Monto, Queensland Explained

Type:town
Monto
State:qld
Coordinates:-24.8641°N 151.1233°W
Pop:1156
Established:1924
Postcode:4630
Area:59.2
Timezone:AEST
Utc:+10:00
Elevation:248.7
Maxtemp:27.3
Mintemp:12.8
Rainfall:732.6
Lga:North Burnett Region
Stategov:Callide
Fedgov:Flynn
Dist1:459
Location1:Brisbane
Dist2:223
Location2:Bundaberg
Dist3:157
Location3:Gladstone
Near-N:Mungungo
Near-Ne:Bukali
Near-E:Cannindah
Near-Se:Three Moon
Near-S:Three Moon
Near-Sw:Coominglah Forest
Near-W:Moonford
Near-Nw:Moonford

Monto [1] is a rural town and locality in the North Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia.[2] [3] In the, the locality of Monto had a population of 1,156 people.

Geography

Monto is located on the Burnett Highway 500km (300miles) north-west of Brisbane and 235km (146miles) south of Rockhampton. The Gladstone–Monto Road intersects with the Burnett Highway in the town.

The main street in the town is Newton Street.

Ancient past

In the Mississippian era (358-323 mya) also known as the Early Carboniferous period, the area was part of a shallow sea where coral formed a coral reef that became carbonate rock (limestone) underlying the area. Cannindah Reef was the largest-known reef from this period.[4]

History

Gureng Gureng (also known as Gooreng Gooreng, Goreng Goreng, Goeng, Gurang, Goorang Goorang, Korenggoreng) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Gureng Gureng people. The Gooreng Gooreng language region includes the towns of Bundaberg, Gin Gin and Miriam Vale extending south towards Childers, inland to Monto and Mt Perry.[5]

The town takes its name from its railway station, which in turn is an Aboriginal word meaning ridgy plain.

Europeans settled in the area in the late 1840s, maintaining large pastoral holdings at the northern end of the Burnett Valley. Gold unearthed along Three Moon Creek — a tributary of the Burnett River — in the 1870s attracted further settlers. The original site of the diggings, 30km (20miles) north of present-day Monto, has since been flooded by construction of Cania Dam.

Norton Diggings Provisional School opened circa 1881 and is believed to have been repositioned circa 1892 and renamed Norton Goldfield Provisional School. It closed circa 1903 but reopened in 1904 as Norton Provisional School, but then closed in 1907.

The township of Monto was not formally established until 1924 in which year the post office opened.[6]

Monto State School opened on 25 January 1926.

On Wednesday 17 April 1929, Archbishop James Duhig dedicated the Catholic Church of the Little Flower in Monto.[7] Unusually the church had been built on leasehold land as freehold was unavailable.[8] It was at 29 Rutherford Street .[9] It now serves as the church hall for St Theresa's Catholic Church (built circa 1990).[10]

Monto Baptist Church opened on 23 April 1930.[11] [12] [13] It was at 24 Kelvin Street . It closed in 1997 and passed into private ownership.[14] [15]

St Therese's Catholic Primary School was opened on 5 February 1940 by the Presentation Sisters.[16]

With dwindling gold reserves, Monto turned its economy towards farming and logging, two of the region's major industries today. Deposits of thermal coal and limestone have been discovered in the shire.

Monto State High School opened on 28 January 1964.

The town was the administrative centre of Monto Shire until its amalgamation in 2008 into the new North Burnett Region local government area.

Demographics

In the, the town of Monto had a population of 1,159 people.

In the, the locality of Monto had a population of 1,189 people.

In the, the locality of Monto had a population of 1,156 people.

Amenities

Monto has a cultural and historical complex with a museum reserve, sporting facilities, swimming pool and golf club.

Monto Hospital is a 14-bed hospital operated by Queensland Health at 35 Flinders Street . It has a 24-hour emergency service.[17]

The North Burnett Regional Council operates a public library in Monto at 50 Newton Street.[18]

The Monto-Bancroft branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at 9 Rutherford Street.[19]

St Theresa's Catholic Church is on the north-west corner of Rutherford Street and Maxwell Street .[20]

Education

Monto State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 3 Leichhardt Street (-24.8678°N 151.1182°W).[21] [22] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 110 students with 9 teachers (7 full-time equivalent) and 11 non-teaching staff (5 full-time equivalent).[23]

Monto State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Mouatt Street (-24.8699°N 151.1185°W).[24] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 159 students with 23 teachers (20 full-time equivalent) and 19 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent).

