COLLINSVILLE, QUEENSLAND

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An historic coal mining town. The town hosts the annual Bowen River Rodeo is held in June and the Moongunya Bush and Craft Festival in October.
Location: 270 km north-west of Mackay; 87 km south west of Bowen; 1245 km north of Brisbane; 187 m above sea-level.
Origin of name: When a town started to develop around the coal mine, the area was renamed Collinsville after the local MLA Charles Collins who represented the Bowen electorate from 1915-1936.
Brief history: Explorer Ludwig Leichhardt reached the Suttor and Burdekin Rivers in April 1845. Numerous explorers followed in his footsteps; the visit of George Dalrymple was the catalyst to the opening up of the area to pastoralists in the early 1860s. Deposits of gold, silver, lead, bismuth, gemstones and coal were soon discovered, but the latter, which was found in abundance, was not exploited until 1919. The mines of the Collinsville area have a production capacity of over one million tonnes of coal per annum.
Natural features: Burdekin River; Mt. Wyatt; Mt. Coolon; opalised wood can be found 58 km on the Mount Coolon Road.
Built features: Mount Coolon coal mine; Collinsville Power Station;
Heritage features: Collinsville Mining Heritage Centre; former Bowen River Hotel (c.1861)