Cloncurry Queensland

Outback Town of Cloncurry

Cloncurry is a town situated in north west Queensland, Australia, 770 kilometres west of the city of Townsville via the Flinders Highway. The town lies adjacent to the Cloncurry River. It is the administrative centre of the Cloncurry Shire. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 2,384.^[1] Cloncurry was proclaimed a town in 1884, and the railway arrived in 1908. Until the advent of Mount Isa, the town was the largest settlement in north west Queensland.
The first Europeans to traverse the area were Burke and Wills on their epic, and ultimately fatal, transcontinental expedition. The Cloncurry River was named by Burke after Lady Elizabeth Cloncurry, his cousin, with the town eventually taking its name from the river.
Copper was discovered in the area in 1867, and the town sprang up to service the Great Australia Mine to the south. Cattle grazing is the significant industry in the region, and a large saleyards is located in the town.
The first ever flight of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia took place from Cloncurry on May 15, 1928, using a de Havilland DH.50 aircraft hired from the then small airline, Qantas. A Royal Flying Doctor Service museum is situated in the town.

Sunset at Chinaman Creek Dam, Cloncurry

Cloncurry was widely regarded as holding the record for the highest temperature recorded in Australia at 127.5 °F (53.1 °C) on 16 January 1889.
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Skies and Clouds

The Pumpkin Story

I planted some pumpkin seeds a few months ago after making pumpkin soup.
To my delight, they started to grow, and soon there were 7 clumps of growing Pumpkin Seeds. Only one vine grew in abandoned splendor. The others sort of shriveled and struggled and complained in their knotted clumps, and did not extend beyond a small circumference.

This one was soon full of flowers, and then there was a small pumpkin.

The gardener came to tell me that this was a surprise, as 'there are no bees in Cloncurry, and the flowers have to be hand fertilized'

This set both of us on a new learning curve. I did photograph some bees in the white gum flowers. They were small wild bees, but maybe this pumpkin had been fertilized by ants or even the little lizards that live in the vicinity.
We learnt that there are male and female flowers. It was all explained to me and when I went to do some fertilizing, the vine was full of male flowers.
Then we saw that the female flowers have a tiny pumpkin below the bloom and if not fertilized, the pumpkin simply falls off.
We also learnt that the other vines only have male flowers which could be the reason they have not grown any bigger.
We tried fertilizing. The flowers are full open in the morning and that was the best time. We have two more pumpkins about the size of a tennis ball. This one is nearly ready.
Pumpkin soup for all the Cooking Students or maybe Pumpkin Tart.

CWA Country Womens Association Cloncurry

CWA (Country Womens Association) in Cloncurry, ran the food stall and also sold their CWA Cookbooks
CWA is represented here by Editha, Lynn and Gloria

http://www.qcwa.org.au/
The Queensland Country Women's Association, is one of the largest women's organisations in Queensland, and was established in 1922. Members involvement is voluntary.
The role of the QCWA is to improve education, health and welfare of women and children and hence the family, particularly in the isolated areas of Queensland.
QCWA is non political and non-sectarian.

Paper Bark Tree at the Corella River

Paperbarks live for many years.
This tree would be over 100 years old.
It would have seen many fishermen and barbecues and campfires.
Under its branches there would have been sleep-outs, camps and drinking of beer after dining on fire grilled fish and turtle.

The rope shows children swinging into the water and having fun.
The Tree would have laughed with youth as they swam and climbed the huge branches

The tree has survived droughts and floods and stands proud and tall

Locusts

There was one week after the rains when the locusts came to Cloncurry.
They were everywhere
Opening a door brought hordes indoors, and driving outside attracted the locusts
They were huge. They ate everything that looked green and moved on their way

Rocks and Rocky Outcrops

Rocky Outcrops




The area around Cloncurry is full of Rocky Outcrops

Green Common Frog

Green frogs are common where there is water.
They live near the drains and ponds.
Gardens with water features attract the green frogs.
This frog came from the Caravan Park, and is now living in a pond in Cloncurry.

Fire and Rescue Cloncurry

Fire and Rescue from Cloncurry were also at the Curry Day Festival.
They had the Fire Engine which visitors could sit in and explore
The Firemen form the Main Fire Brigade at Cloncurry and attend the Town Fires.

Skies at Cloncurry

There are some wonderful skies at Cloncurry
The evenings when the light is changing has some awesome skies.
In the school yard the silhouette and shapes of this tree has long fascinated me.

The classrooms go down from the Home Economics to the Art Room, and every day, the sky is different.
I ask the students to watch the sky when they paint and draw.
It is seldom clear one shade blue.
Always there are shapes and shadows and movement.
The evening colors make the clouds exciting behind the tree

Mary Kathleen Tourist Park and Farm Museum Cloncurry

Mary Kathleen Park and Picnic/Barbecue Area includes an Outdoor display which includes steam engines, a traction engine and farm and Mining Machinery from the Cloncurry area.
Also on display is the unique 1941 Ford Rail Ambulance which was used when roads were impassable.
Included here are the buildings and memorabilia from the former Uranium-mining town of Mary Kathleen, local history and photographs.
There is a comprehensive rock and mineral display.

The historic Police station was previously at Oona and then Dobbyn. This building was moved to Mary Kathleen and now serves as a kiosk, souvenir shop and Tourist Information Centre

Phone (07) 4742 1361

End of Race 2 at Cloncurry Races

Race Two was 2 hours late, as a complaint after Race 1 by a Jockey meant the track had to be graded, making it a very dusty finish.

