:Kuridala, Queensland

File:Streetscape, Malbon, circa 1940.jpg

Malbon is a town in the centre of the locality ({{coord|-21.0741|140.3013|type:city_region:AU-QLD|name=Malbon (town centre)}}).{{cite QPN|20691|Malbon|town in Shire of Cloncurry|accessdate=1 January 2018}}

Ballara ({{coord|-20.9458|139.9633|type:city_region:AU-QLD|name=Ballara (neighbourhood)}}) is the now abandoned ruins of a settlement that supported the Wee MacGregor Mine. It is the north-west of the locality.{{cite QPN|1382|Ballara|accessdate=19 February 2021}}{{Cite web|title=Wee Macgregor Mine|url=http://www.mindat.org/loc-219797.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229033638/http://www.mindat.org/loc-219797.html|archive-date=29 December 2016|access-date=29 December 2016|website=Mindat|df=dmy-all}}{{Cite web|date=1921|title=Queensland Four Mile First series sheet 16A|url=https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-4mile-queensland-1st-series-sh16a-1921.jpg|url-status=live|access-date=19 February 2021|publisher=Queensland Government|type=Map|archive-date=18 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218214041/https://gisservices.information.qld.gov.au/arcgis/rest/directories/historicalscans/cad_scans/cad-map-4mile-queensland-1st-series-sh16a-1921.jpg}}{{Queensland Globe|access-date=18 February 2021}}

The abandoned mining town of Kuridala is in the south of the locality ({{Coord|-21.28472|140.50833|type:city_region:AU-QLD|name=Kuridala (former town)}}).

The Cloncurry Duchess Road (part of the Cloncurry–Dajarra Road) enters the locality from the north (Cloncurry), bypassing the town of Malbon to the west, and exiting to south-west (Duchess).{{cite map |url=https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/11678099 |title=Kuridala, Queensland |publisher=OpenStreetMap |access-date=13 April 2022 |archive-date=20 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420023408/https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/11678099 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Railways; Railway stations |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=13 February 2025 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}

The Mount Isa railway line also enters the locality from the north (Cloncurry), passes through the town of Malbon which is served by Malbon railway station,{{Cite web |date=2 October 2020 |title=Railway stations and sidings - Queensland |url=https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/transport-features-queensland-series/resource/84fff9a0-e315-4844-9c4d-63934562a9bd |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005070354/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/transport-features-queensland-series/resource/84fff9a0-e315-4844-9c4d-63934562a9bd |archive-date=5 October 2020 |access-date=5 October 2020 |website=Queensland Open Data |publisher=Queensland Government}} and exits to the south-west (Duchess) where it splits into two lines, one bound north-west to Mount Isa and the other south to Selwyn.

There are numerous railway stations along the line within the locality:

• on the Mount Isa railway line (from north to south):
• Mitakoodi railway station (abandoned, {{coord|-20.9435|140.3081|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Mitakoodi railway station (former)}})
• Marraba railway station (abandoned, {{coord|-20.9894|140.3015|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Marraba railway station (former)}})
• Malbon railway station ({{coord|-21.0722|140.3001|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Malbon railway station}})
• Kundora railway station (abandoned, {{coord|-21.1166|140.25|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Kundora railway station (former)}}){{cite QPN|39280|Kundora|rail station - feature no longer exists in Shire of Cloncurry|access-date=20 May 2024}}
• Devoncourt railway station, formerly known as Macgregor Junction railway station (abandoned, {{coord|-21.1455|140.1947|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Devoncourt railway station (former)}}){{cite QPN|9838|Devoncourt|rail station - feature no longer exists in Shire of Cloncurry|access-date=20 May 2024}}
• Wammutta railway station ({{coord|-21.1761|140.1463|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Wammutta railway station}})
• Dronfield railway station (abandoned, {{coord|-21.2253|140.0424|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Dronfield railway station (former)}})
• Bungalien railway station ({{coord|-21.3010|139.9814|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Bungalien railway station}})
• Flynn railway station ({{coord|-21.3184|139.9562|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Flynn railway station}})
• on the former Selwyn railway line:
• Pokara railway station (former, {{coord|-21.1|140.3166|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Pokara railway station (former)}}){{cite QPN|39316|Pokara|rail station - feature no longer exists in Shire of Cloncurry|access-date=20 May 2024}}
• Florence railway station (former, {{coord|-21.1738|140.3613|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Florence railway station (former)}}){{cite QPN|12807|Florence|rail station - feature no longer exists in Shire of Cloncurry|access-date=20 May 2024}}
• Kuridala railway station (former, {{Coord|-21.28361|140.4997|type:railwaystation_region:AU-QLD|name=Kuridala railway station (former)}}){{Cite QPN|52078|Kuridala|railway station in Shire of Cloncurry|access-date=14 February 2025}}

