Moura, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Moura is a small town servicing the surrounding coal mining and rural activities. The town was first established in 1936 as a farming centre near the existing Moura Station.
The town of Moura is located in Central Queensland
, Australia
. It is situated approximately 65 kilometres west of Biloela
on the Dawson Highway
, 186 kilometres west of the port city of Gladstone
, and 171 kilometres south west of Rockhampton
and is administered by the Banana Shire Council. At the 2006 census
, Moura had a population of 1,774.
The town also has many shops, including banks, post office, video store, grocery store, newsagent, beauticians, hairdressers, butcher, service station, electrical, furniture and hardware store and many more. Moura also has numerous sporting clubs (golf, bowls, squash, football) as well as eateries and restaurants. There is also a RSL
and Memorial (now closed) club for socialising.
A number of industries are represented in the local economy. Chief amongst these is coal
mining
. The name of the local coal mine changes each time it's sold - currently Dawson Mine - owned and operated by Anglo Coal. Only open-cut mining has been used since 1994.
There have been three mining disasters that have occurred near Moura:
After 1994, underground mining ceased and the area was operated as an open-cut coal mine.
The references in the text above have been moved but the full reports of these accidents can still be found at this reference. There is also a book titled "Managing Major Hazards - The Lessons of the Moura Mine Disaster" which was written by Andrew Hopkins.
Beef
, cotton
and cereal
s are other major industries of the area.
Average yearly Rainfall: 732mm, raining an average of 63 days per year. The average summer temperature is 32 degrees Celsius (with temperatures in excess of 36 degrees Celsius a common occurrence during Dec-Jan). The average winter temperature is 12 degrees Celsius.
where he served in the British Army during the Peninsular Wars. This land was developed into a homestead in 1880 by Edward Homer.
, located just outside of Moura, is a very popular among tourists as well as local residents to have their picture taken in the exact path of the longitude line. Rocks with drill holes have been lined up to represent the exact angle and location of longitude line.
The town of Moura is located in Central Queensland
Central Queensland
Central Queensland is an ambiguous geographical division of Queensland that centres on the eastern coast, around the Tropic of Capricorn. Its major regional centre is Rockhampton and the Capricorn Coast and the area extends west to the Central Highlands at Emerald, north to the Mackay Regional...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is situated approximately 65 kilometres west of Biloela
Biloela, Queensland
Biloela is a rural town in Central Queensland, Australia. It is situated inland from the port city of Gladstone at the junction of the Burnett and Dawson highways...
on the Dawson Highway
Dawson Highway
The Dawson Highway is a state highway in Queensland, Australia. It runs for approximately 400 km between Gladstone and Springsure where it terminates...
, 186 kilometres west of the port city of Gladstone
Gladstone, Queensland
- Education :Gladstone has several primary schools, three high schools, and one university campus, Central Queensland University. It is also home to CQIT Gladstone Campus.- Recreation :...
, and 171 kilometres south west of Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
and is administered by the Banana Shire Council. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Moura had a population of 1,774.
The town also has many shops, including banks, post office, video store, grocery store, newsagent, beauticians, hairdressers, butcher, service station, electrical, furniture and hardware store and many more. Moura also has numerous sporting clubs (golf, bowls, squash, football) as well as eateries and restaurants. There is also a RSL
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
and Memorial (now closed) club for socialising.
A number of industries are represented in the local economy. Chief amongst these is coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
. The name of the local coal mine changes each time it's sold - currently Dawson Mine - owned and operated by Anglo Coal. Only open-cut mining has been used since 1994.
There have been three mining disasters that have occurred near Moura:
- The first was the Kianga mining disaster occurring due to an explosion in the underground workings of the Kianga No. 1 mine on 20 September 1975, claiming 13 miners' lives.
- The second, on 16 July 1986, was an explosion in the Moura No. 4 underground mine, claiming twelve miners' lives, the youngest miner being 18.
- The third was an explosion in the Moura No. 2 underground coal mine on 7 August 1994. Rescue and recovery attempts were abandoned after a second, more violent explosion occurred 18 hours later. Eleven miners' lives had been lost and the mine was sealed at the surface.
After 1994, underground mining ceased and the area was operated as an open-cut coal mine.
The references in the text above have been moved but the full reports of these accidents can still be found at this reference. There is also a book titled "Managing Major Hazards - The Lessons of the Moura Mine Disaster" which was written by Andrew Hopkins.
Beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
and cereal
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
s are other major industries of the area.
Average yearly Rainfall: 732mm, raining an average of 63 days per year. The average summer temperature is 32 degrees Celsius (with temperatures in excess of 36 degrees Celsius a common occurrence during Dec-Jan). The average winter temperature is 12 degrees Celsius.
History
In 1854 Charles Marshall named the local property Moura after Moura in PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
where he served in the British Army during the Peninsular Wars. This land was developed into a homestead in 1880 by Edward Homer.
150th meridian
The 150th meridian east150th meridian east
The meridian 150° east of Greenwich is a line of longitude that extends from the North Pole across the Arctic Ocean, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, Australasia, the Southern Ocean, and Antarctica to the South Pole....
, located just outside of Moura, is a very popular among tourists as well as local residents to have their picture taken in the exact path of the longitude line. Rocks with drill holes have been lined up to represent the exact angle and location of longitude line.
APEX Park (river)
The APEX park is situated next to the Dawson River which is located 7 km west on the Dawson highway. The APEX park has free camping grounds with facilities such as hot showers, a traditional wood barbecue, toilets and lawn for the afternoon picnic. It also has a public boat ramp.Muddy Water Classic
Moura Muddy water classic is held in February at the APEX park and brings many people from the surrounding areas for the local fishing competition.Coal and Country Festival
Coal and Country festival held every year in the third week of August every year for seven days. The festival holds events like coal shovelling and skydiving.External links
- University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Moura
- Mining town casts its memories in Bronze The AustralianThe AustralianThe Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
19 October 1987 - Bronze reminder of a disaster The Sydney Morning HeraldThe Sydney Morning HeraldThe Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
8 April 1988 - As Moura mourns the loss of 11 miners, a colleague reveals how he cheated death New IdeaNew IdeaNew Idea is a long-running Australian weekly magazine published by Pacific Magazines and aimed at women.-History:The magazine was first published in 1902 by Fitchett Bros. Southdown Magazines purchased Fitchett Bros...
, 1994 - Moura Chamber of Commerce Community Web Site