Taldora is an outback locality in the Shire of Mckinlay, Queensland, Australia.[2] In the 2021 census, Taldora had a population of 78 people.[1]

Taldora
Queensland
Wills Developmental Road, Taldora, June 2019
Taldora is located in Queensland
Taldora
Taldora
Coordinates19°49′47″S 141°25′24″E / 19.8298°S 141.4234°E / -19.8298; 141.4234 (Taldora (centre of locality))
Population78 (2021 census)[1]
 • Density0.00591/km2 (0.01531/sq mi)
Postcode(s)4823
Area13,197.3 km2 (5,095.5 sq mi)
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10:00)
LGA(s)Shire of Mckinlay
State electorate(s)Traeger
Federal division(s)Kennedy
Suburbs around Taldora:
Stokes Fielding Savannah
Four Ways
Three Rivers
Taldora Malpas-Trenton
Cloncurry Julia Creek Julia Creek

Geography

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The Wills Developmental Road enters the locality from the south (Julia Creek) and exits to the west (Four Ways)[3]

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.[3]

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).[3]

The land use is grazing on native vegetation.[3]

History

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Taldora was a cattle station from at least 1866.[8] In 1878 a monthly mail service was established which passed through Taldora,[9] and in 1880 it was referred to as a township.[10] In July 1880 a new company purchased Taldora and began developing the station.[11]

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.[12] 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.[13]

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.[14] In 1953 an elderly man, Patrick Murphy, went missing while camping near Taldora where he was employed for ringbarking.[15]

Demographics

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In the 2016 census, Taldora had a population of 37 people.[16]

In the 2021 census, Taldora had a population of 78 people.[1]

Economy

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Cattle grazing, Taldora, 2019

There are a number of homesteads in the locality:[17]

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.[18][unreliable source?]

Transport

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Communications mast off the Wills Developmental Road, 2019

There are a number of airstrips in the locality:

References

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  1. ^ a b c Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Taldora (SAL)". 2021 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 28 February 2023.  
  2. ^ "Taldora – locality in Shire of Mckinlay (entry 42266)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Mount Brown – mountain in Mckinlay Shire (entry 4754)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Mount Fort Bowen – mountain in Mckinlay Shire (entry 12923)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Mount Little – mountain in Mckinlay Shire (entry 19785)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  8. ^ "The Late Mr. E. R. Edkins". The Queenslander. Brisbane, QLD. 4 November 1905. p. 12. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Carpentaria". The Brisbane Courier. Brisbane, QLD. 19 January 1878. p. 7. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Northern News". The Telegraph. Brisbane, QLD. 13 July 1880. p. 2. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Local and General News". The Capricornian. Rockhampton, QLD. 17 July 1880. p. 11. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Drought in the Cloncurry District". Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, QLD. 26 June 1900. p. 5. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Large Stations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, NSW. 27 March 1916. p. 4. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Skeleton Found in Gulf Country". The Cairns Post. Cairns, QLD. 1 July 1948. p. 5. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Searching for Elderly Man". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane, QLD. 4 August 1953. p. 3. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  16. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Taldora (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 20 October 2018.  
  17. ^ "Homesteads - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Taldora Station Cemetery". Interment.net. n.d. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Heliports and landing grounds - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 22 October 2020. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.