Cumberland, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids CumberlandQueensland |
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Chimney from the Cumberland Battery, Sept 2015
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 Cumberland
Location in Queensland
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| Postcode(s) | 4871 |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Etheridge |
Cumberland is a ghost town in the Shire of Etheridge in Queensland, Australia. It's located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Georgetown, Queensland, along the Gulf Developmental Road. Once a busy gold mining town, today only a few things remain to tell its story.
The Story of Cumberland
Gold Rush Days
Cumberland began when gold was found there in 1872. The very first claim for gold was made that same year. By 1878, Cumberland had become one of the biggest gold producers in the Etheridge goldfield.
To make sure the town had enough water, the Cumberland Company built a dam on nearby Cumberland Creek. A special building called a battery (which crushed gold ore) and a cyanide plant (which helped get more gold out) were built by the creek in 1880.
The town area was officially mapped out in June 1882. Gold production stayed high through the 1880s, reaching its peak in 1886. The town grew quite a lot, with about 400 people living there.
In 1885, a police station and a telegraph station were set up. The Cumberland Post Office opened on April 3, 1885. Both the Queensland Government Savings Bank and the Bank of New South Wales opened branches in 1887. The town was officially recognized in 1889. A school opened in 1891, and by 1894, there were four hotels!
In 1891, a special tramway (a small railway) was built. It was 800 meters (about half a mile) long and carried heavy gold ore from the mine to the battery. Building this tramway was expensive because it needed cuts into the land, raised paths, and bridges to keep the track level.
When Gold Ran Out
By the 1890s, most of the easy-to-find gold was gone. So, a cyanide treatment plant was built to get gold from the leftover rock and dirt, called tailings.
The mine and its tramway closed in 1897. After this, the number of people living in Cumberland started to drop. In 1899, the telegraph station closed, and only one hotel was left. By 1901, only 106 people remained in the town.
In 1901, Cumberland was in the news because of an accidental poisoning. On November 20, 1901, two men drank from a bottle they thought was beer, but it contained a dangerous acid. Both men were taken to Georgetown Hospital, but sadly, they passed away a few days later. The police found that it was a tragic accident.
The school closed in 1915. The post office and the very last hotel closed in 1930. John Williamson was one of the last people to live there, continuing to extract gold using cyanide into the 1940s.
Cumberland Today
Today, the only main structure left from the old Cumberland Battery is its tall, square brick chimney. It stands as a reminder of the town's gold mining past.
There's now a rest area where people can camp overnight. The lagoon, which was created by the old dam, is a popular spot for watching birds.
