70-620: The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau, which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland , Australia. It has very deep, rich basaltic soils and the main industry is agriculture. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River , which was dammed to form the irrigation reservoir named Lake Tinaroo . Unlike many other rural areas, the Tablelands is experiencing
140-466: A can of beer. Today, the word "tin" is often improperly used as a generic term for any silvery metal that comes in sheets. Most everyday materials that are commonly called "tin", such as aluminium foil , beverage cans , corrugated building sheathing and tin cans, are actually made of steel or aluminium , although tin cans (tinned cans) do contain a thin coating of tin to inhibit rust. Likewise, so-called "tin toys " are usually made of steel, and may have
210-535: A coating of tin to inhibit rust. The original Ford Model T was known colloquially as the "Tin Lizzy". Because tin is used in solder , it is crucial to computers , smartphones , and all other electronic equipment. (For example, the Apple iPad uses 1–3 grams of tin in its 7000 solder points.) According to Apple Inc. , tin is the most common metal used by that company's suppliers. In 2006, total worldwide tin mine production
280-510: A feasibility study prepared in 1993 by a subsidiary of Norilsk Nickel but despite its vicinity to infrastructure a mine was never constructed due to economic and political reasons. The private Rusolovo holding company is also another potential major supplier as it ramps up production from its high grade (1.5% Sn) Pravoumirskoye mine, which is overcoming infrastructure obstacles. Another is the historical lower grade (0.6% Sn) Festivalnoye deposit which has recently re-commenced production; ore from this
350-533: A major smelter and market center. In 2007, the People's Republic of China was the largest producer of tin, where the tin deposits are concentrated in the southeast Yunnan tin belt, with 43% of the world's share, followed by Indonesia , with an almost equal share, and Peru at a distant third, reports the USGS . New deposits to support future production are somewhat limited. A significant new source of tin supply may come from
420-538: A significant growth in population. This area is a distinct physiographic section of the larger North Queensland Highlands province, which in turn is part of the larger East Australian Cordillera physiographic division. South of the Tablelands is the Bellenden Ker Range . Around 100 million years ago, the eastern edge of the Australian continent extended much further to the east, before tectonic forces fractured
490-520: A water source for important reservoirs and water supply projects such as the Upper Nepean Scheme , Snowy Mountains Scheme and Warragamba Dam . The Bradfield Scheme has been mooted as a way to transport water from the Wet Tropics of Queensland in the coastal northeast of Far North Queensland via a series of Dams & Tunnels , southwest to inland dryer regions, including a tunnel through
560-621: Is being processed at the Gorniy processing plant; a third Russian source would be the Khinganskoye tailings project in the Jewish Autonomous Republic. The table below shows the countries with the largest mine production and the largest smelter output. Further supplies may possibly come from the DRC, Nigeria and Rwanda. [*Results from 2014 Australian F.Y] After the discovery of tin in what
630-625: Is classified by BirdLife International as one of Australia's Important Bird Areas , supporting over 1% of the world population of the sarus crane and a significant population of the bush stone-curlew . Twelve species of birds are endemic to this area and the mountain ranges immediately south: Atherton scrubwren , Bower's shrikethrush , bridled honeyeater , chowchilla , fernwren , golden bowerbird , grey-headed robin , Macleay's honeyeater , mountain thornbill , pied monarch , tooth-billed bowerbird and Victoria's riflebird . Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range , also known as
700-657: Is now Bisie , North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2002, illegal production has increased there to around 15,000 tons. This is largely fuelling the ongoing and recent conflicts there, as well as affecting international markets. Tin is a conflict mineral , as defined by the US legislation to stop tin mining for causing conflicts. In August 2012 cover story in Bloomberg Businessweek stated that tin mining on
770-729: Is only one major road crossing the highlands from north to south, the Great Alpine Road . Parts of the highlands consisting of relatively flat and, by Australian standards, well-watered land were developed for agricultural and pastoral uses. Such areas include the Atherton Tableland and Darling Downs in Queensland, and the Northern Tablelands , Southern Highlands and Southern Tablelands in New South Wales . Other parts of
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#1732844737386840-715: The Australian Alps . The central core of the Great Dividing Range is dotted with hundreds of peaks and is surrounded by many smaller mountain ranges or spurs, canyons , valleys and plains of regional significance. Some of the major plains include the High Plains of South-Eastern Australia, the Southern Highlands, the Central Highlands and Bogong High Plains of Victoria. Other tablelands considered part of
