Cracow, Queensland

Cracow is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Banana, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] In the 2016 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 89 people.[1]

Cracow
Queensland
Third Avenue, Cracow, 2022
Cracow is located in Queensland
Cracow
Cracow
Coordinates25.2967°S 150.3047°E / -25.2967; 150.3047 (Cracow (town centre))
Population89 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density0.1233/km2 (0.3193/sq mi)
Established1931
Postcode(s)4719
Area721.9 km2 (278.7 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
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

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:

History
Third Avenue of Cracow, 1961

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.

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.

Cracow Post Office opened on 1 October 1932[13] and was destroyed in a fire in 2006.

Cracow State School opened on 12 June 1933.[14] It was moved in 1935 after a young boy drowned in a nearby creek. The school remained there until its closure on 12 December 1997.[14][15] It was at 11-17 Third Avenue (25.2933°S 150.3010°E / -25.2933; 150.3010 (Cracow State School (former))).[16] The school building was moved to a nearby cattle station.

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]

Fred Brophy, former owner of the Cracow Hotel, 2014

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.

In the 2011 census, Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 196.[21]

In the 2016 census, the locality of Cracow had a population of 89 people.[1]

The 2019 horror-comedy film Two Heads Creek was filmed on location in Cracow.[22][23]

Facilities
Cracow Hotel, est 1937
The Cracow Pub Bar, 2022

The Cracow Hotel at 30 Third Avenue (corner Tenth Avenue, 25.2954°S 150.3026°E / -25.2954; 150.3026 (Cracow Hotel))[24] 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 hotel has been under new ownership as of March 2021. The Cracow hotel is now owned by Nikki Burke and family.

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.[25]

There is also a caravan park located at 11 Third Avenue, next to the old court house which has been turned into a museum.

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.[26]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Cracow (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Cracow – town in Shire of Banana (entry 8648)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  3. "Cracow – locality in Shire of Banana (entry 49544)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  4. "Cracow Gold Operations". Aeris Resources. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  5. Google (11 December 2021). "Brisbane to Cracow" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  6. "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.
  7. "Mount Edwards – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 11235)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  8. "Mount Elvinia – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 11585)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  9. "Mount Irving – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 16851)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  10. "Mount Steel – mountain in Banana Shire (entry 32315)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  11. "NOMENCLATURE OF QUEENSLAND—100". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 24 January 1936. p. 12. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  12. Beattie, Ross. "Cracow". Ross Beattie's Localities pages. Archived from the original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  13. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  14. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  15. "Queensland state school - centre closures" (PDF). Queensland Government. 20 August 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  16. "Environs of Cracow" (Map). Queensland Government. 1963. Archived from the original on 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  17. Lee, Tim (23 February 2006). "Old gold town revels in resources boom". Landline. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 April 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  18. Ross, Shelley (November–December 2007). "Meet you at The Cracow" (PDF). Flying. pp. 60–63. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
  19. "Simple Pleasures: Banana Shire" (PDF). The Gladstone Region. Tourism Queensland. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  20. "The Town of Cracow in the Banana Shire". Sandstone Wonders. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  21. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Cracow (Banana Shire) (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  22. 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.
  23. "Two Heads Creek (2019)". IMDB. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  24. "Cracow Hotel". Google Maps. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  25. "Halls". Banana Shire Council. Archived from the original on 10 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
  26. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
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