Herberton, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herberton Queensland
The main street of Herberton, 2005
Herberton Location in Queensland
Population	895 (2021 census)
• Density	38.41/km2 (99.5/sq mi)
Established	1880
Postcode(s)	4887
Elevation	918 m (3,012 ft)
Area	23.3 km2 (9.0 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	18.4 km (11 mi) SW of Atherton 95.7 km (59 mi) SW of Cairns 347 km (216 mi) NW of Townsville 1,695 km (1,053 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Tablelands Region
State electorate(s)	Hill
Federal Division(s)	Kennedy
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 25.4 °C 78 °F 14.4 °C 58 °F 1,152.7 mm 45.4 in
Localities around Herberton: Watsonville Moomin Moomin Kalunga Herberton Wondecla Kalunga Wondecla Wondecla

Herberton is a small town in the countryside of Queensland, Australia. It is located in the Tablelands Region. In 2021, about 895 people lived in Herberton. It's a place with a rich history, especially known for its past in tin mining.

Exploring Herberton's Location

Herberton is found on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It sits high up, about 918 meters (3,012 feet) above sea level, on the Great Dividing Range. This is a long mountain range in Australia.

The area around Herberton has different types of plants. To the east, you'll find thick tropical rainforest. To the north and east, there are wet sclerophyll forests. These forests have trees with hard, dry leaves. To the north and west, there are more open forests and woodlands.

Two main roads lead to and from Herberton: the Atherton–Herberton Road from the north and the Longlands Gap–Herberton Road to the south.

Herberton's Past: A Glimpse into History

Cosmopolitan Hotel in Herberton in 1888, a historic building.

The Dyirbal people were the first traditional owners of this land. In 1875, a European explorer named James Venture Mulligan came to this area. He was looking for gold but found something else: tin.

The town of Herberton was started on April 19, 1880, by John Newell. He wanted to mine the tin that had been found. Mining began soon after, on May 9, 1880. By September 1880, Herberton had grown to 300 men and 27 women. The Herberton Post Office opened on November 22, 1880.

Many believe John Newell named the town. It might be named after the Herbert River, which has a branch called the Wild River flowing through Herberton. Or it could be named after Robert George Wyndham Herbert, who was Queensland's first leader.

Early Schools and Communication

Herberton State School in 1903.

Herberton State School in 1912.

In July 1881, the people of Herberton raised money to build a school. Herberton Provisional School opened on December 12, 1881, with 35 students. It was in the Herberton Hall.

The Queensland Government set aside land for a state school in October 1882. The new Herberton State School officially opened around January 1884. In 1912, it became one of the first schools in Queensland to offer secondary education. This meant older students could continue their studies there. In 1994, a new primary school campus was built. The secondary school stayed at the original site.

In 1882, the government also planned to build a telegraph line to Herberton. This would allow people to send messages quickly over long distances. They also planned a post and telegraph office.

Churches and Community Groups

The Herberton parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns was set up in 1884. St Patrick's Catholic Church in Herberton was opened and blessed on March 17, 1889.

Herberton Presbyterian Church was built in 1891. It opened on November 15, 1891. Later, in 1977, it became the Herberton Uniting Church. Sadly, a fire destroyed the church on November 25, 2022.

The Herberton branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association (CWA) started in 1925. This group helps women and communities in rural areas. In 1949, they got a building and named it the Janet Newell C.W.A. Memorial Hall. It was named after Janet Newell, who was a long-time leader of the branch. She was also the wife of John Newell, who helped found Herberton.

Roads and Railways

In the late 1800s, the Mulligan Highway was built through the hills from Herberton. It was used by Cobb and Co coaches, which were like old-fashioned buses, to travel to Western Queensland.

Because of the tin mining, the Queensland Government decided to build a railway line to connect Herberton to a port on the coast. They chose Cairns as the best port. The railway line to Herberton was finished on October 20, 1910. However, by then, the tin mining boom was already slowing down. The railway line continued further to Ravenshoe, opening in 1916.

The railway line from Atherton to Ravenshoe closed in 1988. This was because the Wet Tropics of Queensland area became a World Heritage Site. However, parts of the line can still be used. The Ravenshoe Steam Railway offers special heritage steam train tours.

Later Developments

St Mary's Anglican School for girls opened in 1918 but closed in 1965.

Mount St. Bernard College under construction around 1919.

Mount St Bernard College, a Catholic school, was started on February 1, 1921.

Tin mining in Herberton stopped in 1985. The Herberton Public Library opened in 1995. It was updated in 2016.

Herberton's Population

The number of people living in Herberton has changed over the years:

• In 2006, there were 974 people.
• In 2011, there were 934 people.
• In 2016, there were 855 people.
• In 2021, the population was 895 people.