910-687: The Bass Strait . Rivers west of the Dividing Range drain in various westerly directions according to latitudes: the Murray–Darling basin in southeastern Australia ( Darling Downs /eastern South West Queensland , West/Central New South Wales , Northern Victoria and the Murraylands / Riverland region of southeastern South Australia ) drain southwestwards into the Great Australian Bight via
980-598: The Bolivian tin belt and the east Asian tin belt, stretching from China through Thailand and Laos to Malaya and Indonesia . Tasmania also hosts deposits of historical importance, most notably Mount Bischoff and Renison Bell . In 1931 the tin producers founded the International Tin Committee , followed in 1956 by the International Tin Council , an institution to control the tin market. After
1050-622: The Calder Highway , the Western Highway , and the Murray Valley Highway traverse parts of the range. Much of the range lies within a succession of national parks and other reserves . Most of the national parks are listed below, and there are almost double that amount of state forests. In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Great Dividing Range was announced as one of
1120-665: The Copper Age or Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age around 3000 BC. Early tin exploitation appears to have been centered on placer deposits of cassiterite . The first evidence of tin use for making bronze appears in the Near East and the Balkans around 3000 BC. It is still unclear where the earliest tin was mined, as tin deposits are very rare and evidence of early mining is scarce. Europe's earliest mining district appears to be located in
1190-587: The East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands , is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges , plateaus and rolling hills . It runs roughly parallel to the east coast of Australia and forms the fifth-longest land-based mountain chain in the world , and the longest entirely within a single country. It is mainland Australia 's most substantial topographic feature and serves as
1260-475: The Gulf of Carpentaria . The sharp rise between the coastal lowlands and the eastern uplands has affected Australia's climate , mainly due to orographic precipitation , and these areas of highest relief have revealed an impressive gorge country. Areas to the east of the mountain range in southern NSW usually experience a Föhn effect , which is a dry wind originating from the Great Dividing Range that abruptly raises
1330-480: The Iberian Peninsula around 2000 BC. These deposits saw greater exploitation when they fell under Roman control between the third century BC and the first century AD. Demand for tin created a large and thriving network among Mediterranean cultures of classical times . By the medieval period, Iberia's and Germany's deposits lost importance and were largely forgotten while Devon and Cornwall began dominating
1400-504: The Indonesian island of Bangka was becoming more dangerous and destructive as cassiterite ore deposits became harder to get to. About one-third of all the tin mined in the world has come from Bangka and its sister island Belitung to the east. As tin ore pits become deeper, the number of lethal cave-ins has risen. Approximately one tin miner a week was killed in Indonesia in 2011 — double
1470-619: The Latrobe Valley and Wilsons Promontory ). Whereas on the downwind (eastern) slopes, Cooma , Omeo , Goulburn , Bowral , Bombala , Nimmitabel , and Canberra , are warmer and drier relative to altitude. Moreover, Oberon , Shooters Hill and Sunny Corner are on the crest of the ranges and thus exposed from all directions, hence their evenly spread rainfall. The main ski resorts in New South Wales, such as Thredbo Village , Perisher and Charlotte Pass , lie transitionally between
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#17328447373861540-583: The Liverpool Range , Mount Royal Range and the Monaro District . Whilst some of the peaks of the highlands reach respectable heights of a little over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft), the age of the range and its erosion mean that most of the mountains are not very steep, and virtually all peaks can be reached without mountaineering equipment. In some areas, such as the Snowy Mountains , Victorian Alps ,
1610-671: The Mulgrave River , and the southern part of the Atherton Tableland including Atherton and Kairi . Dyirbal (also known as Djirbal) is a language of Far North Queensland , particularly the area around Tully and Tully River Catchment extending to the Atherton Tablelands. The Dyirbal language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of Cassowary Coast Regional Council and Tablelands Regional Council . The first European exploration of this area,
1680-727: The Ore Mountains , on the border between Germany and Czech Republic and is dated to 2500 BC. From there tin was traded north to the Baltic Sea and south to the Mediterranean following the Amber Road trading route. Tin mining knowledge spread to other European tin mining districts from the Ore Mountains and evidence of tin mining begins to appear in Brittany , Devon and Cornwall , and in
