Cue, Western Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids CueWestern Australia |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Cue police station
|
|||||||||
 Cue
Location in Western Australia
|
|||||||||
| Established | 1893 | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 6640 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 453 m (1,486 ft) | ||||||||
| Area | [convert: needs a number] | ||||||||
| Location |
|
||||||||
| LGA(s) | Shire of Cue | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | North West | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Durack | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
Cue is a small town in the Mid West region of Western Australia. It is about 620 km north-east of Perth, the capital city. In 2016, about 178 people lived in Cue.
The town is managed by the Cue Shire Council. This council helps run the local area. They meet in a special old building called the Gentlemans Club. Twice a year, a big meeting called the "Cue Parliament" happens here. It's where local leaders talk about important things for the community.
Contents
Discovering Gold and Early Days
Gold was found near Cue in 1892. It's not clear who found it first. Two men, Michael Fitzgerald and Edward Heffernan, got a large gold nugget from an Aboriginal person known as "Governor". They then found 260 ounces of gold!
Tom Cue traveled to Nannine to officially claim the gold discovery. Because of this, the town was named after him when it was officially created in 1893.
By 1895, there were seven large machines called stamp mills working around Cue. These machines crushed rocks to get the gold out. They were very important for mining.
Water Supply Challenges
At first, the town got its water from a well in the middle of the main street. But after many people got sick with typhoid fever, the well was closed. A small round building, called a rotunda, was built over it.
A new water supply came from another well near Lake Nallan. Water had to be carried about 20 km south to Cue.
Rival Towns and Sports
The town of Day Dawn started about 8 km south of Cue. By 1900, both towns were growing. They even shared a hospital and a cemetery. They also had three newspapers!
Cue and Day Dawn had a friendly rivalry. This led to many exciting sports events. People from as far away as Perth and Kalgoorlie came to compete. They enjoyed cycling and horse-racing.
In 1913, after a lot of rain, a dam near Cue broke. The strong water pressure caused it to burst. This dam had only been fixed a few months before.
From 1894 to 1912, Cue had its own special local government called the Municipality of Cue. Later, it joined with the larger Cue Road District, which is now the Shire of Cue.
Getting Around Cue
Railways
Cue was an important stop for the Northern Railway in 1898. It was the end of the line for almost ten years. Later, the railway was extended to Meekatharra. Cue also had a special train line that went to Big Bell. However, all these train lines closed in 1978.
Airport
Today, Cue has its own airport, called Cue Airport. This makes it easier for people to travel to and from the town.
Town Population and History
Around 1900, Cue was a very busy place. It was the main center for the Murchison goldfields. About 10,000 people lived there!
But things changed during World War I. Many men left the goldfields to join the Australian Army. After the war, many mines did not open again. This caused Cue's population to shrink.
After the Great Depression and a drop in gold prices, Cue's population fell even more. By 1933, fewer than 500 people lived there. Today, about 120 people live in Cue.
The main employer is Westgold, a mining company. However, most of their workers do not live in Cue. They fly in and out for their work shifts. The Shire of Cue also employs about ten people. Other residents work for themselves as prospectors (people who search for gold) or in government support jobs.
Cue has recently been recognized as a town with important history. Many of its old buildings are still standing. The main street looks much like it did when it was first built.
Some Historic Places in Cue and Day Dawn
-
Cue Shire Offices
-
Former Masonic Lodge
-
Rotunda and former bank
-
Day Dawn Great Fingal mine
-
Day Dawn mine offices
Weather in Cue
Cue has a semi-arid climate. This means it has very hot summers and mild to cool winters.
The area can sometimes get a lot of rain. In 1912, there was a drought (a long period with no rain). But then in 1913, there was heavy flooding! The town received 2.19 inches (56 mm) of rain in just one day. This caused washaways and other storm damage.
In 1925, more heavy rain and flood waters caused several buildings in Cue to collapse. The town got 2.59 inches (66 mm) of rain over two days.
| Climate data for Cue | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 45.0 (113.0) |
44.6 (112.3) |
43.4 (110.1) |
38.9 (102.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
28.3 (82.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
37.7 (99.9) |
40.4 (104.7) |
41.8 (107.2) |
44.7 (112.5) |
45.0 (113.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 37.8 (100.0) |
36.7 (98.1) |
34.0 (93.2) |
29.0 (84.2) |
23.2 (73.8) |
19.1 (66.4) |
18.4 (65.1) |
20.4 (68.7) |
24.6 (76.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
32.8 (91.0) |
36.2 (97.2) |
28.4 (83.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 22.8 (73.0) |
22.4 (72.3) |
20.1 (68.2) |
15.8 (60.4) |
11.1 (52.0) |
8.2 (46.8) |
6.9 (44.4) |
7.7 (45.9) |
10.1 (50.2) |
13.1 (55.6) |
17.2 (63.0) |
20.7 (69.3) |
14.7 (58.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 11.3 (52.3) |
8.0 (46.4) |
8.1 (46.6) |
3.8 (38.8) |
0.7 (33.3) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
2.1 (35.8) |
3.8 (38.8) |
6.7 (44.1) |
11.3 (52.3) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26.6 (1.05) |
30.0 (1.18) |
23.4 (0.92) |
19.4 (0.76) |
25.0 (0.98) |
28.3 (1.11) |
26.1 (1.03) |
17.2 (0.68) |
6.9 (0.27) |
6.6 (0.26) |
9.0 (0.35) |
14.7 (0.58) |
233.2 (9.18) |
| Average precipitation days | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 4.4 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 42.0 |
