Where did your ancestors live in the late 1800s? Follows is a list and brief description of the townships in Queensland as described in 1877.
This information may help those who are tracing the path of their ancestors within Australia. Basic information such as location and the main activities in the district may indicate why an ancestor went to the location. There is more information on each place available in the source material such as the buildings, businesses and population at each in the 1870s and in many cases, the means of travel to, or communication with, the town.
ALLORA, a small municipal township, money-order office, savings’ bank, and telegraph station, 14 miles from Warwick, and about 130 miles by rail SW. of Brisbane.
ARAMAC, a post town about 750 miles NW. of Brisbane, and 60 miles from Bowen Downs.
BALLANDEAN, a post town in the county of Bentinck, and electoral district of Carnarvon, situated on the Severn river, about 216 miles SW. of Brisbane.
BEENLEIGH, a post town, telegraph, savings’ bank, and money-order office in the county of Boyd and electoral district of Logan, situated at the junction of the Logan and Albert rivers, about 1.5 miles from each, and 23 miles S of Brisbane.
BLACKALL, a township, money-order office, and savings’ bank in the electoral district of Mitchell, on the Barcoo river, about 1,100 miles N. of Sydney, and 625 miles NW. of Brisbane.
BOOLBURRA, formerly Gainsford.
BOWEN, a seaport and municipal town, money-order office, savings’ bank, and telegraph station in Edgecumbe Bay, near the mouth of the river Burdekin, about 725 miles NW. of Brisbane.
BOWEN DOWNS, a post town in the electoral district of the Mitchell, situated on Cornish creek, or Thompson river, about 750 miles NW. of Brisbane, and 318 miles SW. of Bowen.
BREAKFAST CREEK, a suburb of Brisbane, about 2.5 miles E. of the post office in Queen Street.
BRISBANE, the capital of Queensland, is situated on the river Brisbane, which surrounds it on two sides, about 25 miles from its debouchment into Moreton Bay. Brisbane was originally settled in 1825, having been made a penal station by Sir Thomas Brisbane, the Governor at that time of Australia. In 1842 the colony was opened to free settlers.
BRISBANE SOUTH is that portion of the city in a line with Queen Street, on the opposite side of the Brisbane river. It is connected with the city by the Victoria Bridge.
BULIMBA, a postal township on the creek of the same name, about 4 miles distant from the post-office, Brisbane. It is noted for its tin-smelting works. There are also numerous sugar mills for crushing the cane grown in the district.
BUNDABERG, a new port and township situated on the banks of the river Burnett, about 10 miles from its mouth, 90 miles N. of Maryborough, and 272 miles NW. of Brisbane. It is divided into two townships, North and South.
BYERSTOWN, a post and savings’ bank town on the Normanby gold fields, having attained some celebrity in connection with what was known last year as the Mulligan rush. It lies about 75 miles W. of Cooktown.
CABOOLTURE, a post town and telegraph station in the county of Canning, and electoral district of East Moreton, about 30 miles N. of Brisbane, situated on the north side of the Caboolture river.
CALLIOPE, a gold-field and post and savings’ bank town in the county of Clinton, and electoral district of Port Curtis, situated between the Calliope and Boyne river, about 17 miles from river to river, and 329 miles NW. of Brisbane. It is a rich mineral district, and is also of good grazing capabilities.
CAMBOOYA, a post town and railway station in the county of Aubigny, and electoral district of Darling Downs and Aubigny, 124 miles SW. of Brisbane, situated on Hodgson’s creek.
CAPEVILLE is a post town and money-order office in the electoral district of Ravenswood 870 miles NW. of Brisbane. The district is pastoral and mining.
CARDWELL, a township, 1,027 miles NW. of Brisbane, situated at the foot of a range of mountains, in the county of North Kennedy, near Saltwater creek.
CARNARVON, a township on Sweer’s Island, Gulf of Carpentaria, about 70 miles to the westward of Normanton, and 700 miles NW. of Brisbane.
CAWAERAL, a township near Rockhampton, county of Livingston, 395 miles NW. of Brisbane. Rockhampton is its port.
CHARLEVILLE, a township, money-order office, savings’ bank, and telegraph station, on the Warrego river, about 520 miles W. of Brisbane. Almost exclusively engaged in pastoral pursuits.