1750-501: The Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as a "location". Tin mining Tin mining began early in the Bronze Age , as bronze is a copper-tin alloy. Tin is a relatively rare element in the Earth's crust, with approximately 2 ppm (parts per million), compared to iron with 50,000 ppm. Tin extraction and use can be dated to the beginnings of the Bronze Age around 3000 BC, when it
1820-579: The Scenic Rim and the eastern escarpments of the New England region, the highlands form a significant barrier. The eastern escarpment is the site of many spectacular waterfalls which were formed by rivers plunging off the tablelands. In other areas the slopes are gentle and in places the range is barely perceptible. Well known passes on the range include Coxs Gap , Cunninghams Gap , Dead Horse Gap , Nowlands Gap , and Spicers Gap . Major cities located on
1890-559: The Shoalhaven River . Those that flow south, primarily through Victoria, include the Snowy , Cann , Tambo , Mitchell , Latrobe , Thomson , Yarra , Werribee , Hopkins and Glenelg rivers. At some high hill passes the range provides cool sites appropriate for vineyards . The engineers of early rail passages across the Great Dividing Range needed to find low sections of the range to cross, as well as suitable, "low" gradient paths up
1960-423: The Snowy Mountains portion of southern Great Dividing Range. The Dividing Range does not consist of a single continuous mountain chain , but is rather a combined complex ( cordillera ) of mountain ranges , plateaus , hilly upland areas and escarpments with an ancient and complex geological history . The physiographic division name for the landmass is called the East Australian Cordillera . In some places
2030-608: The Wimmera plains as rolling hills west of the Grampians region . The width of the Range varies from about 160 km (100 mi) to over 300 km (190 mi). The Greater Blue Mountains Area , Gondwana Rainforests and Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Areas are located in the Range. The highest place in Australia, the 2,228 m (7,310 ft) Mount Kosciuszko , resides in
2100-414: The drainage basins of river systems east (the coastal or rainward side) and west (the inland or leeward side) of it. The higher and more rugged parts of the "range" do not necessarily form part of the crest of the range, but may be branches and offshoots from it. The term "Great Dividing Range" may refer specifically to the watershed crest of the range, or to the entire upland complex including all of
2170-491: The Atherton Basalt Province are regarded as being extinct and volcanism has been waning over time, given the relatively recent activity, it is possible that further eruptions could occur in the future. The Atherton Tableland has a long history of Indigenous occupation. Aspects of traditional Aboriginal land use and culture have been documented from the period of first contact to present. Aboriginal people with ties to
Atherton Tableland - Misplaced Pages Continue
2240-551: The Atherton Tablelands economy, with Tinaroo Dam and extensive trail network being the focal point. Atherton and Mareeba are the largest towns in the area. Herberton , Kairi , Kuranda , Malanda , Millaa Millaa , Tinaroo , Tolga , Yungaburra , Chillagoe , Walkamin and Ravenshoe are also located on the Atherton Tablelands. The tableland contains several small remnants of the rainforest which once covered it, many of which are now protected in national parks . It
2310-687: The Blue Mountains were later named after each of these men. This was the start of the development of the agricultural districts of inland New South Wales . A road was built to Blaxland by convicts within six months. Easier routes to inland New South Wales were discovered towards Goulburn to the southwest, and westwards from Newcastle . Subsequent explorations were made across and around the ranges by Allan Cunningham , John Oxley , Hamilton Hume , Paul Edmund Strzelecki , Ludwig Leichhardt and Thomas Mitchell . These explorers were mainly concerned with finding and appropriating good agricultural land. By
2380-814: The European tin market. In the Far East , the tin belt stretching from Yunnan in China to the Malay Peninsula began being exploited sometime between the third and second millennium BC. The deposits in Yunnan were not mined until around 700 BC, but by the Han dynasty had become the main source of tin in China according to historical texts of the Han, Jin , Tang , and Song dynasties. Other regions of
2450-507: The Great Divide is only a slight rise in the surrounding topography. Knowing that local Aboriginal people had already established routes crossing the range and by making use of Aboriginal walking trails, a usable ridge-top route was finally discovered by Europeans directly westward from Sydney across the Blue Mountains to Bathurst by an expedition jointly led by Gregory Blaxland , William Lawson and William Charles Wentworth . Towns in
2520-536: The Great Dividing Range are the Atherton Tableland , Canberra wine region and the Southern Tablelands . The Dandenong Ranges , Barrington Tops , Bunya Mountains , Blue Mountains , Liverpool Range , McPherson Ranges and the Moonbi Range are some of the smaller spurs and ranges that make up the greater dividing range. Other notable ranges and tablelands which form part of the Great Dividing Range include
