Mount Lawless, Queensland

Mount Lawless is a rural locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2016 census, Mount Lawless had a population of 12 people.[1]

Mount Lawless
Queensland
Mount Lawless is located in Queensland
Mount Lawless
Mount Lawless
Coordinates25.5483°S 151.6441°E / -25.5483; 151.6441
Population12 (2016 census)[1]
 • Density0.98/km2 (2.53/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4625
Area12.3 km2 (4.7 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)North Burnett Region
State electorate(s)Callide
Federal division(s)Flynn
Suburbs around Mount Lawless:
Yenda Yenda Yenda
Yenda Mount Lawless Wetheron
Ideraway Ideraway Bon Accord

Geography

The Burnett River forms most of the eastern boundary.[3] It drains a basin covering 33,210 square kilometres (12,820 sq mi) which is 1.9% of the total area of Queensland.[4] The nearest large town is Gayndah which is 9.9 kilometres (6.2 mi) distant in a direct line or 16.7 kilometres (10.4 mi) by road.[5][6]

At the time the Burnett River Bridge was being built the site selected was "said to possess considerable scenic beauty. The exact spot is on a basalt crossing, on either side of which are large lagoons, in which fish and fowl abound."[7]

History

The area had started growing small crops, citrus orchards, grain and dairy cattle by 1905.[8] The Gayndah area is still known for these primary industries, with irrigation, today.[9]

An area of 160 acres (65 ha) was reserved for township purposes at Mount Lawless, near Gayndah in 1909.[10]

Floods

The Burnett River Bridge is also known as the Mt. Lawless railway bridge and is not to be confused with the Burnett Railway Bridge in Bundaberg.

This low-level railway bridge was built over the rapids in the Burnett River at Mount Lawless during 1906/1907. The bridge engineer said at the time that it was "the longest bridge of its kind in Queensland ... and he felt sure that it would resist every pressure likely to be met with."[11] The bridge was flooded in 1911, 1918, 1921, 1928, 1929, 1934, 1949, 1950, 1954 and 1956.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] It suffered major damage in the 1947 floods when nine spans (162 feet (49 m)) of the 830-foot (250 m) length of the bridge were washed away.[22][23][4][24] The damage occurred from 11 February 1947 and the bridge was repaired and restricted services resumed six weeks later.[25][26]

The Queensland Government Irrigation and Water Supply Commission monitored a gauging station (No. 279) at the Mount Lawless railway bridge, one of several along the Burnett River and its tributaries.[27]

The construction of the Jones Weir at Mundubbera, upstream from Mount Lawless, commenced in April 1947. It was officially opened on Saturday 23 June 1951. The weir is one of the oldest concrete weirs commissioned in Queensland. Construction slowed between December 1948 and March 1949 due to flooding.[28][29] Other upstream weirs followed.

The 2013 floods again removed the centre spans of the bridge, despite earlier flood protection measures.[30][31]

Heritage listing

The Official Register of Engineering Heritage Markers listed

  • Degilbo-Mundubbera Railway Bridges in October 2016. A total of 12 bridges that are situated on the Mungar Junction to Monto railway line, including the Burnett River Bridge, are recognized with one Engineering Heritage Marker representing the "best example of a collection of historic railway bridges in Australia".[32][30]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mount Lawless (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Mount Lawless – locality in North Burnett Region (entry 45394)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  3. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  4. Department of Environment and Science, Queensland Government (2013). "Burnett drainage basin — facts and maps". wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  5. Mindat.org (9 October 2022). "Mt Lawless, North Burnett, State of Queensland, Australia". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  6. Google (13 October 2022). "Mount Lawless to Gayndah by road" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  7. "THE GAYNDAH RAILWAY". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. No. 10, 324. Queensland, Australia. 26 December 1905. p. 2. Retrieved 12 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "GENERAL NEWS". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. No. 11482. Queensland, Australia. 25 January 1910. p. 2. Retrieved 10 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. Council, North Burnett Regional. "Industry Focus". North Burnett Regional Council. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  10. An area of 160 acres has been reserved for township purposes at Mount Lawless, near Gayndah.
  11. "WARWICK AND DISTRICT". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LXIII, no. 15, 251. Queensland, Australia. 28 November 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 10 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "The Wet Season". The Queenslander. No. 2346. Queensland, Australia. 4 March 1911. p. 28. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ""MAIL" SPECIAL MESSAGE". The Bundaberg Mail. Vol. 48, no. 6336. Queensland, Australia. 24 January 1918. p. 3. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "BRISBANE, Friday". The Bundaberg Mail. Vol. 51, no. 7, 457. Queensland, Australia. 31 December 1921. p. 3. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "BURNETT RIVER BASIN". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. No. 18, 126. Queensland, Australia. 21 February 1928. p. 2. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. "Floods in the Burnett". The Telegraph. No. 17516. Queensland, Australia. 23 January 1929. p. 2. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "BURNETT RIVER RISING". The Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 23 February 1934. p. 11 (CITY FINAL LAST MINUTE NEWS). Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. "£500,000 DAMAGE IN ROCKHAMPTON". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Vol. LXX. Queensland, Australia. 4 March 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. "MAIN HIGHWAYS CLEARED". Brisbane Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 1 March 1950. p. 3 (CITY FINAL). Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. "Why Wouldn't Railways Pay?". Queensland Country Life. Vol. 20, no. 3. Queensland, Australia. 29 July 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. "Record Floods In S.E. Queensland". The Central Queensland Herald. Vol. 22, no. 1954. Queensland, Australia. 26 January 1956. p. 11. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. "FLOOD DAMAGE ON THE MONTO LINE CAUSING DELAY TO RAIL TRAFFIC". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. No. 23, 417. Queensland, Australia. 3 March 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  23. "DISTRICT FLOOD SCENES". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. No. 23, 422. Queensland, Australia. 8 March 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  24. "[?] Spans Washed Off Railway Bridge". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser. No. 23, 418. Queensland, Australia. 4 March 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. "Trains To Serve Monto Again From Today". Morning Bulletin. No. 26, 762. Queensland, Australia. 28 March 1947. p. 7. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. "Advertising". The Courier-mail. No. 3226. Queensland, Australia. 27 March 1947. p. 9. Retrieved 10 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. "SCHEMES IN DISTRICT FOR CONSERVATION OF WATER". Maryborough Chronicle. No. 24, 532. Queensland, Australia. 30 September 1950. p. 3. Retrieved 11 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. "North Burnett Local Heritage Register Jones Weir, Mundubbera" (PDF). North Burnett Regional Council. 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  29. "SCHEMES IN DISTRICT FOR CONSERVATION OF WATER". Maryborough Chronicle. No. 24, 532. Queensland, Australia. 30 September 1950. p. 3. Retrieved 9 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  30. McGrath, PSM, B. L.; Churchward, Alan (October 2015). "Nomination of the Gayndah Rail Bridges, Queensland for ENGINEERING HERITAGE RECOGNITION under Engineering Heritage Australia's Engineering Heritage Recognition Program" (PDF). Engineers Australia. pp. 1, 4, 7, 11, 14. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  31. Livesay, Brandon (13 February 2013). "History is washed away". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  32. McLachlan, Mark (6 June 2018). "Degilbo to Mundubbera Railway Bridges, 1905 to 1914". Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
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