IRVINEBANK QUEENSLAND

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An historic tin mining town on the Atherton tableland.
Location: 27 kms from Herberton; 43 kms from Atherton; 140 kms from Cairns.
Origin of name: Originally known as Gibb's Camp, the name was changed to Irvinebank by North Queensland mining baron John Moffat as a reminder of his birth place of Newmilns on the River Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland. Moffat purchased the original claims from a miner named Gibb in 1883. By 1884 Moffat had erected a battery and smelter which was to become the largest tin smelter in Australia for a number of years.
Brief history: tin was discovered in the town in 1882 by prospectors James Gibbs, Jim McDonald, Bill Eales, Andy Thompson, Dave and Jack Green and Jack Pollard when the tiny settlement was known simply as Gibbs Camp. These early prospectors were bought out by the town's founder John Moffat who established a joint mining venture known as the Great Northern Tin Mine. In 1889, the Vulcan tin lode was discovered by a party of Italian charcoal burners. The Vulcan Mine, once the deepest mine in Australia reaching to a depth of 440 metres, is widely regarded as north Qld's most successful tin mine having yielded 10,200 tons of tin concentrate during its 40 year life. In 1907 the railway reached the town. By the mid 1920s, the main battery had been closed down and the mines all but abandoned.
Natural features: Atherton tableland
Built features: Mango cottage; Montalbion Dam; Tin Town Gallery
Heritage features: Loudon Mill (1884); former Queensland National Bank (1905); John Moffat's residence); School of Arts Town Hall (1900); Old Police Station and Courtroom (1886); State Treatment Works; The Vulcan Mine