Cracow, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids CracowQueensland |
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Third Avenue, Cracow, 2022
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Population | 89 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
• Density | 0.1233/km2 (0.319/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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Cracow is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Banana, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 89 people.
Historically, Cracow is a gold mining town, with some recent mines opening.
Contents
History
The town was named for a pastoral run, named in 1851 by pastoralist, John Ross, for the Polish city of Kraków which had made a brave stand for independence.
Gold was first discovered in Cracow in 1875 by itinerant fossickers and a further discovery of a nugget was made by an Aboriginal man in 1916. In 1931, the Golden Plateau mine was established and it operated continuously until 1976.
Cracow Post Office opened on 1 October 1932.
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.
In 2004, Newcrest Mining reestablished gold mining in the town, leading to hopes the town may recover.
Facilities
The local hotel is one of the only remaining retail business, as it attracts a lot of tourists due to its unusual array of strange artifacts adorning the ceilings and walls. The other business was the General Store, which doubled as a post office and video store.
Events
Every year, Cracow hosts Fred Brophy's Boxing Tent.
Education
There are no schools in Cracow. The nearest government school is Theodore State School in Theodore to the north-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.