Opalton
| Opalton Queensland | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Old Cork Homestead, erected 1870s | |||||||||||||||
  Opalton | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 23°14′51″S 142°46′15″E / 23.2474°S 142.77095°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 59 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.003484/km2 (0.00902/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4735 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 16,932.3 km2 (6,537.6 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Shire of Winton | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Gregory | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Maranoa | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Opalton is a rural locality in the Shire of Winton, Queensland, Australia.[2] It is known for the Opalton Opal Field, one of the largest and most extensively worked opal deposits in Queensland.[3] In the 2021 census, Opalton had a population of 59 people.[1]
Geography
[edit]There are two protected areas within the locality:[4]
- Bladensburg National Park in the north-west of the locality
- Lark Quarry Conservation Park in the centre of the locality
Apart from the protected areas, the land use is grazing on native vegetation.[4]
History
[edit]The Cork homestead was established in the 1870s. It was built from sandstone. It was partly owned by Thomas McIlwraith, Premier of Queensland. It is now a ruin.[5][6]
Demographics
[edit]In the 2016 census, Opalton had a population of 64 people.[7]
In the 2021 census, Opalton had a population of 59 people.[1]
Attractions
[edit]Lark Quarry Conservation Park is at the end of Lark Quarry Access Road (23°00′55″S 142°24′40″E / 23.0154°S 142.4110°E).[8] It has the world’s only known dinosaur stampede site.[9]
Scrammy Lookout is in Bladensburg National Park (22°33′19″S 143°08′15″E / 22.5554°S 143.1374°E).[8][10]
The Opalton Opal Field is popular with tourists as a place for fossicking.[3]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Opalton (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Opalton – locality in Shire of Winton (entry 41495)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Western opal fields - Opalton". Queensland Government. 1 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ Winton, Experience. "Old Cork Homestead Ruins". Experience Winton. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ "Projects: Old Cork Homestead Conservation Plan". Thom Blake Historian. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Opalton (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Tourist points - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "Lark Quarry Conservation Park". Parks and forests. Queensland Government. 21 October 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
- ^ "Things to do: Bladensburg National Park". Parks and forests. Queensland Government. 11 December 2009. Archived from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
