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Silver Valley, Queensland

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Silver Valley is a rural locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] It is known for its mining in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In the 2021 census, Silver Valley had a population of 145 people.[1]

Silver Valley
Queensland
Remains of the Coolgarra Battery, Silver Valley
Silver Valley is located in Queensland
Silver Valley
Silver Valley
Coordinates17°32′16″S 145°15′45″E / 17.5377°S 145.2625°E / -17.5377; 145.2625 (Silver Valley (centre of locality))
Population145 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density0.4370/km2 (1.132/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4872
Area331.8 km2 (128.1 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Tablelands Region
State electorate(s)Dalrymple
Federal division(s)Kennedy
Suburbs around Silver Valley:
Irvinebank Watsonville Kalunga
Irvinebank Silver Valley Kaban
Mount Garnet Innot Hot Springs Millstream

Geography

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The Wild River forms the western boundary of the locality.[3]

Although historically part of Silver Valley, the now-abandoned township of Coolgarra is just within the current boundaries of neighbouring Mount Garnet (17°34′28″S 145°11′51″E / 17.57434°S 145.19751°E / -17.57434; 145.19751 (Coolgarra (former township))).[4][5]

The Kennedy Highway enters the locality at its south-eastern corner (Millstream) forming part of its southern boundary before passing through the south of the locality and then exiting to the south (Innot Hot Springs).[6]

The locality is mountainous, rising from an elevation of 650 metres (2,130 ft) in Bulldog Gully in the south of the locality through to numerous peaks in the locality (from north to south):[3]

The land is relatively undeveloped apart from some areas now laid bare as the result of mining. The land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation. Most of the residential use is along the Wild River in the south-east of the locality.[16]

History

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Map of Newellton, 1965
 
Coolgarra Mine Map (created between 1934 and 1972)

James Venture Mulligan is credited with the first discovery of silver at Silver Valley in 1880.[17][18][19] By 1883, outcrops of silver, lead and galena had been found in the area and it was named Silver Valley and mining commenced.[20] It was also known as Newellton after a pioneer family. However, while the silver mines were initially productive (one yielding up to 150 ounces of metal per ton), after a few years the silver lode was exhausted and the mines abandoned.[21] However, in 1895, three prospector George Harrod discovered two rich lodes of tin and, with Hammond and White, established the Lancelot mine and, with Hammond, White and Daniels, established the Hadleigh Castle mine.[22] In 1899 a German company (the German Lancelot Tin Mining Company) purchased the Lancelot Mine[23] and proposed naming the area Lancelot after the mine and later proposed to establish a new town called New Frankfurt (although there is no evidence that this occurred).[20] However, the German company did build a dam and a 5-head battery.[21] However, by 1910 the lodes were exhausted and diamond drills were used to search for new lodes, but without success.[20] In 1911 the mines were sold to John Moffat.[24] However, the popular story is that the Germans operated the mine up until the start of World War I whereupon they suddenly disappeared overnight, but this story reflects the anti-German sentiment in response to World War I rather than actual events.[24]

Coolgarra Provisional School opened on 29 April 1901. On 1 January 1909, it became Coolgarra State School. In July 1916, it became a half-time provisional school in conjunction with Lower Nettles Provisional School (meaning a single teacher shared between two schools). However, Lower Nettles closed later in 1916 and Coolgarra was again a full -time state school. Coolgarra State School closed in 1934.[25] The school was on a 3-acre (1.2 ha) site bounded by Mary, Elma, Lucy and Elsie Streets (17°33′58″S 145°11′50″E / 17.56621°S 145.19726°E / -17.56621; 145.19726 (Coolgarra State School (former))), now within the boundaries of present-day Mount Garnet.[4][26]

Lancelot Provisional School opened in 1905 but closed in 1906 when insufficient students enrolled. It reopened circa 1920 and closed in 1926.[25] It was on 2-acre (0.81 ha) site on the eastern side of Silver Valley Road (17°27′06″S 145°17′20″E / 17.45170°S 145.28883°E / -17.45170; 145.28883 (Lancelot Provisional School (former))).[27][26]

