Einasleigh, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Einasleigh Queensland
Station master's residence, 2008
Einasleigh Location in Queensland
Population	87 (2021 census)
• Density	0.02143/km2 (0.0555/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4871
Area	4,060.5 km2 (1,567.8 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	167 km (104 mi) SE of Georgetown 362 km (225 mi) SW of Cairns 471 km (293 mi) NW of Townsville 1,645 km (1,022 mi) NW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Shire of Etheridge
State electorate(s)	Traeger
Federal Division(s)	Kennedy
Localities around Einasleigh: Georgetown Talaroo Mount Surprise Forsayth Einasleigh Conjuboy Forsayth Lyndhurst Lyndhurst

Einasleigh is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Einasleigh had a population of 87 people.

Geography

The town is in the north of the locality at the confluence of Einasleigh River with the Copperfield River. The Einasleigh River has a catchment area of 24,366 square kilometres (9,408 sq mi). Following its confluence with the Gilbert River, they spill into a vast estuarine delta approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) wide that largely consists of tidal flats and mangrove swamps across the Gulf Country. The Einasleigh River descends 730 metres (2,400 ft) over its 618-kilometre (384 mi) course.

Kidston is a ghost town within the south of the locality (18°52′25″S 144°10′05″E / 18.8736°S 144.1680°E / -18.8736; 144.1680 (Kidston (ghost town))).

The Tablelands railway line enters the locality from the north-east (Mount Surprise) and exits to the west (Forsayth). The line passes through the town of Einasleigh which is served by the Einasleigh railway station in Railway Street (18°30′50″S 144°05′30″E / 18.5140°S 144.0917°E / -18.5140; 144.0917 (Einasleigh railway station)).

Mountains

Einasleigh has numerous mountains (from north to south):

• Beril Peak (18°20′26″S 144°01′08″E / 18.3406°S 144.0189°E / -18.3406; 144.0189 (Beril Peak)) 670 metres (2,200 ft)
• Blackman Peak (18°21′13″S 144°01′20″E / 18.3536°S 144.0223°E / -18.3536; 144.0223 (Blackman Peak)) 650 metres (2,130 ft)
• Fraser Peak (18°21′21″S 144°01′50″E / 18.3557°S 144.0305°E / -18.3557; 144.0305 (Fraser Peak)) 670 metres (2,200 ft)
• The Lighthouse (18°22′51″S 144°09′07″E / 18.3808°S 144.1520°E / -18.3808; 144.1520 (The Lighthouse)) 519 metres (1,703 ft)
• The Canyon (18°22′53″S 144°01′55″E / 18.3813°S 144.0319°E / -18.3813; 144.0319 (The Canyon)) 706 metres (2,316 ft)
• Mount Alder (18°25′22″S 144°06′01″E / 18.4228°S 144.1004°E / -18.4228; 144.1004 (Mount Alder)) 590 metres (1,940 ft)
• Stockmans Hill (18°29′42″S 144°03′08″E / 18.4950°S 144.0522°E / -18.4950; 144.0522 (Stockmans Hill)) 570 metres (1,870 ft)
• Mount Juliet (18°30′02″S 144°10′29″E / 18.5005°S 144.1748°E / -18.5005; 144.1748 (Mount Juliet)) 630 metres (2,070 ft)
• Mount Ossa (18°32′05″S 144°01′22″E / 18.5348°S 144.0229°E / -18.5348; 144.0229 (Mount Ossa)) 550 metres (1,800 ft)
• Mount Harry (18°33′12″S 144°07′56″E / 18.5534°S 144.1321°E / -18.5534; 144.1321 (Mount Harry)) 498 metres (1,634 ft)
• Mount Mambury (18°33′28″S 144°01′28″E / 18.5577°S 144.0245°E / -18.5577; 144.0245 (Mount Mambury)) 670 metres (2,200 ft)
• Mount Blacktop (18°34′45″S 144°21′41″E / 18.5793°S 144.3614°E / -18.5793; 144.3614 (Mount Blacktop)) 618 metres (2,028 ft)
• Mount Tabletop (18°36′28″S 144°19′09″E / 18.6078°S 144.3192°E / -18.6078; 144.3192 (Mount Tabletop)) 630 metres (2,070 ft)
• Mount Misery (18°36′33″S 143°59′38″E / 18.6092°S 143.9940°E / -18.6092; 143.9940 (Mount Misery)) 610 metres (2,000 ft)
• Mount Borium (18°41′03″S 144°01′43″E / 18.6843°S 144.0287°E / -18.6843; 144.0287 (Mount Borium)) 710 metres (2,330 ft)
• The Twins (18°42′24″S 144°04′20″E / 18.7067°S 144.0722°E / -18.7067; 144.0722 (The Twins)) 547 metres (1,795 ft)
• Greys Hill (18°43′01″S 144°24′42″E / 18.7169°S 144.4118°E / -18.7169; 144.4118 (Greys Hill)) 610 metres (2,000 ft)
• Iib Pinnacles (18°48′53″S 144°14′22″E / 18.8148°S 144.2394°E / -18.8148; 144.2394 (Iib Pinnacles)) 650 metres (2,130 ft)
• Mount Jordan (18°49′14″S 144°16′38″E / 18.8206°S 144.2773°E / -18.8206; 144.2773 (Mount Jordan)) 615 metres (2,018 ft)
• Ironstone Knobs (18°53′46″S 144°15′33″E / 18.8960°S 144.2591°E / -18.8960; 144.2591 (Ironstone Knobs)) 656 metres (2,152 ft)
• Paddys Knob (18°54′09″S 144°08′36″E / 18.9026°S 144.1434°E / -18.9026; 144.1434 (Paddys Knob)) 608 metres (1,995 ft)

