Calcifer, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Calcifer Queensland
Mines at Calcifer, circa 1900
Calcifer Location in Queensland
LGA(s)	Shire of Mareeba

Have you ever heard of a place that used to be busy but is now almost empty? That's what a ghost town is! Calcifer is one such ghost town located in Queensland, Australia. It's found near a place called Chillagoe in the Shire of Mareeba.

Where is Calcifer?

Calcifer is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) west of a bigger city called Cairns. It's also southeast of Chillagoe, which is another interesting area. The town was built close to a waterway named Calcifer Creek.

The Story of Calcifer: A Mining Town

What Does the Name Calcifer Mean?

The name Calcifer is quite clever! It comes from three old Latin words:

• Calx means "limestone."
• Cuprum means "copper."
• Ferrum means "iron."

These names tell us what important minerals were found and mined here.

How Calcifer Began and Grew

Calcifer started in 1894. A mining pioneer named John Moffat set up a special factory called a copper smelter here. A smelter is a place where metal is taken out of rocks using heat.

By 1898, Calcifer was a busy place! It had:

• Stores where people could buy things.
• A branch of the Bank of Australasia for money.
• Its own cricket team for sports.
• Five hotels where people could stay or relax.

Why Calcifer Became a Ghost Town

Life in Calcifer didn't last forever. In 1903, there was a sad accident at a nearby mine called Hobson. By 1907, the main smelting work moved to Chillagoe, another town.

When the mining operations left, most people moved away too. Today, Calcifer is mostly empty. All that remains are the old foundations of the smelters and a small cemetery with five graves. It's a quiet reminder of a once-busy mining town.