Despite the apparent cessation of mining in the area, Silver Valley was described in 1912 as being "rich in minerals" with "beautiful scenery, fishing and shooting". The Silver Valley Hotel (licensee James Ramsay) could provide accommodation for 20 people for 6/- per day or 30/- per week.[28]

Like most old mines, there are occasional flurries of renewed activity whenever there were prospects of poorer ore lodes being profitably mined, usually in response to rising metal prices or more efficient extraction technologies, but generally such mining is short-lived as it is extremely price-sensitive.[29][30]

Demographics

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In the 2016 census Silver Valley had a population of 144 people.[31]

In the 2021 census, Silver Valley had a population of 145 people.[1]

Heritage listings

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Silver Valley has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Education

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There are no schools in Silvery Valley. The nearest government primary schools are Mount Garnet State School in neighbouring Mount Garnet to the south-west, Irvinebank State School in neighbouring Irvinebank to the west, and Herberton State School in Herberton to the north-east. The nearest government secondary schools are Herberton State School (to Year 10) in Herberton, Ravenshoe State School (to Year 12) in Ravenshoe to the east, and Atherton State High School (to Year 12) in Atherton to the north-east.[33]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Silver Valley (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  2. ^ "Silver Valley – locality in Tablelands Region (entry 48868)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b Geological Survey of Queensland. "Coolgarra Mine Map Provisional". Queensland. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  5. ^ "Layers: Locality; Land parcel". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Railways; Railway stations". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "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. ^ "Mount Clotten – mountain in Tablelands Region (entry 7491)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Mount Nolan – mountain in Tablelands Region (entry 24454)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Mount Klaatsch – mountain in Tablelands Region (entry 18333)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Mount Missler – mountain in Tablelands Region (entry 22320)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ "Mount Port Arthur – mountain in Tablelands Region (entry 27343)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  14. ^ "Mount Wilson – mountain in Tablelands Region (entry 37617)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Mount Gibson – mountain in Tablelands Region (entry 13688)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Pre-Settlement History". Eacham Historical Society. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  18. ^ "James Venture Mulligan". Monument Australia. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  19. ^ "1880". Cairns Post. No. 14, 398. Queensland. 28 April 1948. p. 5. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. ^ a b c "SILVER VALLEY". The Worker. Vol. 58, no. 3139. Brisbane. 15 September 1947. p. 13. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ a b Rimmer, Michael Albert (2008), Up the Palmerston : a history of the Cairns hinterland up to 1920. Volume 2 (PDF), Mike Rimmer, p. 174, ISBN 978-0-646-50093-5, archived (PDF) from the original on 8 April 2016, retrieved 3 January 2017
  22. ^ "The Metal Market". The North Queensland Register. 1 February 1893. p. 36. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. ^ "German Launcelot Tin Mining Co". Morning Post. Vol. 10, no. 7. Cairns, Queensland. 22 August 1900. p. 2. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. ^ a b "Lancelot Mine". Tablelands Regional Council. 20 April 2015. Archived from the original on 3 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  25. ^ a b Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  26. ^ a b "Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Land parcel; Watercourse; Mountains". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Newellton 20 Chains To An Inch Mine Map Provisional" (Map). Queensland Government. 1965. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  28. ^ Hotel & boarding house directory of the principal cities, towns, and tourist resorts in Queensland (2nd ed.), Queensland Government Intelligence and Tourist Bureau, 1912, archived from the original on 3 January 2017, retrieved 3 January 2017
  29. ^ "MINING". The Northern Herald. Vol. XXXIII, no. 419. Queensland, Australia. 13 April 1921. p. 28. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  30. ^ "HERBERTON MINING". The Northern Herald. Vol. XLV, no. 584. Queensland, Australia. 11 June 1924. p. 50. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  31. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Silver Valley (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  32. ^ "Coolgarra Battery (entry 601791)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  33. ^ "Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments". Queensland Globe. Queensland Government. Retrieved 10 October 2024.

Further reading

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  Media related to Silver Valley, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons

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