History

The indigenous people of Einasleigh were the Ewamin.

The name of Einasleigh came from the river, which was named by a surveyor and pastoralists in August 1864.

A police station was established in 1900 but closed in 1903. Questions were raised in 1906 as to why Einasleigh, with two hotels, two stores, and "hundreds of travelling public" annually had no police protection. A station was opened again. The police station in Baroota Street was closed in August 2005. It was in Baroota Street (18°30′43″S 144°05′36″E / 18.51206°S 144.09327°E / -18.51206; 144.09327 (Einasleigh Police Station (former))). As at September 2024, the police station building is still extant.

Einasleigh Provisional School opened on 29 October 1901. It closed in 1905, but reopened in 1906. On 1 January 1909, it became Einasleigh State School. It closed in 1955. It was at 5–7 First Street (18°30′36″S 144°05′36″E / 18.5101°S 144.0932°E / -18.5101; 144.0932 (Einasleigh State School (former))).

In September 1908, housekeeper Nellie Margaret Duffy was murdered at the Carpentaria Downs pastoral station, 30 kilometres (19 mi) south-east of Einasleigh. There were two alleged offenders; one was later discharged and, despite confessions, the other was found not guilty.

Einasleigh Post Office opened by May 1909 (a receiving office had been open from 1900) and closed in 1993.

In 1930, the local butcher and another man were charged with the murder of two Chinese market gardeners, Jimmy Hop and Wing Chung. The defendants were later found not guilty as the evidence was only circumstantial.

Demographics

In the 2006 census, the locality of Einasleigh had a population of 202 people.

In the 2016 census, the locality of Einasleigh had a population of 92 people.

In the 2021 census, the locality of Einasleigh had a population of 87 people.

Heritage listings

Einasleigh has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Einasleigh Copper Mine and Smelter, Daintree Road
• Einasleigh Hotel, Daintree Street
• Einasleigh railway station and Station Master's Residence on the Etheridge railway line (now Tablelands railway line)
• Kidston State Battery & Township, Kidston

Economy

Kidston Solar Project is a solar farm located south-west of the former town of Kidston (18°53′22″S 144°08′33″E / 18.8894°S 144.1425°E / -18.8894; 144.1425 (solar farm)). This area has highest solar radiation zone in Australia. In the project's first phase, 540,000 solar panels have been installed and are operating on a single axis tracking system.

Education

There are no schools in Einasleigh. The nearest government primary schools are Forsayth State School in neighbouring Forsayth to the west, Georgetown State School in neighbouring Georgetown to the north-west, and Mount Surprise State School in neighbouring Mount Surprise to the north-east. However, for students living in the south and east of the locality, these schools will be too distant for a daily commute. Also, there are no secondary schools nearby to Einasleigh. The alternatives are distance education and boarding school.