2590-728: The Great Dividing Range into the Flinders River then a tunnel into the Torrens Creek in the White Mountains National Park then flows south into Thompson River / Cooper Creek , part of the Eyre Basin . Many other variations have been proposed. The Great Dividing Range creates the drainage basins of the Australian south-east coast drainage division and the Australian north-east coast drainage division , whose water flows to
2660-737: The Murray–Darling Basin from Victoria include the Goulburn , Mitta Mitta , Kiewa , Ovens , King , Loddon and Campaspe rivers. Rivers that flow east into the Pacific Ocean include the Annan River , Barron River , Brisbane River , Burdekin River , Burnett River , Clarence River , Daintree River , Fitzroy River , Hastings River , Hawkesbury River , Hunter River , Karuah River , Macleay River , Mary River , Pascoe River , Richmond River and
2730-404: The air temperature in the lee of that mountain range and reduces atmospheric moisture. This dry wind, which elevates fire danger in the warm months, occurs because of the partial orographic obstruction of relatively damp low-level air and the subsiding of drier upper-level air in leeward of the mountains. The drier air is then heated more because of the adiabatic compression as it comes down
2800-466: The coastal Lake Alexandrina ; the eastern half of the Lake Eyre basin in east central Australia (the Cooper Creek and Warburton River systems in Central /western South West Queensland and eastern Far North of South Australia) drain southwestwards into the endorheic Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre ; the numerous rivers of western Cape York Peninsula in northeastern Australia ( North / Far North Queensland ) drain westwards or northwestwards directly into
2870-403: The coastal and inland regions. Many descendants of these nations still exist today, and some remain the traditional owners and custodians of their lands. After British colonisation in 1788, the ranges were an obstacle to exploration and settlement by the British settlers. Although not high, parts of the highlands were very rugged. Crossing the Blue Mountains was particularly challenging due to
Atherton Tableland - Misplaced Pages Continue
2940-405: The collapse of the market in October 1985 the price for tin nearly halved. Tin foil was once a common wrapping material for foods and drugs; replaced in the early 20th century by the use of aluminium foil , which is now commonly referred to as tin foil , hence one use of the slang term " tinnie " or "tinny" for a small aluminium open boat, a small pipe for use of a drug such as cannabis , or for
3010-426: The community grew they also built a temple to worship at, the Hou Wang Temple . The temple remains standing today and was added to the Queensland State Heritage Register in 1992. Agriculture is now the largest industry in the Tablelands Regional Council area. Crops grown in and around Atherton include banana , sugarcane , corn / maize , avocados , strawberries , macadamia nuts and mangoes and citrus . Tobacco
3080-416: The definitive watershed for the river systems in eastern Australia, hence the name. The Great Dividing Range stretches more than 3,500 kilometres (2,175 mi) from Dauan Island in the Torres Strait off the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula , running the entire length of the eastern coastline through Queensland and New South Wales , then turning west across Victoria before finally fading into
3150-401: The east coast and into the Pacific Ocean, Tasman Sea , and Bass Strait with the westerly Murray–Darling basin which flow inland, away from the coast into the interior plains. Some of the rivers which flow west of the ranges includes the Condamine River , Flinders River , Herbert River , Lachlan River , Macdonald River , Macintyre River and Namoi River . Rivers that flow north into
3220-413: The eastern margin, pulling it apart. At the same time, slowly rising mantle material caused a doming up of the continental crust. As the eastern part of the continent broke away, it gradually sank below sea level. Since that time, the uplifted western portion has been slowly eroding westwards, creating the abrupt Great Escarpment , which separates the coastal plain to the east from the uplifted tablelands to
3290-432: The highlands are too rugged for agriculture and have been used for forestry. Many parts of the highlands which were not developed are now included in National Parks . All of mainland Australia 's alpine areas, including its highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 metres or 7,310 feet AHD ), are part of this range, called the Main Range . The highest areas in southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria are known as
3360-423: The hills and mountains between the east coast of Australia and the central plains and lowlands. At some places it can be up to 400 km (249 mi) wide. Notable ranges and other features which form part of the range complex have their own distinctive names. As a rule of thumb , rivers east/southeast of the Dividing Range drain directly eastward into the South Pacific and the Tasman Sea , or southward into
