Thornborough, Queensland

The town of Kingsborough, another former mining town, is located to the north-east of the town of Thornborough ({{Coord|-16.9236|145.0386|type:city_region:AU-QLD|name=Kingsborough (former)}}).{{Cite QPN|18233|Kingsborough|town in Shire of Mareeba|access-date=24 May 2025}} Beaconsfield is a neighbourhood within the east of the locality ({{coord|-16.9666|145.1166|type:city_region:AU-QLD|name=Beaconsfield (neighbourhood)}}).{{cite QPN|1940|Beaconsfield|locality unbounded in Shire of Mareeba|access-date=21 May 2024}}

Thornborough has the following mountains:

• Bulls Pinnacles in the east of the locality ({{coord|-16.9464|145.1474|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Bulls Pinnacles}}){{Cite web |date=12 November 2020 |title=Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland |url=https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/geographic-features-queensland-series/resource/06ff12a9-862e-4aac-bf9d-693f0a63b4c9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125215033/https://www.data.qld.gov.au/dataset/geographic-features-queensland-series/resource/06ff12a9-862e-4aac-bf9d-693f0a63b4c9 |archive-date=25 November 2020 |access-date=25 November 2020 |website=Queensland Open Data |publisher=Queensland Government}}{{cite QPN|5152|Bulls Pinnacles|mountain in Mareeba Shire|access-date=25 November 2020}}
• Mount Mcleod in the south-east of the locality ({{coord|-17.0347|145.2062|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Mcleod}}) {{convert|807|m}}{{cite QPN|21450|Mount Mcleod|mountain in Mareeba Shire|access-date=25 November 2020}}
• Mount Roberts in the north-west of the locality ({{coord|-16.9451|144.9829|type:mountain_region:AU-QLD|name=Mount Roberts}}) {{convert|537|m}}{{cite QPN|28583|Mount Roberts|mountain in Mareeba Shire|access-date=25 November 2020}}

Mount Mulligan Road enters the locality from the south (Dimbulah), passes the town of Thornborough to the south-east, and then exits to the north-west (Mount Mulligan).{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Road and rail; Railways; Railway stations |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=24 May 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 Thornborough Kingsborough Road commences from Mount Mulligan Road as it passes the town of Thornborough and provides access to the towns of Thornborough and Kingsborough.

The Hodgkinson River rises in Glen Russell to the east and then flows through the locality through the town of Thornborough before exiting to the north-west (Mount Mulligan). It ultimately becomes a tributary of the Mitchell River, which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Mountains and ranges; Contours; Watercourses |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=24 May 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 land use is grazing on native vegetation, but there are many former gold mines in and around the towns of Thornborough and Kingsborough.{{cite web |title=Layers: Locality; Protected areas and forests; Land use; Historical workings |url=https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au/ |access-date=24 May 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 }}

Thornborough was named in 1876 after George Henry Thorn, the then Queensland Premier.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63384333 |title=NORTHERN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS. |newspaper=Townsville Daily Bulletin |location=Qld. |date=19 June 1951 |accessdate=16 September 2013 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127084021/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/63384333 |url-status=live }}

By May 1877, the streets were laid out and named after pioneers of north Queensland, such as James Venture Mulligan and William (Billy) McLeod and Muirson.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19773904 |title=Hodgkinson Goldfield. |newspaper=The Queenslander |location=Brisbane |date=26 May 1877 |accessdate=17 September 2013 |page=24 |publisher=National Library of Australia |archive-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127084021/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19773904 |url-status=live }}

Thornborough Provisional School opened circa 1878. In 1909, it became Thornborough State School. It operated as a half-time school in conjunction with Dimbulah School (meaning the schools shared a single teacher) in 1918 and then closed. It reopened in 1920 and closed on 1925.{{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 }}

Kingsborough State School opened circa 1882 and closed in 1924.{{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}}

Wolfram Camp Provisional School opened in 1905. On 1 January 1909, it became Wolfram Camp State School and was renamed that year to be Wolfram State School. It closed in 1930, reopened in 1938 and then closed finally circa 1940.

In the {{CensusAU|2016}}, the locality of Thornborough had a population of 9 people.{{Census 2016 AUS|id=SSC32840|name=Thornborough (SSC)|accessdate=20 October 2018|quick=on}}

In the {{CensusAU|2021}}, the locality of Thornborough had a population of 21 people.{{Census 2021 AUS|id=SAL32812|name=Thornborough (SAL)|access-date=28 February 2023|quick=on}}

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

• General Grant Mine, off Dimbulah–Mount Mulligan Road, Kingsborough ({{coord|-16.9227|145.028|region:AU-QLD_type:landmark|name=General Grant Mine (former)}}){{cite QHR|15458|General Grant Mine and Winding Plant|600683|accessdate=14 July 2013}}
• Kingsborough Battery, off former East Street (now Kingsborough–Thornborough Road), Kingsborough ({{coord|-16.9275|145.0383|region:AU-QLD_type:landmark|name=Kingsborough Battery (former)}}){{cite QHR|15457|Kingsborough Battery|600682|accessdate=14 July 2013}}
• Tyrconnel Mine and Battery, Kingsborough–Thornborough Road ({{coord|-16.9347|145.0351|region:AU-QLD_type:landmark|name=Tyrconnel Mine (former)}}){{cite QHR|15462|Tyrconnel Mine and Battery|600687|accessdate=14 July 2013}}

There are no schools in the locality of Thornborough. The nearest government primary school is Dimbulah State School in neighbouring Dimbulah to the south. The nearest government secondary schools are Dimbulah State School (to Year 10) and Mareeba State High School (to Year 12) in Mareeba to the east. However, students in some parts of the locality may be too distant to attend either of these schools; 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=24 May 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 }}

There is a Catholic primary school in Dimbulah, while Mareeba has both a Catholic primary and secondary schools.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category-inline|Thornborough, Queensland}}

{{Shire of Mareeba}}

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Category:Towns in Queensland

Category:Shire of Mareeba

Category:Mining towns in Queensland

Category:Localities in Queensland