Atherton, Queensland facts for kids
| Atherton Queensland |
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The main street of Atherton
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| Population | 7,287 (2011 census) | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4883 | ||||||||||||
| Elevation | 752 m (2,467 ft) | ||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Tablelands Regional Council | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Dalrymple | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Kennedy | ||||||||||||
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Atherton is a town and locality on the Atherton Tablelands within the Tablelands Region, Far North Queensland, Australia. At the 2011 census, Atherton had a population of 7,287.
Contents
History
The town was named after John Atherton, a pioneer pastoralist who settled at Mareeba (then known as Emerald End) in 1875. The area was formerly known as Priors Pocket or Priors Creek.
Atherton Post Office opened by 1903 (a receiving office had been open since 1889).
The Atherton War Memorial commemorates local residents who died in World War I. It was dedicated on 1 May 1924 by the Tinaroo Shire chairman, Frederick Grau. It is the only war memorial in Queensland of a digger in an animated pose.
The Atherton Courthouse was used as a wartime hospital for officers during World War II and has air raid bunkers beneath the building.
Heritage listings
Atherton has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
- Herberton Road: Chinatown
- Herberton Road: Atherton Chinese Temple
- Kennedy Highway: Atherton War Memorial
- corner of Kennedy Highway and Rockley Road: Atherton War Cemetery
- 42 Mable Street: Atherton State School Head Teacher's Residence
- 53 Main Street: Barron Valley Hotel
- Mazlin Street: Merriland Hall
Climate
Atherton has a humid subtropical climate that differs from the surrounding tropical savannah climate due to the town's elevation high on the Atherton Plateau. Temperature extremes have ranged from 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) to –0.6 °C (30.9 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,379.8 mm (54.3 in)
| Climate data for Atherton (1992-2009) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 36.0 (96.8) |
33.5 (92.3) |
32.6 (90.7) |
31.1 (88) |
29.0 (84.2) |
30.0 (86) |
30.3 (86.5) |
30.0 (86) |
34.9 (94.8) |
36.7 (98.1) |
36.6 (97.9) |
36.4 (97.5) |
36.7 (98.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 28.4 (83.1) |
27.8 (82) |
26.4 (79.5) |
25.0 (77) |
23.4 (74.1) |
21.5 (70.7) |
21.4 (70.5) |
22.4 (72.3) |
25.6 (78.1) |
27.5 (81.5) |
28.7 (83.7) |
29.0 (84.2) |
25.6 (78.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) |
19.3 (66.7) |
18.3 (64.9) |
16.7 (62.1) |
14.0 (57.2) |
12.8 (55) |
10.2 (50.4) |
11.1 (52) |
12.6 (54.7) |
15.2 (59.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
18.3 (64.9) |
15.3 (59.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 8.2 (46.8) |
13.8 (56.8) |
11.0 (51.8) |
8.4 (47.1) |
3.0 (37.4) |
-0.6 (30.9) |
-0.5 (31.1) |
1.7 (35.1) |
3.0 (37.4) |
6.0 (42.8) |
7.9 (46.2) |
8.0 (46.4) |
-0.6 (30.9) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 235.5 (9.272) |
347.7 (13.689) |
224.7 (8.846) |
118.7 (4.673) |
59.6 (2.346) |
42.0 (1.654) |
40.0 (1.575) |
34.5 (1.358) |
19.2 (0.756) |
35.2 (1.386) |
72.0 (2.835) |
150.7 (5.933) |
1,379.8 (54.323) |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2mm) | 19.8 | 20.6 | 17.4 | 20.8 | 16.6 | 16.1 | 12.5 | 11.9 | 8.3 | 9.4 | 11.0 | 15.5 | 179.9 |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
Transport
Atherton is joined by the Gillies Highway to Yungaburra, the Kennedy Highway north to Mareeba and south to Ravenshoe and Mount Garnet, the Malanda Road to Malanda and the Herberton Road to Herberton.
Trans North offers a number of return services during a seven-day week between Atherton, Tolga, Walkamin, Mareeba, Kuranda, and Cairns including drop-offs to airport, railway station, hospitals and bus depots. There are connections available between Ravenshoe and Herberton and along the Wheelbarrow Way to Chillagoe. There is an Atherton taxi service.
Culture
Each year towards the end of August, Atherton celebrates the Maize festival, which features a parade with decorated floats, the Maize Queen pageant, children's amusement rides and activities including tug of war and wood chopping. There are also shop window displays and artwork competitions, as well as a prize given to the best float.
The annual Atherton Agricultural Show is held in the second week of July at Atherton Show grounds including Heritage Listed Merriland Hall. The 'Atherton Show' is run by an army of volunteers of the (not-for-profit) Atherton Tableland Agricultural Society. Since 1904 the show brings together the values and aspirations of our community. It is a celebration of achievements ranging from the beauty of a delicate piece of embroidery to excellence in cattle breeding. There is also of course the fun of the rides and games in sideshow alley!
