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| Canoona Queensland | |||||||||||||||
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 Eucalyptus fibrosa tree, Canoona, 2011 | |||||||||||||||
  Canoona | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 23°00′54″S150°08′56″E / 23.015°S 150.1488°E /-23.015; 150.1488 (Canoona (centre of locality)) | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 90 (2021 census)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 0.147/km2 (0.381/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 4702 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 612.6 km2 (236.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10:00) | ||||||||||||||
| Location |
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| LGA(s) | Shire of Livingstone | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mirani | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Capricornia | ||||||||||||||
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Canoona is a rurallocality in theLivingstone Shire,Queensland,Australia.[2] It was the site of the first North Australian gold rush.[3] In the2021 census, Canoona had a population of 90 people.[1]
TheFitzroy River forms the southern boundary of the locality, while Marlborough Creek and Mountain Hut Creek form most of its western boundary. TheBruce Highway forms most of the north-eastern boundary withNorth Coast railway line running closely beside it.[4]
A number of creeks flow through the locality, all are tributaries of theFitzroy River.[4]
ThePrinchester Conservation Park lies in the west of the locality and theLake Learmouth State Forest in the east.[4] Apart from these protected areas, the land is predominantly used for grazing.[4]
Although a town centre was surveyed for Canoona at23°01′58″S150°08′21″E / 23.0328°S 150.1393°E /-23.0328; 150.1393 (Canoon township (former)), no township remains and the township land is now a reserved area.[4]
There are a number of railway stations on the North Coast line within the locality; from north to south:
Despite its name, Kunwarara railway station is located within the boundaries of present-day Canoona.[5]
Scottish colonists and brothers William Thomas Elliot and George Mackenzie Elliot came to the frontierFitzroy River region in September 1855 to establish asheep station, which they named Canoona.[8] The brothers had previously established the Johngboon property nearBarambah to the south. Their father was James Elliot, 3rd Laird of Wolfelee House nearHawick inScotland. One of their other brothers wasWalter Elliot of theEast India Company and secretary to the governor of theMadras Presidency.[9]
In January 1856, after a massacre of local Aboriginal people perpetrated by LieutenantJohn Murray of theNative Police at nearby Nankin Creek, some 200 Aboriginal men, women and children came to Canoona and began shouting at the employees of the Elliots. William Thomas Elliot and his men opened fire at random upon the group which fled after a short time. Two of the white men were wounded and about seven of the local inhabitants were killed. Fellow colonist,Charles Archer ofGracemere and a group of Native Police troopers later pursued these Aboriginal people toward the east and punished them further. Local Aboriginal people friendly to Archer were also fired upon, killing one. George Mackenzie Elliot died of illness soon after, while William Thomas Elliot remained in the region for some time, later dying in Munich in 1890.[8][9]
After the goldfields inNew South Wales andVictoria had been mined to the extent where there were few opportunities for the independent miner possessed of only basic equipment, many miners were seeking a new opportunity. On hearing that gold had been found at Canoona in about July 1858, it stimulated agold rush and approximately 20,000 miners descended on Canoona within the following months.[10] However, relatively little gold was found at Canoona[10] and there was great disappointment and Canoona became known as a "duffer". Having spent everything to come to Canoona, many miners were then destitute. Having lost so much of its labour force, theVictorian Government sent a ship to enable destitute miners to return to Victoria and repay their fare by working inMelbourne on their return. While many returned to the southern states, others remained in Queensland providing a labour force that enabled the development of the newly established colony of Queensland. Some remained and would try their luck in Queensland's later gold rushes.[3] For example,Hugo William Du Rietz was enticed to Australia by the gold rushes inBallarat and then came to the Canoona gold rush and then to theGympie gold rush. Although never particularly successful as a miner, he was successful as an architect and builder and took an active civic role inBrisbane and Gympie.[11]
The North Coast railway line through Canoona was opened in 1915.[5]
Although Kunwarara railway station remains officially an operational station,[7] in 1994 the station building was relocated to theAustralian Workers Heritage Museum inBarcaldine.[12]
In the2016 census, Canoona had a population of 81 people.[13]
In the2021 census, Canoona had a population of 90 people.[1]
There are no schools in Canoona. The nearest government primary schools are Milman State School inMilman to the south-east and Marlborough State School in neighbouringMarlborough to the north-west. The nearest government secondary school is Glenmore State High School inKawana,Rockhampton; however, some parts of Canoona are too distant for a daily commute so other options would bedistance education and boarding school.[4]
