Sign in or 
Location: MOFFAT, JOHN (1841-1918) Newmilns - Queensland
Discussion: Irvinebank Queensland
Category:
Discussion Forum /
General Discussion
Share this
Showing 2 posts
TomCaldwell |
Irvinebank Queensland
Apr 11 2009, 2:08 AM EDT
I have visited the hub of John Moffat's little empire at Irvinebank North Queensland.I should describe how it is accessed. The coast area around Cairns is lush humid and well watered. To get to the Atherton Tablelands you have to traverse long windiing uphill roads that are as spectacular as they are long. They are sealed toady and no real problem for modern transport but when Moffat went there they did not exist and intitially they had to pack ore out on horses. Getting machinery up there defies the extent of modern imagination - not only is it steep but it was then covered in rainforest and very large trees. It also required dragging heavy mining machinery over substantial distances. The current roads are modern sealed surfaces to Herberton which remains wet and lush and is the last of the green towns. There is a long haul up a hill out of Herberton but on the other side it is almost desert - the contrast between lush tropics and dry scrub country could not be more complete - just like throwing a switch. 50-60 kms on through gibber surfaced dirt roads and a few more steep pinches all of a sudden we come to Irvinebank seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It is greener but very quiet these days - there is a museum in Moffat's old house and you can see that there have been extensive works there and there is the remains of a very big weir to store water for the works. The whole area was made into a mining province with its own railway network. Very little remains today and the railway to Kuranda from Cairns still runs as a tourist railway and a tribute to the monumental effort and genuis necessary to build a railway up such a steep range. All this was done from scratch and you might have to visit the area before you can properly appreciate the immense difficulties that had to be overcome. Tom Caldwell Do you find this valuable? |
folkadmin |
2. RE: Irvinebank Queensland
Apr 14 2009, 1:34 PM EDT
Ah yes! I was there a few years back now. The Loudoun Museum caught my eye when we were touring the tablelands.The river had washed the road away a couple of days before we made the trip, so it was a pretty long day in our little hired car bouncing along the roads. By the time we reached the village, the museum was closed and the bar beckoned. We had that moment of "you don't come from round here" but when we started chatting to the locals and they realised where we were from, they gave Tony Derskell (the curator) a call and sent us on up. It was a surprise at the time when I walked in and saw the picture of the Ranoldcoup Road bridge in Darvel and a 'thank you' to the Dick Institute (where I was employed at the time). On return no-one there knew of the connection with Irvinebank and the Newmilns lad John Moffat. Hard to believe that it is his money which founded Cairns, once the silver port, but now the tourist mecca for the Great Barrier reef. A fascinating tale and accomplishment indeed! (I have updated the Loudoun links page to link to the John Moffat page and updated the museum website) Do you find this valuable? |
