S 148.5452°E).[16]
Demographics
In the 2006 census, the locality of Mount Britton and the surrounding area had a population of 255.[17]
In the 2016 census, the locality of Mount Britton had a population of 9 people.[18]
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 primary school is Nebo State School in neighbouring Nebo to the south. There are no nearby secondary schools; distance education or boarding schools would be options.[16]
See also
References
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.