Geological References Cloncurry

http://www.ga.gov.au/oracle/geodxbib.jsp?author=&keyword=&location=&publication=&title=bm

Pirajno, F., Haines, P.W., Hocking, R.M. 2006

Keene Basalt, northwest Officer Basin, Western Australia: tectonostratigrapic setting and implications for possible submarine mineralisation Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 53(6), p1013-1022.
Reference ID: 63022
Keywords: Igneous rocks, Officer Basin, Submarine mineral deposits, Western Australia
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Stratigraphic Names: Adelaide Rift Complex, Antrim Plateau Volcanics, Bangemall Supergroup, Boondawari Formation, Boucaut Volcanics, Browne Formation, Buldya Group, Buldya Group, lower, Buldya Group, upper, Burra Group, Cornelia Sandstone, Disappointment Group, Durba Sandstone, Glenayle Dolerite, Hussar Formation, Kanpa Formation, Keene Basalt, Kulyong Volcanics, Lancer Member, Lungkarta Formation, Paterson Formation, Rudall Complex, Steptoe Formation, Sunbeam Group, Table Hill Volcanics, Wahlgu Formation, Woolnough Member, Wooltana Volcanics

Poynton, D., Simon, G. 2001

CBM -- a new play for the Cooper Basin? IN Hill, K.C.and Bernecker, T. (eds) "Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium: a refocused energy perspective for the future" Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia. Special Publication 1v, p341-349.
Reference ID: 61617
Keywords: Coalification, Cooper Basin, Hydrocarbon potential, Methane, Petroleum play, South Australia
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Stratigraphic Names: Bandanna Formation, Baralaba Coal Measures, Bulli Coal Seam, Merrimelia Formation, Patchawarra Formation, Tongarra Coal Seam, Toolachee Formation, Walloon Coal Measures

Leach, A.S., Wallace, M.W. 2001

Cenozoic submarine canyon systems in cool water carbonates from the Otway Basin, Victoria, Australia IN Hill, K.C.and Bernecker, T. (eds) "Eastern Australasian Basins Symposium: a refocused energy perspective for the future" Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia. Special Publication 1v, p465-473.
Reference ID: 61624
Keywords: Carbonates, Cenozoic, Otway Basin, Submarine canyons, Victoria
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Stratigraphic Names: Clifton Formation, Crayfish Group, Demons Bluff Formation, Gellibrand Marl, Grangeburn Formation, Hanson Plain Sand, Heytesbury Group, Loxton-Parilla Sands, Mepunga Formation, Moorabool Viaduct Formation, Narrawaturk Marl, Newer Volcanics, Nirranda Group, Otway Group, Port Campbell Limestone, Seaspray Group, Sherbrook Group, Shipwreck Group, Wangerrip Group, Whalers Bluff Formation

Large, R.R., McPhie, J., Gemmell, J.B., Herrmann, W., Davidson, G.J. 2001

The Spectrum of Ore Deposit Types, Volcanics Environments, Alteration Halos, and Related Exploration Vectors in Submarine Volcanic Successions: Some Examples from Australia Economic Geology 96(5), p913-938.
Reference ID: 23940
Keywords: Mount Windsor Subprovince, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria
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Stratigraphic Names: Campaspe Formation, Central Volcanic Complex, Darwin granite, Dundas Group, Hellyer basalt, Mount Charter Group, Mount Read Volcanics, Mount Windsor Formation, Murchison granite, Owen Conglomerate, Puddler Creek Formation, Que River Shale, Que-Hellyer Volcanics, Que-Hellyer volcanics, Rollston Range Formation, Seventy Mile Range Group, Southwell Sub-Group, Southwell Subgroup, Trooper Creek Formation, Tyndall Group, Warang Sandstone, White Spur Formation

Carr, P.F., Jones, B.G. 2001

The influence of palaeoenvironment and lava flux on the emplacement of submarine, near-shore Late Permian basalt lavas, Sydney Basin (Australia) Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 112, p247-266.
Reference ID: 23896
Keywords: Basalt, Lava flows, New South Wales, Sydney Basin
250k Maps: SI5609 - Wollongong
100k Maps: 9028 - Kiama
Locations: Kiama
Stratigraphic Names: Berry Formation, Blow Hole Latite Member, Broughton Formation, Illawarra Coal Measures, Kiama Sandstone Member, Rifle Range Sandstone Member, Shoalhaven Group, Westley Park Sandstone Member

Simpson, K., McPhie, J. 2001

Fluidal-clast breccia generated by submarine fire fountaining, Trooper Creek Formation, Queensland, Australia Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research 109, p339-355.
Reference ID: 23764
Keywords: Brecciation, Queensland
250k Maps: SF5502 - Charters Towers
100k Maps: 8057 - Homestead
Locations: Charters Towers, Thalanga
Stratigraphic Names: Brittania Basaltic Andesite, Brittania basaltic andesite, Mount Windsor Formation, Puddler Creek Formation, Rollston Range Formation, Seventy Mile Range Group, Trooper Creek Formation

von der Borch, C.C., Dighton, J. 1999

Submarine spring mounds and related deposits in the lower Bunyeroo Formation, northern Flinders Ranges. MESA Journal 15, p35-39.
Reference ID: 23180
Keywords: Adelaide Geosyncline, South Australia
250k Maps: SH5409 - Copley
100k Maps: 6637 - Mount Lyndhurst

Technorati Tags: rocks, Cloncurry, geology

Cloncurry Skies

Every day the sky is different
Every night the sky changes with different colors.
Today streaks across the sky, tomorrow rolls of frothy clouds or sheets of blue.

Signpost at the River

I am standing on the bridge at the sigbpost

Cloncurry River in Flood

It rained from the 28th of January till the end of February.
It rained and it rained.
These photos were taken in the first week, as I had hired a car for the week, and was able to drive to see the area. The first view was the waters of the Cloncurry River pouring their way along the river at a furious pace.