Einasleigh, Queensland


Einasleigh is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. In the, the locality of Einasleigh had a population of 87 people.

Geography

The town is in the north of the locality at the confluence of Einasleigh River with the Copperfield River. The Einasleigh River has a catchment area of. Following its confluence with the Gilbert River, they spill into a vast estuarine delta approximately wide that largely consists of tidal flats and mangrove swamps across the Gulf Country. The Einasleigh River descends over its course.
Kidston is a ghost town within the south of the locality.
The Tablelands railway line enters the locality from the north-east and exits to the west. The line passes through the town of Einasleigh which is served by the Einasleigh railway station in Railway Street.

Mountains

Einasleigh has numerous mountains :
  • Beril Peak
  • Blackman Peak
  • Fraser Peak
  • The Lighthouse
  • The Canyon
  • Mount Alder
  • Stockmans Hill
  • Mount Juliet
  • Mount Ossa
  • Mount Harry
  • Mount Mambury
  • Mount Blacktop
  • Mount Tabletop
  • Mount Misery
  • Mount Borium
  • The Twins
  • Greys Hill
  • Iib Pinnacles
  • Mount Jordan
  • Ironstone Knobs
  • Paddys Knob

History

The traditional owners Einasleigh and the surrounding area are the Ewamin people.
The name of Einasleigh came from the river, which was named by a surveyor and pastoralists in August 1864.
A police station was established in 1900 but closed in 1903. Questions were raised in 1906 as to why Einasleigh, with two hotels, two stores, and "hundreds of travelling public" annually had no police protection. A station was opened again. The police station in Baroota Street was closed in August 2005. It was in Baroota Street. As at September 2024, the police station building is still extant.
Einasleigh Provisional School opened on 29 October 1901. It closed in 1905, but reopened in 1906. On 1 January 1909, it became Einasleigh State School. It closed in 1955. It was at 5–7 First Street.
In September 1908, housekeeper Nellie Margaret Duffy was murdered at the Carpentaria Downs pastoral station, south-east of Einasleigh. There were two alleged offenders; one was later discharged and, despite confessions, the other was found not guilty.
Einasleigh Post Office opened by May 1909 and closed in 1993.
In 1930, the local butcher and another man were charged with the murder of two Chinese market gardeners, Jimmy Hop and Wing Chung. The defendants were later found not guilty as the evidence was only circumstantial.

Demographics

In the, the locality of Einasleigh had a population of 202 people.
In the, the locality of Einasleigh had a population of 92 people.
In the, the locality of Einasleigh had a population of 87 people.

Heritage listings

Einasleigh has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

Economy

Kidston Solar Project is a solar farm located south-west of the former town of Kidston. This area has highest solar radiation zone in Australia. In the project's first phase, 540,000 solar panels have been installed and are operating on a single axis tracking system.

Education

There are no schools in Einasleigh. The nearest government primary schools are Forsayth State School in neighbouring Forsayth to the west, Georgetown State School in neighbouring Georgetown to the north-west, and Mount Surprise State School in neighbouring Mount Surprise to the north-east. However, for students living in the south and east of the locality, these schools will be too distant for a daily commute. Also, there are no secondary schools nearby to Einasleigh. The alternatives are distance education and boarding school.