3430-477: The late 1830s, the most fertile rangelands adjacent to the mountain ranges had been explored, appropriated from the traditional inhabitants and some settled. These included the Gippsland and Riverina regions in the south, up to the Liverpool Plains and the Darling Downs in the north. Various road and railway routes were subsequently established through many parts of the ranges, although many areas remain remote to this day. For example, in eastern Victoria there
3500-676: The lee slopes, forming a rain shadow . In the cool season, the Great Dividing Range would shield much of the southeast (i.e. Sydney , Central Coast , Hunter Valley , Illawarra , the ACT , the Monaro and South Coast ) from south-westerly cold fronts that originate from the Southern Ocean , which bring chilling rains, sleet and snow to the upwind side of the ranges, such as on the western Central Tablelands , South West Slopes and Snowy Mountains regions – all which have relatively wetter winters. Upwind locations include Crookwell , Batlow , Tumut , Corryong , Bright , Beechworth , Eildon , Tolmie and those in West Gippsland (namely
3570-430: The leeward and windward side (the former town being more leeward and the latter more windward). Although they receive substantial precipitation from over the crest of the ranges, they lack the persistent cloud cover which characterises truly windward locations on the western face, which are; Cabramurra , Kiandra , Mount Buller , Falls Creek , Mount Hotham , Mount Buffalo and Mount Baw Baw . The Great Dividing Range
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#17328447373863640-485: The mistaken idea that the creeks should be followed rather than the ridges, and almost impenetrable, labyrinthine, sandstone mountains. The Blue Mountains actually lie to the east of the watershed that divides the Hawkesbury - Nepean system and the Murray-Darling system , the true Great Dividing Range. The watershed in this area lies to the west of Lithgow , passing near the locality of Mt Lambie and village of Capertee . There, as in some other places in New South Wales,
3710-861: The mountains on either side. Rail passages include: Many of Australia's highways such as the Alpine Way , Great Alpine Road , Snowy Mountains Highway , Hume Highway , Illawarra Highway , Northern Highway , Melba Highway , Maroondah Highway , Midland Highway , Pyrenees Highway , Sunraysia Highway , Monaro Highway , Olympic Highway , Newell Highway , Lachlan Valley Way , Barton Highway , Federal Highway , Kings Highway , Great Western Highway , Mitchell Highway , Mid-Western Highway , Castlereagh Highway , Mulligan Highway , Capricorn Highway , Cunningham Highway , Gore Highway , Flinders Highway , Gregory Highway , Peak Downs Highway , Dawson Highway , New England Highway , Golden Highway , Bruxner Highway , Gwydir Highway , Oxley Highway , Warrego Highway , Summerland Way , Waterfall Way , Thunderbolts Way ,
3780-429: The number of the year before. The low income of the miners and the mining operations—pickaxes and buckets are often the equipment used to gather the ore, and $ 5 US equivalent is a successful day's work—have meant safety measures such as terracing of pits have been ignored. In addition, attacks by saltwater crocodiles are frequent in many of the pools around tin mines on both Bangka and Belitung. The islands have some of
3850-435: The region seek to maintain their culture today, despite a long period of forced removal from their lands following European occupation in the late 19th-early 20th century. Yidinji (also known as Yidinj , Yidiny , and Idindji ) is a local Australian Aboriginal language . Its traditional region is within the local government areas of Cairns Region and Tablelands Region , in such localities as Cairns , Gordonvale , and
3920-400: The style of eruption changed. The lavas became more gas-charged, throwing fragmented lava into the air, which built the numerous, small scoria cones such as the Seven Sisters , near Yungaburra . Some of the rising magma interacted with groundwater, producing violent eruptions that led to the formation of maar volcanoes, such as Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine . Although all the volcanoes in
3990-408: The terrain is relatively flat, consisting of very low hills. Typically the highlands range from 300 to 1,600 metres (980 to 5,250 ft) in height. The mountains and plateaus, which consist of limestones , sandstone , quartzite , schists and dolomite , have been created by faulting and folding processes. The crests of the Great Dividing Range is defined by the watershed boundary between
4060-422: The timber industry include red cedar , kauri , maple , black bean , walnut , white beech and red tulip oak . As part of the mining and timber booms a large population of Chinese-Australians moved into the Atherton Tableland region. In addition to mining and timber, the Chinese population took up agriculture. They grew fruit and vegetable crops and were some of the first to grow maize in north Queensland. As
4130-438: The tin find, and mining began on 9 May. Later that year, Herberton had a population of 300 men and 27 women. At its apogee, Herberton was the richest tin mining field in Australia, and was home to 17 pubs, 2 local newspapers and a brewery. In the late 19th century, the Mulligan Highway was built through the hills from Herberton and passed through what is now Main Street, Atherton, before continuing down to Port Douglas. This road