Monto Cluster Special Education Program is a primary and secondary (Prep–12) special education program at Monto State High School.[25]

St Therese's Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at Rayleigh Street (-24.8666°N 151.1214°W).[26] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 88 students with 9 teachers (8 full-time equivalent) and 3 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).

Heritage listings

Monto has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Tourism

Tourism is also a major industry in the region. Besides being a major highway town, the chief local attractions are Cania Gorge National Park and Cania Dam, 20km (10miles) north of town.

Monto has also added to its attractions as being the most northerly silo art installation in Australia. Its "Three Moons" silos depict several stories of the past, including the era of gold mining, cattle mustering and The Dreaming. It also has a mural on an old water tower.[29]

Dairy farming

Monto was once the centre of a thriving dairy industry, with more than 400 dairy farms in the area, but deregulation in the 1990s changed that. The number of dairy farms dropped to three.

Mining

In 2006, Monto Minerals floated on the Alternative Investment Market in London, raising approximately A$41 million before expenses.[30] In 2007 it announced plans to begin commercial production of feldspar, ilmenite, apatite and titanomagnetite from its site at the Goondicum crater, just outside the eastern border of Monto Shire.[31] It was reported in September 2008 that Monto Minerals had placed itself in voluntary administration.[32] The mine was then operated by Belridge Enterprises from September 2012 to June 2013, and Melior Resources from April to July 2015 when production was halted due to low market prices.[33] After resuming operations the mine was again closed when Melior Resources appointed a voluntary administrator in September 2019.[34]

Coal mining company Macarthur Coal also owns large amounts of land in the Mulgildie area.