CHARTERS TOWERS, a mining township, post town, money-order, savings’ bank, and telegraph office, about 90 miles from Townsville 3 miles from Millchester, and 820 miles NW. of Brisbane. When first proclaimed, a large number of miners were attracted.
CLERMONT, a small municipal township (proclaimed January 26, 1867), money-order office, savings’ bank, and telegraph station, in the county and electoral district of the same name, about 240 miles NW. of Rockhampton, 575 miles NW. of Brisbane, situated on Sandy creek. The celebrated Peak Down copper mines are within a few miles of the town.
CLEVELAND, a small township, savings’ bank, and telegraph station, on the southern waters of Moreton Bay, 20 miles E. of Brisbane by land, and about 35 miles by water.
CONDAMINE, a telegraph, post, savings’ bank, and money-order office, situated on the river of the same name, in the county of Bulwer and electoral district of Northern Downs, about 240 miles W. of Brisbane.
COOKTOWN, a municipal mining township on the northern bank of the Endeavour river, about 1,050 miles NW. of Brisbane. Cooktown is in many respects a Chinese town.
COPPERFIELD, a post town, money-order and telegraph office, in the county of Leichhardt, about 600 miles NW. of Brisbane.
CUNNAMULLA, a post town and savings bank, county of Wellington, and electoral district of the Warrego, situated on the eastern bank of the Warrego river, about 180 miles distant from Bourke, and 560 miles W. from Brisbane.
DALEY, on the Darling Downs, 1,122 feet above the sea-level, is a municipal township (proclaimed on August 21, 1863), and the present terminus of the Western Railway, about 140 miles by road NW. of Brisbane (152 miles by rail) and 130 miles distant from Ipswich.
DRAYTON, a money-order, savings’ bank, and telegraph office and municipal township (proclaimed July 19, 1862), about 4 miles from Toowoomba and 100 W. of Brisbane.
EDWARDSTOWN See Maytown.
ELLIOTT, a post town in the electoral district of Mulgrave, 200 miles N. of Brisbane, and 23 miles W. of Maryborough.
FYFE-BARNETT. See Mount Perry.
FORTITUDE VALLEY, a low-lying suburb of Brisbane, about 1 mile distant NNE. from the post-office.
GAINSFORD, or Boolburra, a money-order office, savings’ bank, and township in the Port Curtis district, county of Leichhardt, electoral district of Taroom, about 100 miles W. of Gladstone, and 400 miles NW. of Brisbane, situated on the river Dawson.
GATTON, a post town, telegraph station, and savings’ bank office on the Southern and Western railway, 60 miles W. of Brisbane. It is in the county of Churchill and Stanley electorate.
GEORGETOWN, a post town, savings’ bank, money-order and telegraph office, in the electoral district of Bourke, situated on the Etheridge river a tributary of the Gilbert, about 1,100 miles NW. of Brisbane.
GILBERTON, a township in Northern Queensland, lying in 18° south lat. and 143° east long., about midway between Cardwell, on the east coast of the colony, and Normanton, on the west shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria, each being about 225 miles away. It is distant from Brisbane about 1,050 miles NW., and 290 NW. from Townsville, which is the port of debarkation.
GLADSTONE, a small township in the county of Clinton, and district of Port Curtis, about 354 miles NW. of Brisbane, to and from which the A.S.N. Co.’s steamer plies about once a week.
GOODNA, a railway station on the Brisbane and Ipswich line, 14 miles W. of Brisbane. It has a money-order and-savings bank office and is also in telegraphic communication with the metropolis.
GOONDIWINDI, a money-order office, savings’ bank, telegraph station, and township on the borders of New South Males and Queensland, lying distant from Brisbane about 200 miles SW.
GYMPIE, a gold-fields township, money-order office sayings’ bank, and telegraph station, in the county of March, prettily situated on the side of a range of hills on the upper waters of the river Mary 116 miles N. of Brisbane, and 54 miles S. of Maryborough.
IPSWICH, the second town in the colony, is situated at the head of navigation, on the river Bremer, 25 miles W. of Brisbane. It is in the county of Stanley and is the capital of the district of West Moreton. The principal part of the town is on the south side of the river and forms the electorate of Ipswich. It is connected with the north side, which is in the electorate of Bremer, by a substantial iron bridge. Steamers ply daily between the two places according to the tide. Ipswich was originally known by the name of Limestone.
