Taldora, Queensland Explained

Type:suburb
Taldora
State:qld
Coordinates:-19.8298°N 141.4234°W
Pop:78
Postcode:4823
Area:13197.3
Timezone:AEST
Utc:+10:00
Lga:Shire of Mckinlay
Stategov:Traeger
Fedgov:Kennedy
Near-N:Fielding
Near-Ne:Savannah
Near-E:Malpas-Trenton
Near-Se:Julia Creek
Near-S:Julia Creek
Near-Sw:Cloncurry
Near-W:Four Ways
Three Rivers
Near-Nw:Stokes

Taldora is an outback locality in the Shire of Mckinlay, Queensland, Australia.[1] In the, Taldora had a population of 78 people.

Geography

The Wills Developmental Road enters the locality from the south (Julia Creek) and exits to the west (Four Ways)

There are a number of mountains in the locality:

The locality is within the Carpentaria Coast drainage basin (also known as the Gulf Country) which ultimately flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The Cloncurry River enters the locality from the south-west (Cloncurry) and exits to the west (Four Ways). The Flinders River enters the locality from the south-east (Malpas-Trenton) and traverses the north-western boundary of the locality with Four Ways before exiting to the north-west (Stokes). The Saxby River enters from the east (Malpas-Trenton) and exits to the north (Fielding).

The land use is grazing on native vegetation.

History

Taldora was a cattle station from at least 1866.[6] In 1878 a monthly mail service was established which passed through Taldora,[7] and in 1880 it was referred to as a township.[8] In July 1880 a new company purchased Taldora and began developing the station.[9]

In 1900, Taldora was affected by a drought with rats infecting its water supply and a lack of rain resulting in no grass growing on the station and its waterhole drying up for the first time since 1880.[10] In 1916 it was reported that Taldora was supporting 30,000 head of cattle which was three times the amount of Nockatunga Station which was the largest station in the state geographically.[11]

In early 1947, Australian Aboriginal stockman Johnny Knight set out from Taldora to walk 150 miles to Normanton and went missing. A police search was launched which extended as far as Thursday Island and in July 1947 his swag was found and in July 1948 a skeleton which was found which may have been his remains.[12] In 1953 an elderly man, Patrick Murphy, went missing while camping near Taldora where he was employed for ringbarking.[13]

Demographics

In the, Taldora had a population of 37 people.

In the, Taldora had a population of 78 people.

Economy

There are a number of homesteads in the locality:[14]

Taldora Station consists of a ranch which is a private property with permission being required to visit. It does not have its own address with mail instead being received at Julia Creek.[15]

Transport

There are a number of airstrips in the locality:

Notes and References

  1. 28 December 2020.
  2. Web site: 12 November 2020. Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201125215033/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/geographic-features-queensland-series/resource/06ff12a9-862e-4aac-bf9d-693f0a63b4c9. 25 November 2020. 25 November 2020. Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government.
  3. 25 November 2020.
  4. 25 November 2020.
  5. 25 November 2020.
  6. News: The Late Mr. E. R. Edkins. The Queenslander. Brisbane, QLD. 12. 4 November 1905. 16 June 2021. 11 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711062903/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20799603?searchTerm=%22Taldora+Station%22. live.
  7. News: Carpentaria. The Brisbane Courier. Brisbane, QLD. 7. 19 January 1878. 1 February 2021. 11 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711062905/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1369388. live.
  8. News: Northern News. The Telegraph. Brisbane, QLD. 2. 13 July 1880. 12 March 2021. 11 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711062916/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174850496. live.
  9. News: Local and General News. The Capricornian. Rockhampton, QLD. 11. 17 July 1880. 12 March 2021. 11 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711062905/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/67361557/6763757. live.
  10. News: Drought in the Cloncurry District. Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, QLD. 5. 26 June 1900. 29 May 2021. 2 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215301/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/52577585. live.
  11. News: Large Stations. The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, NSW. 4. 27 March 1916. 16 June 2021. 11 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711062905/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15660727. live.
  12. News: Skeleton Found in Gulf Country. The Cairns Post. Cairns, QLD. 5. 1 July 1948. 16 June 2021. 11 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711062834/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/42589243. live.
  13. News: Searching for Elderly Man. The Courier-Mail. Brisbane, QLD. 3. 4 August 1953. 16 June 2021. 11 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210711062844/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/51085075. live.
  14. Web site: 18 November 2020. Homesteads - Queensland. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201124212526/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/built-features-queensland-series/resource/b27874c1-ccb9-463d-a26f-706abcc0ab79. 24 November 2020. 24 November 2020. Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government.
  15. Web site: n.d.. Taldora Station Cemetery. 12 March 2021. Interment.net. 12 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150912010714/http://www.interment.net/data/aus/qld/mckinlay/stations/taldora.htm. live.
  16. Web site: 22 October 2020. Heliports and landing grounds - Queensland. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201116140611/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/transport-features-queensland-series/resource/1646c12e-0c31-42d3-a156-9891b01e938a. 16 November 2020. 3 November 2020. Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government.