Cracow, Queensland

Cracow is a gold mining town and locality in Queensland, Australia, in the Banana Shire local government area.[2][3] The town is located on the Theodore – Eidsvold road, 485 kilometres (301 mi) north west of the state capital, Brisbane.

Cracow
Queensland
Third Avenue, Cracow, 2014
Cracow
Coordinates25°17′0″S 150°18′0″E
Population89 (2016 census)[1]
Established1931
Postcode(s)4719
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Banana
State electorate(s)Callide
Federal Division(s)Flynn
Localities around Cracow:
Isla Camboon Eidsvold West
Spring Creek Cracow Eidsvold West
Glebe Cockatoo Eidsvold West

History
Goldfield Stores, circa 1932

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][4]

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.[5]

Cracow Post Office opened on 1 October 1932.[6]

At its gold mining peak, the town included five cafes, barber shop, billiard saloon, two butchers, a picture theatre and a soft drink factory.[7] 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.[7] The shops are vacant although the hotel remains open.

At the 2011 census, Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 196.[1]

The 2019 horror-comedy film Two Heads Creek was filmed on location in Cracow.[8][9]

Facilities
Cracow Hotel bar, 2014

The Cracow at 30 Third Avenue (corner Tenth Avenue, 25.2954°S 150.3026°E / -25.2954; 150.3026 (Cracow Hotel))[10] 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.

The Cracow community centre is at 57-63 Tenth Avenue (25.2953°S 150.3018°E / -25.2953; 150.3018 (Cracow Community Centre)) and is operated by the Banana Shire Council.[11]

Events
Fred Brophy, owner of the Cracow Hotel, 2014

Every year, Cracow hosts Fred Brophy's Boxing Tent.[12]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Cracow (Banana Shire) (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  2. "Cracow – town in Shire of Banana (entry 8648)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  3. "Cracow – locality in Shire of Banana (entry 49544)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  4. "NOMENCLATURE OF QUEENSLAND—100". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 24 January 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  5. Beattie, Ross. "Cracow". Ross Beattie's Localities pages. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  6. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  7. Lee, Tim (23 February 2006). "Old gold town revels in resources boom". Landline. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  8. Burt, Jemima; Stünzner, Inga. "Two Heads Creek is the cannibal movie that could put the tiny Queensland town of Cracow back on the map". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  9. "Two Heads Creek (2019)". IMDB. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  10. "Cracow Hotel". Google Maps. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  11. "Halls". Banana Shire Council. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  12. "Simple Pleasures: Banana Shire" (PDF). The Gladstone Region. Tourism Queensland. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.

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