Mount Molloy, Queensland

Mount Molloy is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia.[2][3] It is a historic mining and timber town, 55 kilometres (34 mi) north of Cairns. The dominant industry in the area is cattle grazing; the town itself consists of a few shops and an old hotel.

Mount Molloy
Queensland
Mt Molloy
Mount Molloy is located in Queensland
Mount Molloy
Mount Molloy
Coordinates16.6743°S 145.3305°E / -16.6743; 145.3305 (Mount Molloy (town centre))
Population254 (2016 census locality)[1]
 • Density1.0043/km2 (2.601/sq mi)
Established1906
Postcode(s)4871
Area252.9 km2 (97.6 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
Location
LGA(s)Shire of Mareeba
State electorate(s)Cook
Federal division(s)Leichhardt
Localities around Mount Molloy:
Mount Carbine Julatten Mowbray
Southedge Mount Molloy Mona Mona
Southedge Biboohra Mona Mona

Geography

Mount Molloy lies within both the Mitchell River and Barron River water catchment areas. Nearby towns are Julatten, Mount Carbine and Mount Mulligan. Quaid Road terminates south of Mount Molloy. The town lies in the western part of the locality, with the central and eastern part protected within Kuranda National Park and the Kuranda West Forest Reserve.[4]

History

Djabugay (also known as Djabuganjdji, Tjupakai) is a language of Far North Queensland, particularly the area around the Kuranda Range and Barron River Catchment. The Djabugay language region includes the land within the local government boundary of Cairns Regional Council.[5]

Mount Molloy was named after Patrick Molloy, an early teamster for a stock route and the person who discovered copper at what was to become Mount Molloy in 1885.

At its height, in the 1890s, Mount Molloy was a copper mining town. It was commonly used as camping grounds, and Chinese market gardeners used to grow grain and other foodstuffs for the miners nearby.

Molloy Post Office opened by July 1905; it was renamed Mount Molloy in 1982.[6]

The Mount Molloy State School opened on 23 July 1906[7]

A private railway was constructed to Mount Molloy, junctioning from the Cairns to Mareeba line at Biboohra, opening in August 1908. It was built by Mount Molloy Ltd to serve its smelters. Ownership was transferred to Queensland Railways on 1 March 1917 following the liquidation of the company, and the line was extended to Rumula on 5 December 1926. The branch closed on 1 May 1964.[8]

Between 2008 and 2013, Mount Molloy (and the rest of the Shire of Mareeba) was within the Tablelands Region. At the 2011 census, the town and surrounding area had a population of 273.[9] In the 2016 census the locality of Mount Molloy had a population of 254 people.[1]

Heritage listings

Mount Molloy has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Education

Mount Molloy State School is a government primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at Fraser Road (16.6737°S 145.3348°E / -16.6737; 145.3348 (Mount Molloy State School)).[12][13] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 44 students with 3 teachers and 7 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent).[14]

There is no secondary school in Mount Molloy. The nearest government secondary schools are Mossman State High School in Mossman to the north and Mareeba State High School in Mareeba to the south.[4]

Community groups

The Mount Molloy branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the CWA Hall at 31 Main Street (Mulligan Highway).[15]

References
  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Mount Molloy (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  2. "Mount Molloy – town in Shire of Mareeba (entry 23095)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  3. "Mount Molloy – locality in Shire of Mareeba (entry 48785)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  4. "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  5. This Wikipedia article incorporates CC-BY-4.0 licensed text from: "Indigenous languages map of Queensland". State Library of Queensland. State Library of Queensland. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  6. Phoenix Auctions History. "Post Office List". Phoenix Auctions. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  7. "Opening and closing dates of Queensland Schools". Queensland Government. Retrieved 18 April 2019.
  8. The Rumula Branch Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, October, 1993 pp243-248
  9. Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Mount Molloy (State Suburb)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  10. "James Venture Mulligan's Grave, Mt Molloy Cemetery (entry 600684)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  11. "JM Johnston's Sawmill (former) Steam Plant (entry 602776)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  12. "State and non-state school details". Queensland Government. 9 July 2018. Archived from the original on 21 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  13. "Mount Molloy State School". Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  14. "ACARA School Profile 2018". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  15. "Branch Locations". Queensland Country Women's Association. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mount Molloy, Queensland.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.