hills

FLOOD IN TOWNSVILLE GREATEST IN MEMORY: DAMAGE MANY THOUSANDS Water 15 Ft Deep In Parts TOWNSVILLE, March 5.-Residents of 60 years stated that the flood in Townsville was the greatest in memory, affecting areas previously regarded as above any possibility of flooding. The damage done by the flood in the city will run into many thousands. It is not possible to make a close estimate of the damage until the flood waters recede, as many houses in the Hermit Park area are still submerged. Some householders lost the greater part of their furniture, which was swept out of their houses. Officials, however, estimate the damage at £200,000 in the city area. In parts of South Townsville, the water was as high as 15 ft. above the road level. The Causeway Hotel, on the bank of the Ross River, had 30 inches of water over the bar counter. With inches of silt and other flood deposits in their homes, many residents of suburban areas of Townsville today were unable to obtain town water with which to clean their houses. The water shortage has been caused not by any damage to the weirs, but by the submersion of the pumps which line the bank of the Ross River and which have been in water, mud and silt. The wet motors of the pumps will have to be replaced with dry motors before pumping can be resumed. The city is still without gas, which is not expected to be avail- able until Wednesday. Source: Morning Bulletin,06 Mar 1946 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/56393192

In the lower right corner is "Isa Mine State School", a State School, but only MIM employees children were allowed to attend. The lower left complex was Mount Isa Mines private hospital for employees only. That's another long story.

Mount Isa Mines’ historic Urquhart Shaft and Headframe holds a special place in Mount Isa’s iconic skyline and is acknowledged as a significant piece of Queensland’s European heritage. Originally named No. 1 Ore Shaft, the infrastructure was built between 1929 and 1931 to aid in the commencement of zinc-lead production at Mount Isa Mines, hoisting its first ore in 1931. At the time, the hilltop site for the shaft and headframe was selected as it was just outside the 'known' ore-bearing regions of the zinc-lead mine and was in an ideal location to feed into the mill site and smelting workings. Today, the Urquhart Shaft Headframe, which still sits hillside, is a community landmark and a symbol of Mount Isa Mines and is one of five Queensland European heritage-listed assets originally built by the company. The Urquhart Headframe, which used an American A-frame rather than the usual four power frames of the period, was considered innovative at the time. Like much of Mount Isa Mines' early infrastructure, the Urquhart Shaft was named in honour of one of the key players in the company’s almost 100-year history. Originally from Turkey, John Leslie Urquhart, Chairman of London-based Russo-Asiatic Consolidated Limited, was one of Mount Isa Mines’ early financiers and accepted technical control of the operation while also forming a London board of Mount Isa Mines. He held the position of General Manager and Chairman of Directors from 1927 until his unexpected death in 1933. Urquhart, who also held mining interests across the globe and spoke several languages, is credited with importing the latest technological advancements in mining equipment and employing the finest workers from all over the world. He was responsible for developing the mining community known today as Mineside, which included housing quarters and dormitories, shops, a hospital and recreational facilities for Mount Isa Mines employees. Source: www.glencore.com.au/operations-and-projects/qld-metals/re...

Mount Isa is the largest township in western Queensland. It is a mining town with an air of self-confidence and vibrancy. Mining is the town's raison d'etre and though it dominates the skyline and the local economy. Mount Isa is located 1,823 km north-west of Brisbane via Toowoomba and Longreach. It is 904 km west of Townsville, 160 km from the Northern Territory border, and 356 metres above sea level. Source: www.aussietowns.com.au/town/mount-isa-qld