Moranbah, Queensland

A large, thriving coal mining town.
Location: 191 km west of Mackay; 208 km north-east of Emerald; 1117 km from Brisbane via Emerald; 225 m above sea-level.
Origin of name: Named after the Parish of Moranbah which was named after the original run of Andrew Scott of Hornet Bank in the late 1850s. This run was later consolidated into Grosvenor Downs Run in 1886. In 1920, the present area known as Moranbah Holding was selected and named Moranbah after the Parish. Moranbah is thought to be the Aboriginal name for or description of the locality.
Brief history: In January 1845 Ludwig Leichhardt first found 'water worn fragments of good coal' in the region, however no coal mining occurred for the next 120 years. Instead the area was settled by some of Qld's most successful pastoralists. The town of Moranbah sprang into existence in 1969 specifically to service the Goonyella (24 km north) and Peak Downs (38 km south) open cut coal mines. The mines produce coking coal which is transported to loading facilities at Mackay via a railway constructed in 1972. The Riverside coal mine on the north of the town was opened in 1980.
Natural features: Peak Range National Park
Built features: Goonyella, Moranbah North, Peak Downs and Riverside coal mines