Notable people from Monto

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Macquarie Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2005). Melbourne, The Macquarie Library Pty Ltd.
  2. 16 November 2019.
  3. 16 November 2019.
  4. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-27/ancient-coral-reef-could-hold-climate-change-lessons/103059762 Ancient Cannindah Reef in central Queensland could offer lessons to fight climate change
  5. Web site: Gureng Gureng. 21 January 2020. State Library of Queensland. 21 January 2020. 2 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214421/https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/17?embed=true. live.
  6. Web site: Phoenix Auctions History . Post Office List . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220717024337/http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=QLD&filter=%2AMonto%2A . 17 July 2022 . 5 March 2021 . Phoenix Auctions.
  7. News: 27 April 1929 . No title . 18 . . 22,230 . Queensland, Australia . 6 September 2023 . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: 18 April 1929 . Land Tenure . 9 . . 17,588 . Queensland, Australia . 6 September 2023 . National Library of Australia.
  9. Web site: Church of the Little Flower Monto . 2023-09-05 . Queensland Religious Places Database.
  10. Web site: St Theresa's Catholic Church Monto . 2023-09-05 . Queensland Religious Places Database.
  11. News: 27 March 1930. MISSION WORK.. 9. The Brisbane Courier. 22,515. Queensland, Australia. 9 March 2021. National Library of Australia. 17 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220717024345/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/21505563. live.
  12. Web site: Queensland Baptist churches by date of erection/opening. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211126074653/https://www.bhsq.org/barq/churches100years/index.html. 26 November 2021. 2021-11-29. Baptist Church Archives Queensland.
  13. Web site: 1930 Monto. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211126080826/https://www.bhsq.org/barq/churches100years/images/1930-Monto.html. 26 November 2021. 2021-11-29. Baptist Church Archives Queensland.
  14. Web site: Monto Baptist Church - Former. live. 2021-03-09. Churches Australia. en. 9 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210309045016/https://www.churchesaustralia.org/list-of-churches/locations/queensland/all-towns/directory/2138-monto-baptist-church-former.
  15. Web site: Monto Baptist Church (1929-1997). live. 2021-03-09. National Redress Scheme. 9 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210309045022/https://www.nationalredress.gov.au/institutions/search/10218056.
  16. Web site: St Therese's Catholic Primary School, Monto. Catholic Education, Diocese of Rockhampton. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191120120810/https://www.rok.catholic.edu.au/st-therese-s-catholic-primary-school-monto/. 20 November 2019. 2019-11-20.
  17. Web site: Monto Hospital. 2021-01-11. Queensland Health. en-AU. 12 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210112130209/https://www.health.qld.gov.au/widebay/our-services-and-facilities/monto. live.
  18. Web site: Monto Library. 14 February 2017. Public Libraries Connect. 19 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180119120343/http://plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au/networking/directory-of-public-libraries/branches/north_burnett/monto_library. 19 January 2018. live. dmy-all.
  19. Web site: Branch Locations. Queensland Country Women's Association. https://web.archive.org/web/20181226010724/http://www.qcwa.org.au/branch-locations/. 26 December 2018. 26 December 2018. live.
  20. Web site: St Theresa's Catholic Church Monto . 2023-09-05 . Queensland Religious Places Database.
  21. Web site: State and non-state school details. 9 July 2018. Queensland Government. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20181121065959/https://data.qld.gov.au/dataset/state-and-non-state-school-details/resource/5b39065c-df32-415c-994c-5ff12f8de997. 21 November 2018. 21 November 2018.
  22. Web site: Monto State School. 5 March 2021. 26 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226032851/https://montoss.eq.edu.au/. live.
  23. Web site: ACARA School Profile 2017. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20181122010027/http://www.acara.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/school-profile-20172c7b12404c94637ead88ff00003e0139.xlsx?sfvrsn=0. 22 November 2018. 22 November 2018.
  24. Web site: Monto State High School. 5 March 2021. 26 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226032853/https://montoshs.eq.edu.au/. live.
  25. https://schoolsdirectory.eq.edu.au/Details/5929 Monto Cluster - Special Education Program
  26. Web site: St Therese's Catholic Primary School. 5 March 2021. 28 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210228163703/http://www.stmrok.catholic.edu.au/. live.
  27. Web site: North Burnett Local Heritage Register. North Burnett Regional Council. https://web.archive.org/web/20190816031644/https://www.northburnett.qld.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Local-Heritage-Register2.pdf. 16 August 2019. live. 16 August 2019.
  28. 12 July 2013.
  29. Web site: Queensland town of Monto using silo art to draw tourists and tell stories about its heritage . ABC News (ABC Wide Bay) . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Johanna . Marie . 14 July 2020 . 16 July 2020 . 15 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200715212034/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-15/monto-silo-art-most-northern-on-trail/12451612 . live .
  30. Monto Minerals announcement 25 May 2006, First Day Of Dealings on Aim £16.7 Million Raised by Placing. Available online
  31. Monto Minerals Announcement 22 August 2006, Countdown to Production... Monto Minerals Commences Industrial Minerals Project Construction. Available online
  32. Web site: 2008-09-01. Monto Minerals placed in administration. 2021-05-11. The Sydney Morning Herald. en. 11 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210511011617/https://www.smh.com.au/business/monto-minerals-placed-in-administration-20080901-4741.html. live.
  33. Web site: 2015-08-03. Thirty workers sacked in Queensland ilmenite mine closure. 2021-05-11. www.abc.net.au. en-AU. 17 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220717024338/https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2015-08-03/ilmenite-mine-mothballed/6669042. live.
  34. Web site: 2019-09-23. Drought declared on same day as mine is mothballed, yet locals refuse to buckle. 2021-05-11. www.abc.net.au. en-AU. 3 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210603115912/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-24/drought-and-mothballed-mine-are-not-dampening-spirits-in-monto/11532312. live.
  35. News: Actor Caton back to say farewells. Guse. Russell. 22 January 2010. Central Telegraph. 31 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161101110012/http://www.centraltelegraph.com.au/news/actor-caton-back-to-say-farewells/451392/. 1 November 2016. live. dmy-all.
  36. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/16/five-questions-to-megan-davis-on-aboriginal-self-determination Five questions to Megan Davis: on Aboriginal self-determination
  37. News: A love of footy became the making of Mal Meninga. Kieza. Grantlee. 29 June 2012. Herald Sun. 31 October 2016.

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