The “Curry” CELEBRATIONS

In mid-September 2017 the people of Cloncurry and district came out to host local celebrations marking 150 years of settlement since Ernest Henry was attributed as the founder of Cloncurry in the year 1867. Henry, who was in search of grazing land at the time, discovered the regions mineral deposits instead and established the Great Australia Mine.

The Great Australia Mine and Cloncurry in the background. c. 1910 Negative: 3186 John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Cloncurry the township was surveyed in 1876, but Burke and Wills who had traveled this route on the way to the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1861 originally named the region and the river nearby ‘Cloncurry’ after Burke’s cousin Lady Elizabeth Cloncurry, of County Galway in Ireland.

The Cloncurry River section illustrated in Fussells new map of Australia: showing the routes and discoveries of Gregory, Burke and Wills, Stuart, Landsborough, Walker and McKinlay, 1867.

Cloncurry Shire Council provides more information about the history of the area including historical sites of interest; the Cloncurry Unearthed Visitor Information Centre and Museum and the John Flynn Place Museum.

View digitised images in the collections of State Library featuring Cloncurry.

Burke and Wills Memorial, Cloncurry. The obelisk was erected by the Cloncurry Shire Council, Mount Isa Mines Ltd and Mary Kathleen Uranium Ltd to commemorate the Burke and Wills expedition crossing at this location, 22 January 1861 on their journey north. Acc: 83-3-16, Neg 40031 John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Camel riding at Cloncurry, ca. 1907 Acc 90-3-9 Neg 169554 John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Stagecoach outside the post and telegraph office in Cloncurry, ca. 1910 Acc: 83-2-6 Neg 39810, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

The De Havilland 9C G-AUEF was acquired by QANTAS in 1923 for the Charleville - Cloncurry route. Pilot, Captain G. Matthews on the left and Mr. A. N. Templeton on the right. (Description supplied with photograph) Neg: 62425 John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

This dramatic view shows the houses and buildings of Cloncurry, possibly including the Club Hotel, seen against the backdrop of a looming dust storm. Part of Accession number: 84-6-2. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

Dr. Jean White, flying doctor at Normanton; Mrs Simpson, Dr. Simpson's (photographer) wife; Rev. Fred McKay, A.I.M. Patrol Padre; Dr. Gordon Albury, flying doctor at Cloncurry; Rev. John Flynn, founder and A.I.M. superintendent; Mrs. Jean Flynn, his wife and former secretary. (Description supplied with photograph). Picnicking at Cloncurry in 1937. Acc: 90-1-12 Neg 168082 John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland

With assistance by Josh Arnold and Small Town Culture, the song Cloncurry encourages Queenslanders to join in #cloncurry style.

Additional Reading

Cloncurry District Improvement Board, 1932 Cloncurry Advocate 23 January p.9

Cloncurry - a Mining Centre, 1940 Cloncurry Advocate, 15 November p.6

Celebrating 13 years of Flying Doctor Service, Cloncurry Advocate, 20 June 1941 p.1

Cloncurry plans a Jubilee celebration, 1951 Cloncurry Advocate, 25 May p.2

Digital Story

QANTAS digital story: 2009 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame, State Library of Queensland

Anne Scheu | Queensland Memory | State Library of Queensland