The predominant land use is grazing on native vegetation.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Sugarcane areas |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=13 February 2025 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}

File:StateLibQld 2 165675 Elevated view of the small North Queensland town of Kuridala, ca. 1921.jpg

File:Hospital at Hampden (now Kuridala), Queensland, very early 1900s.jpg

The town of Kuridala was originally named Gulatten, then Hampden, then Friezland, and finally Kuridala in October 1916. Kuridala is reportedly an Aboriginal word, language and dialect not recorded, meaning eagle hawk.

Friezland Provisional School opened circa 1901 and closed in 1904 due to low student numbers. It reopened in 1906. On 1 January 1909, it became Friezland State School. In 1920, the school was renamed Kuridala State School in 1920. It closed circa 1932.{{Citation | author1=Queensland Family History Society | title=Queensland schools past and present | publication-date=2010 | publisher=Queensland Family History Society | edition=Version 1.01 | isbn=978-1-921171-26-0 }}

Malbon Provisional School opened on 7 November 1911. It became Malbon State School on 1 June 1916. It closed on 8 August 1969.{{Citation |author1=Queensland Family History Society |title=Queensland schools past and present |publication-date=2010 |edition=Version 1.01 |publisher=Queensland Family History Society |isbn=978-1-921171-26-0}} It was on the southern end of the town on a {{Convert|2|acre|adj=on}} site on Malbon Selwyn Road ({{Coord|-21.07534|140.30223|type:edu_region:AU-QLD|name=Malbon State School (former)}}).{{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Town of Malbon |url=https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/cadastral/cad-map-town-malbon-1960/original |access-date=14 February 2025 |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map}}

Ballara State School opened circa May 1919 and closed circa March 1925.

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, Kuridala had a population of 10 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC31607|name=Kuridala (SSC)|accessdate=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, Kuridala had a population of 38 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL31592|name=Kuridala (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

File:Mine buildings and smelter Kuridala 1916.tif

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

• Kuridala Township, Hampden Smelter and Mining Complex{{cite QHR|30727|Kuridala Township, Hampden Smelter and Mining Complex|645604|accessdate=7 July 2013}}

• Wee MacGregor railway ({{coord|-20.9252|139.9491|region:AU-QLD_type:landmark|display=inline|name=Wee MacGregor railway}}){{cite QHR||Wee MacGregor tram and rail complex and the former towns of Ballara and Hightville|650084|access-date=27 August 2021}}

There are no schools in the locality. The nearest government school is Cloncurry State School (Prep to Year 12) in Cloncurry to the north. However, only students living in the north-west of the locality would be close enough for a daily commute. The alternatives are distance education and boarding school.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Schools and school catchments |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=13 February 2025 |website=Queensland Globe |publisher=Queensland Government |archive-date=19 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219175447/https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |url-status=live }}

• List of tramways in Queensland

{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Kuridala, Queensland}}

• {{cite web|title=Kuridala|url=http://queenslandplaces.com.au/kuridala|website=Queensland Places|publisher=Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland}}
• {{Cite web |date=1960 |title=Town of Malbon |url=https://apps.information.qld.gov.au/data/v2/HistoricalMaps/StaticMap/cadastral/cad-map-town-malbon-1960/original |publisher=Queensland Government |type=Map}}

{{Shire of Cloncurry}}

Category:Shire of Cloncurry

Category:Localities in Queensland