The town of Mitchell is located on the Warrego Highway, some 600 km west of Brisbane. It is widely accepted that it is named after the explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell, who camped along the Maranoa River in 1846. He was attempting to find a suitable route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It was some years later, that an Edmund Morey became involved with a property he named the 'Mitchell Downs'. The homestead was destroyed by the floods of 1864. Thereafter, what remained of the building was taken over by Thomas Close, becoming the Maranoa Hotel. It was from this that the township grew up and slowly developed.

The post office came into operation in 1865 in what was then called Mitchell Downs. The town did not take on its present name until 1878. In the late 1860s, and up until 1870, a number of businesses and houses appeared in the town. The railway was completed in 1883, reaching the eastern bank of the Maranoa River, where it made its terminus. Indeed, the terminus remained here until 1885, when a bridge was finally completed, allowing the station to be take up its present day site. A provisional school was opened in 1876, and the first church came in 1885, being the Catholic Church, which was in turn closely followed by the Anglican Church in 1889. By 1904, the first hospital was up and running, looking after the sick of the surrounding area. It was completely financed by a group of voluntary citizens, who also formed a committee to run the hospital. This remained the arrangement until 1932, when it became a state hospital.

The Aborigines of the area, like tribes all over the country were not necessarily too enamoured with the arrival of the white settlers. Their life began to change, and many of them, the ones that were not wiped out, became dwellers on the fringes of towns. The Aborigines of the Mitchell area were no different. Earlier in this century, they began to form a camp on the eastern bank of the Maranoa River. At a later stage, the authorities fenced an area, which became known as Yumba, and had cottages built for them. There were many white objectors to the Aboriginal children attending the State School, and so a school was built exclusively for them. It stayed open until 1948, when the entire building was transferred to the site of the State School. In 1968, it was decided to rehouse the people in the town proper, bringing the Aboriginal people from the banks of the river, into the town.

Heritage Attractions

In 1990, the site of Yumba was restored and a newly formed group called the Nalingu Aboriginal Co-op took on the responsibility of preserving the site as a place of Aboriginal culture. Even the old school building was transferred back to its original location at Yumba, and today it is part of the Nalingu Cultural Centre. Here, visitors can learn about the history of the site and the Aboriginals who at one time inhabited the area.

Other Attractions

The big attraction in the area, is a natural one, the Mt Moffat section of the Carnarvon National Park. It is some 200 km from Mitchell and is a great idea for a days outing. The area of the park was originally a cattle station, in operation until 1979, when it was bought with the specific aim of using it as a wilderness park. As much of the road through the park is rough, it is recommended that a high clearance or four wheel drive vehicle be used.

Much of the park is open woodland, with many tall mahogany trees amongst other vegetation, stretching upward towards the sky. In between are outbursts of sandstone outcrops, with the erosion over time creating impressive artistic formations in the landscape. There are caves to explore, like the Kookaburra and Kenniff Caves. The latter were the source of rich archaeological finds, which indicated an Aboriginal presence some 19,500 years ago. Indeed, throughout the park, on many of the various formations, there are examples of Aboriginal art.

The Park is also a rich source of varied native fauna. Amongst those that can be included on the list of the park's residents, are kangaroos, possums, native cats, wallabies, and an extensive range of birdlife. It is the wonderful mixture of nature in the Park, combines with the fine examples of Aboriginal heritage, which make it an important place to include on your list of things to do whilst in the area.

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