Places of Historical Importance

Herberton has several sites that are listed for their historical importance. These are called heritage-listed sites. They include:

• Holy Trinity Anglican Church on Broadway Street.
• Jack & Newell General Store on Grace Street.
• Herberton School of Arts on Grace Street.
• Great Northern Mine off Jacks Road.
• Herberton Uniting Church on Lillian Street.
• Herberton War Memorial on Myers Street.

Herberton's Weather

Herberton is drier than the area around Atherton. It gets about 1154.6 millimeters (45.46 inches) of rain each year. Herberton is the northernmost place in Australia to have recorded a temperature of -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit) or colder. It is also the only place in Tropical North Queensland to have done so.

In winter, the average lowest temperature is about 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). In summer, it's about 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit). The highest temperatures range from 21 to 29 degrees Celsius (70 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit).

What Herberton Produces

Herberton is known for growing various crops. It even has Queensland's only tropical vineyard! The area grows many vegetables like avocados, lettuce, tomatoes, corn (maize), and pumpkins. There are also farms for poultry (chickens) and beef cattle.

The town's public hospital and the private school, Mount St Bernard College, are also big employers in Herberton.

Fun Things to See and Do in Herberton

The Herberton Spy & Camera Museum.

The Herberton Mining Museum and Visitor Information Centre opened in 2005. It shows the history of mining and life in the Herberton area. It also keeps records of local families.

A Heritage Walk is popular with tourists. It takes you past old buildings and historical spots in the town. Historic Village Herberton is a huge outdoor museum. It's like stepping back in time to a mining town. It has over 50 restored buildings, each filled with old machinery, cars, and Australian antiques.

The Herberton Spy & Camera Museum has old spy cameras, photos, and camera items. You can take guided tours and even visit a working photography studio.

Recently, volunteers opened a railway museum in the old Herberton railway station. It's open part-time.

The Tepon Equestrian Grounds, just outside Herberton, have been updated. They have a large covered area for horse riding and other sports like cycling. Local markets are held there on the third Sunday of every month.

You can find several places to stay in Herberton, including caravan parks, hotels, motels, and B&Bs.

The Atherton Herberton Historic Railway

The Atherton-Herberton Historic Railway Inc. (AHHR) works to save and show off local railway history. They offer a special "Tinlander" train ride that connects Herberton to the amazing Historic Village Herberton.

Visitors can also explore a museum with old trains and carriages. They are working on restoring a 1905 steam locomotive and a 1910 wooden railway carriage. This train ride was planned to be fully ready in 2021.

The main railway building is the original Herberton Railway Station, rebuilt in 1936 after a fire. From here, you can see the railway lines and restored trains. There are also sheds where trains are repaired and displayed.

The group has also been fixing up 3 kilometers (1.86 miles) of railway track between Herberton Station and Historic Village Herberton. They are also working on 2.5 kilometers (1.55 miles) of track from Platypus Park Station Atherton.

Community Services in Herberton

The Tablelands Regional Council runs the Herberton Public Library and Customer Service Centre. It's located at 61 Grace Street, in the Herberton School of Arts building.

The Herberton branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the Janet Newell C.W.A. Memorial Hall on 14 William Street.

St Patrick's Catholic Church is at 2 Moffatt Street West. It is part of the Herberton Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cairns.

Herberton Uniting Church is at 2-4 Lillian Street. It is part of the North Queensland Presbytery of the Uniting Church in Australia.

Learning in Herberton

Herberton State School is a government school for students from Prep (kindergarten) to Year 10. It has both primary and secondary sections. The primary school campus is in the nearby area of Moomin. However, the secondary campus (Years 7-10) is still at the original school site on Grace Street in Herberton.

Mount St Bernard College is a Catholic secondary school for students from Year 7 to Year 12. It is located at 15 Broadway Street.

For government secondary education up to Year 12, students usually go to Atherton State High School in Atherton.

Famous People from Herberton

Some notable people connected to Herberton include:

• Bunny Adair: A member of the Queensland Parliament who went to Herberton State School.
• Alice Bonar: She started the first branch of the Australian Red Cross in Herberton. It is the oldest branch that has been running continuously in Australia.
• Nancy Francis (1873–1954): A journalist and poet known as 'Black Bonnet'. She wrote a lot about life in the Daintree area and recorded Indigenous culture.
• John Newell: A member of the Queensland Parliament and a leader of the local council. He was one of the people who found tin and helped start Herberton.
• Robert Ringrose: A lawyer, geologist, and nature lover. He helped create the conservation area now known as Mount Hypipamee National Park. He also worked to establish the Herberton State High School in 1912.
• Tom Risley: An artist and sculptor whose work is shown in famous galleries around the world, including the New York Museum of Modern Art.
• Dallas Johnson: A professional rugby league player who played for NRL clubs like Melbourne Storm and represented Queensland and Australia. He played his junior rugby league for the local Herberton Magpies.

Images for kids

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  Herberton State School in 1903.

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  Herberton State School in 1912.

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  Mount St. Bernard College under construction around 1919.