KINGSTON, more generally known as Oakey Creek, is the centre of the several alluvial (Palmer) diggings. Five miles from this is Stoney creek, 10 miles Fine Gold creek, 19 miles Limestone. Estimated population, 5,500 Chinese, 1,200 Europeans. Many gold-bearing reefs have been discovered in this neighbourhood.
LYTTON, a small township near the mouth of the Brisbane river, 13 miles NE. of Brisbane. It is a lighthouse station, and in telegraphic communication with the metropolis.
MACKAY, a post town, seaport, municipal township (proclaimed September 25, 1869) and money-order, savings’ bank, and telegraph office on the Pioneer river, 625 miles NW. of Brisbane, in the county of Carlisle. The district is pastoral and agricultural, with numerous sugar plantations within a radius of 14 miles from the township. There are four rum distilleries in full work. The sugar is principally sent to the Melbourne market, the rum to Sydney and Brisbane.
MARYBOROUGH, a municipal township in the county of March (proclaimed March 23, 1861) on the river Mary, 25 miles from its mouth, about 180 miles N. of Brisbane. It is the port of shipment for the greater portion of the produce of the Wide Bay and Burnett district and is also the principal town in the district.
MAYTOWN, sometimes called Edwardstown (the latter being the western end of the township) is a post town, about 110 miles W. of Cooktown. It originated in the gold diggings in the vicinity, which have attracted a large mining population.
MILLCHESTER, a post town, money-order office, savings’ bank, and telegraph station about 820 miles NW. of Brisbane. Townsville is the port. Charters Towers is about 3 miles distant NW.
MOUNT PERRY is a postal centre, 200 miles NW. of Brisbane, comprising the townships of Fife Barnett and Tenningering. It is in the county of Bowen, and electoral district of Mulgrave situated on Dingles creek, at the foot of the mountain whose name it bears, about 60 miles inland from the port of Bundaberg, 110 miles from that of Maryborough and 200 miles NW. of Brisbane.
NANANGO, a money-order and savings’ bank office and post town in the county of Fitzroy, and Burnett district, about 120 miles NW. of Brisbane. It is situated on Sandy creek, an offshoot of Barambah creek, which is a tributary of the Burnett river.
NEBO, a small township, money-order office savings bank, and telegraph station, on the creek of the same name, at the extreme north of the Leichhardt district, about 70 miles from Mackay S W and 636 miles from Brisbane NW.
NORMANBY GOLDFIELD. This is a newly-discovered auriferous locality in the Cook district, about 75 miles SW. of Cooktown on the road to the Palmer River diggings. Much gold is being found, and the district has some good well grassed, country, watered by the Normanby river, formation, basalt. Principal centre, Bryerstown.
NORMANTON, a new township and telegraph station, situated on the left bank of the river Norman, about 30 miles from its mouth, near the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria, about 1,382 miles NW of Brisbane by land, but much farther by sea. Port Darwin is about 900 miles distant.
OAKEY CREEK. See Kingston.
PALMER, the name of the gold-field in the extreme N of the colony, located in the vicinity of the river of the same name, about 1.250 miles NW of Brisbane, and via Hellsgate, about 136 miles W. of Cooktown These diggings were discovered about the middle of 1873. Palmer can be reached either from Cooktown or Townsville; the latter town is 300 miles distant.
RAVENSWOOD, a mining township, and money-order, savings’ bank, and telegraph office, about 770 miles NW. of Brisbane, in the county of Gladstone, and electoral district of Ravenswood, situated on the watersheds of the Conolly and Elphinstone creeks, tributaries of the Burdekin river. It is almost entirely a quartz-reefing district.
REEFTOWN. See Maytown.
REVOLVER POINT, is a reefing locality about 2 miles from Maytown. The reefs here are considered superior to those at Maytown, although up to September, 1876, there had been no crushings owing to the distance of the machines.
ROCKHAMPTON is an important town, under municipal government (since December 22 1860), on the Fitzroy river, 45 miles from its mouth, and about 420 miles NW. of Brisbane. It is in the county of Livingstone, and electoral district of Rockhampton and Blackall, and owes its origin to the great Port Curtis rush. It is the port of shipment for a large extent of back country, and also for some of the produce of the Peak Downs copper and gold mines.
