Ballara is the site of a deserted

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

in the locality of Kuridala in north-western

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia, in the Selwyn Range between the towns of

Mount Isa Mount Isa ( ) is a city in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia. It came into existence because of the vast mineral deposits found in the area. Mount Isa Mines (MIM) is one of the most productive single mines in world history, base ...

and

Cloncurry Cloncurry is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Cloncurry had a population of 2,719 people. Cloncurry is the administrative centre of the Shire of Cloncurry. Cloncurry is known a ...

. It is within the local government area of

Shire of Cloncurry The Shire of Cloncurry is a local government area in North West Queensland, Australia. It covers an area of , and has existed as a local government entity since 1884. The major town and administrative centre of the shire is Cloncurry. Prior to ...

History

Ballara Post Office opened around 1914 ( receiving offices had been open at Ballara and Hightville from 1909) and closed in 1927.

Heritage

Ballara includes the remains of a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

for the long-closed

narrow-gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

Wee MacGregor railway Wee MacGregor railway is a heritage-listed tramway and railway associated with the former towns of Ballara and Hightville in the locality of Kuridala, Shire of Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1909 to 1926. It was added t ...

Environment

Ballara is commemorated in the scientific name of the Kalkadoon grasswren (''Amytornis ballarae'').Birds Queensland Gazetteer
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References

Towns in Queensland Ghost towns in Queensland North West Queensland Kuridala, Queensland {{Australia-ghost-town-stub

History

Heritage

Environment

See also

References