4200-403: The towns/cities located on or near the range include: The lower reaches are used for forestry, an activity that causes friction with conservationists. The range is also the source of virtually all of eastern Australia's water supply, both through runoff caught in dams, and throughout much of Queensland, through the Great Artesian Basin . Valleys along the chain of mountains have yielded
4270-432: The upland areas of the range include Canberra , Toowoomba and the outer suburbs of Sydney , Melbourne , Brisbane , Gold Coast and Cairns in north Queensland. Many towns and cities are located on the range, and also in lowland areas and foothills adjacent to the highlands. There is a strong natural history and cultural attachment to the Dividing Range region in towns and on many, sometimes remote, landholdings. Some of
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#17328447373864340-450: The very high grade (>4% Sn) Alphamin Resources Bisie project in DRC, new discoveries in Myanmar and from Russia, primarily from the Komsomolsk Tin District in Khabarovsk Region. The Sobolinoye (Sable) Deposit , licensed to Sable Tin Resources is one of the main potential suppliers of tin in the near future. The deposit holds over 10 million tonnes at 0.88% tin (93000 tonnes) and 0.53% Copper. The resources were registered in 1987 and
4410-424: The west. Between 4 million to less than 10,000 years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions occurred over the Atherton Tableland. The oldest eruptions created large, gently sloping 'shield volcanoes' that produced extensive basalt flows. These flows filled the pre-existing valleys, producing a relatively flat tableland surface, instead of the more dissected landscape that existed previously. Around one million years ago,
4480-465: The world developed tin mining industries at a much later date. In Africa , the Bantu culture extracted, smelted and exported tin between the 11th and 15th centuries AD, in the Americas tin exploitation began around 1000 AD, and in Australia it began with the arrival of Europeans in the 18th century. During the Middle Ages, and again in the early 19th century, Cornwall was the major tin producer. This changed after large amounts of tin were found in
4550-467: Was 321,000 tons, and smelter production was 340,000 tons. From its production level of 186,300 tons in 1991, around where it had hovered for the previous decades, production of tin increased 89% to 351,800 tons in 2005. Most of the increase came from China and Indonesia, with the largest spike in 2004–2005, when it increased 23%. While in the 1970s Malaysia was the largest producer, with around a third of world production, it has steadily fallen, and now remains
4620-407: Was also grown until October 2006 ( 2006-10 ) when it was ended by a Government buyout. Dairying, grazing and poultry are also present on the Tableland. Dairying was once the backbone of local industry in the region, with hundreds of dairy farms dotting the landscape. The deregulation of the dairy industry in 2000 is blamed for the decline. Tourism is the second largest economic driver of
4690-511: Was formed during the Carboniferous period —over 300 million years ago—when Australia collided with what are now parts of South America and New Zealand. The range has experienced significant erosion since. (See Geology of Australia .) For tens of thousands of years prior to British colonisation the ranges were home to various Aboriginal Australian nations and clans. Evidence remains in some places of their traditional way of life including decorated caves, campsites and trails used to travel between
4760-513: Was observed that copper objects formed of polymetallic ores with different metal contents had different physical properties. The earliest bronze objects had tin or arsenic content of less than 2% and are therefore believed to be the result of unintentional alloying due to trace metal content in the copper ore It was soon discovered that the addition of tin or arsenic to copper increased its hardness and made casting much easier, which revolutionized metal working techniques and brought humanity from
4830-400: Was undertaken in 1875 by James Venture Mulligan. Mulligan and his party were led by Aboriginal guides. Mulligan was prospecting for gold, but instead found tin. In 1879, John Atherton and his party settled with their cattle near the town which now bears his name. Atherton Creek is also named after John Atherton. The town of Herberton was established on 19 April 1880 by John Newell to exploit
4900-555: Was used by the coaches of Cobb and Co to access Western Queensland. In the Second World War , Australian troops were camped around the district prior to being sent to the front and then again on their return. Many soldiers were interred at the war cemetery in Atherton. The construction of a dray road through the Tableland brought a secondary rush of settlement after the mining rush, this time timber cutters. Redcedar cutters camps were at Rocky Creek, Prior Pocket, Oonda Swamp (Carrington) & Ziggenbein's Pocket. Tree species used for
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