ROMA, a thriving township on Bungill creek, in the county of Waldegrave, and electoral district of Maranoa, about 330 miles NW. of Brisbane. It is a telegraph station, savings’ bank, and money-order office. The town was incorporated on May 25, 1867, and re-incorporated July 1876.
SANDGATE, a post town, money-order office, and telegraph station on the shores of Moreton Bay, about 13 miles N. of Brisbane. It is pleasantly situated, and as a watering-place is much frequented by the citizens of Brisbane.
SOMERSET, a township in the county of North Cook, on the E. coast of the Cape Yorke Penninsula, 1,550 miles NW. of Brisbane. It is a harbour of refuge, a free port, and is the head-quarters of the London Missionary Society, who are placing teachers on New Guinea and in the islands of Torres Straits.
SPRINGSURE, a money-order, savings’ bank, and telegraph office on the creek of the same name, in the county of Denison, and Leichhardt district, about 485 miles NW. of Brisbane.
ST GEORGE, the principal town of the Balonne electorate, is situated on a magnificent reach of the Balonne river, 300 miles SW. of Brisbane, on the great road from North Queensland to the Southern markets, in the county of Maranoa and electoral district of Balonne.
ST LAWRENCE, a post town, money-order office, savings bank, and telegraph station, situated on the southern bank of the river St. Lawrence, and lying 556 miles to the NW. of Brisbane, and about 6 miles from the head of Broad Sound. The district is a pastoral one, mainly tor cattle and sheep raising.
STANTHORPE, a new township on the old road from Maryland to Tenterfield, in the county of Bentinck, electoral district of Carnarvon, distant from Maryland (N. S. Wales) 10 miles, from Warwick 38 miles, and from Brisbane 184 miles, south. The tin mines, for which this district is celebrated, are extensively scatted around the township, the Sugar Loaf taking the leading position.
SURAT, a post town and money-order, savings’ bank, and telegraph office, in the Maranoa district, situated on the Balonne river, about 300 miles due W. of Brisbane.
TAMBO, a money-order, savings’ bank, and telegraph office and post town, in the Mitchell district situated on a branch of the Barcoo river, about 550 miles NW. of Brisbane.
TAROOM, a money-order office, savings’ bank, post town, and telegraph station in the Leichhardt district, about 300 miles NW. of Brisbane.
THORNBOROUGH is a mining centre on the gold-field discovered by Mr. Mulligan, and owes its origin to the gold in its vicinity.
THURSDAY ISLAND has been selected as the port of call for the Torres Straits mail steamer in place of Somerset. It is one of the Prince of Wales group.
TOOWOOMBA is the principal town of the rich pastoral district called the Darling Downs. It is situated upon the summit of the main range, about 1,940 feet above the sea-level, in the county of Aubigny, and electoral district of Toowoomba. It lies 102 miles W. of Brisbane, and about 78 miles (by rail) from Ipswich. It was erected into a municipality on December 1, 1860,
TOWNSVILLE is a municipal town, money-order office, savings’ bank, and telegraph station, proclaimed on February 16, 1866, situated on Cleveland Bay, about 870 miles NW. of Brisbane. It is named after its founder, Captain Towns, and is in the county of Elphinstone and electoral district of Kennedy. The district is principally a pastoral one.
WARWICK, a municipal town (proclaimed May 25 1861) on the river Condamine, contiguous to the border of New South Wales, in the county of Merivale, and electoral district of Warwick, about 100 miles SW. of Brisbane (165 miles by rail).
WESTWOOD, a money-order office, savings’ bank, telegraph, and post town, in the Port Curtis district, and for some time the terminus of the Northern Railway, 30 miles SW. of Rockhampton.
YAAMBA, a township and money-order and telegraph office on the Fitzroy river, about 20 miles NW. of Rockhampton and 450 NW. of Brisbane.
YENGARIE, a money-order office, savings bank town, and postal station (county of March, electoral district of Wide Bay, is the locale of the manufactory of the well known Tooth’s Extract of Meat. It was founded in March, 1863. It is situated on the Mary river, or rather Graham’s creek, which is navigable to here for vessels drawing 10 feet of water, and lies about 190 miles N. of Brisbane.
Source: The Australian handbook and almanac and shippers’ and importers’ directory. http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2902005236
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