Cinnabar is a rural
locality in the
Gympie Region
The Gympie Region is a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, the state capital. It is between the Sunshine Coast and Hervey Bay and centred on the town of Gympie. It was creat ...
,
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
, established_ ...
, Australia.
In the , Cinnabar had a population of 72 people.
[
]
Geography
The Wide Bay Highway
The Wide Bay Highway is a short state highway of Queensland, Australia running between Goomeri on the Burnett Highway and a junction on the Bruce Highway. From the junction it is 12 kilometres south to Gympie or 69 kilometres north to Maryborou ...
enters the location from the north-west (Kilkivan
Kilkivan is a town and locality in the Gympie Region of Queensland, Australia. At the , Kilkivan had a population of 713.
Geography
The town is situated on the Wide Bay Highway, north of the state capital, Brisbane and west of Gympie. One M ...
) and exits to the south-west (Kinbombi
Kinbombi is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Kinbombi had a population of 37 people.
Geography
The Wide Bay Highway passes through from east to west. The town is positioned centrall ...
).
The Breezer is a mountain in the south-west of the locality () which rises to above sea level.
Cinnabar State Forest is a forest reserve in the north-west of the locality (). Apart from the state forest, the land use is predominantly grazing
In agriculture, grazing is a method of animal husbandry whereby domestic livestock are allowed outdoors to roam around and consume wild vegetations in order to convert the otherwise indigestible (by human gut) cellulose within grass and other ...
on native vegetation with some crop-growing around the creeks.
History
In 1872, the mineral cinnabar
Cinnabar (), or cinnabarite (), from the grc, κιννάβαρι (), is the bright scarlet to brick-red form of mercury(II) sulfide (HgS). It is the most common source ore for refining elemental mercury and is the historic source for the bri ...
(a sulphide of mercury) was found on the sheep station of J.D. Mactaggart west of Kilkivan. The heavy dark-red stones found contained 24% mercury in addition to copper selenide. Mercury was extensively used in gold production in Australia at that time, but no significant quantities of mercury had been found in Australia and mercury had to be imported. A number of mining companies were established but many struggled to obtain initial capital or found the deposits in their mines less valuable than they had hoped. By 1892, mining had ceased, as mercury deposits found in other locations both in Queensland and elsewhere in Australia appeared to have greater promise.
The town of Cinnabar was established around 1873 and named after the cinnabar deposits in the area.
The Nanango railway line
The Nanango railway line was a narrow-gauge branch railway located in Queensland, Australia. On 31 October 1882, parliament approved the construction of a branch line from Theebine (then called Kilkivan Junction) west to Kilkivan after gold ...
from Kilkivan
Kilkivan is a town and locality in the Gympie Region of Queensland, Australia. At the , Kilkivan had a population of 713.
Geography
The town is situated on the Wide Bay Highway, north of the state capital, Brisbane and west of Gympie. One M ...
to Goomeri
Goomeri ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Goomeri had a population of 664 people.
Geography
The town is located on the intersection of the Burnett, Bunya and Wide Bay ...
via Cinnabar opened on 1 August 1902, with two stations serving the locality (from west to east):
* Cinnabar railway station, serving the town ()
* Wygarr railway station ()
Kingbombie Provisional School opened circa 1896. In 1903, it was renamed Cinnabar Provisional School. In 1916, it was renamed Nagoon Provisional School. It closed in 1917.
Cinnabar Railway Station State School opened on 2 May 1916, but was renamed in July 1916 as Cinnabar State School. It closed in 1971.[ The school was at 362 Cinnabar Road ().
Elambah Provisional School opened on 24 July 1922, but was quickly renamed Cinnabar Upper Provisional School. It closed on 11 March 1927 due to low student numbers.][
In the 1930s, there was renewed interest in mercury due to rising prices and mining resumed in the area and the Kilkivan district more generally until 1945. Although mercury production in Australia has always been limited, nonetheless the deposits in the Kilkivan area produced the largest quantities of mercury due to the higher grade of cinnabar found there.]
The railway line closed in 2011 and was dismantled and redeveloped as the Kilkivan-to-Kingaroy rail trail
The Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail (KKRT, in part also known as the South Burnett Rail Trail or SBRT) is an recreation trail from Kilkivan to Kingaroy. The trail follows the old Kingaroy Branch railway and is open to walkers, cyclists and hor ...
.
In the , Cinnabar had a population of 72 people.
Education
There are no schools in Cinnabar. The nearest government primary schools are Kilkivan State School in neighbouring Kilkivan to the north-west and Goomeri State School in neighbouring Goomeri
Goomeri ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Goomeri had a population of 664 people.
Geography
The town is located on the intersection of the Burnett, Bunya and Wide Bay ...
to the west. These schools also offer secondary schooling to Year 10. For secondary schooling to Year 12, the nearest government schools are James Nash State High School in Gympie
Gympie ( ) is a city and a locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the Wide Bay-Burnett District, Gympie is about north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city lies on the Mary River, which floods Gympie occasionally. T ...
to the east and Murgon State High School in Murgon
Murgon is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Murgon had a population of 2,378 people.
Geography
Murgon is in the region of Queensland known as the South Burnett, the south ...
to the south-west.
Attractions
The Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail follows the old railway line between the two towns. It is long and passes through Goomeri
Goomeri ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Goomeri had a population of 664 people.
Geography
The town is located on the intersection of the Burnett, Bunya and Wide Bay ...
, Murgon
Murgon is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Murgon had a population of 2,378 people.
Geography
Murgon is in the region of Queensland known as the South Burnett, the south ...
, Wondai, Tingoora
Tingoora is a rural town and a locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.
Geography
The town is on the Bunya Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane. The Chinchilla – Wondai Road ( State Route 82) enters from t ...
, Wooroolin
Wooroolin is a rural town and a locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.
Geography
Wooroolin is on the Bunya Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane, and 17 km's North of the main town, Kingaroy.
Immediately t ...
, Memerambi
Memerambi is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Memerambi had a population of 272 people.
Geography
The town is on the Bunya Highway, north west of the state capital, Brisbane ...
, and Crawford. The trail from Kilkivan to Murgon is unsealed. A low level bridge was opened across Wide Bay Creek in October 2021. Short distances between towns means coffee is never far away.
References
External links
*
{{Gympie Region
Gympie Region
Localities in Queensland