Emerald, Queensland

A prosperous inland town servicing the surrounding agricultural region. The construction of the huge Fairbairn Dam in 1972 saw the area's agricultural focus shift from cattle to crops. It now produces over 25% of Queensland's cotton.
Location: 263 km west of Rockhampton; 909 km from Brisbane (via Rockhampton).
Origin of name: Possibly a reference to the precious stone deposits found in the area, the name was first given to the Emerald Downs pastoral run name by pastoralist Peter Fitzallan MacDonald around 1860.
Brief history: Ludwig Leichhardt was the first European in the area in 1845, he named the nearby Comet River after seeing a comet. He also inscribed the word 'Dig' on a tree by the banks of the river. The tree is now in the Queensland Museum in Brisbane. Leichhardt's glowing reports of the area's rich black soil soon brought the first European settlers to the area. Gold and copper were discovered in the 1860s, but in limited amounts. The town was established in 1879 as a base for the railway line from Rockhampton to the Central West. Unfortunately, little is left of Emerald's early buildings as the town was ravaged by major fires in 1936, 1940, 1954 and 1968. The construction of the huge Fairbairn Dam in 1972 saw the area's agricultural focus shift from cattle to crops. It now produces over 25% of Queensland's cotton.
Natural features: Nogoa River; Fossilised Wood (displayed outside the Emerald Town Hall, estimated to be 250 million years old); Blackdown Tableland
Built features: Lake Maraboon and Fairbairn Dam (1,440,000 ML); Emerald Cotton Gin.
Heritage features: Emerald Pioneer Cottage (1880); town lockup (built 1910, in use until 1970), St Marks Presbyterian Church (1884); Emerald Railway Station (1900)