Comet, Queensland

Comet
Queensland
Comet
Coordinates 23°36′0″S 148°32′0″E / 23.60000°S 148.53333°E / -23.60000; 148.53333Coordinates: 23°36′0″S 148°32′0″E / 23.60000°S 148.53333°E / -23.60000; 148.53333
Population 233 (2006 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 4702
Location
LGA(s) Central Highlands Regional Council
State electorate(s) Gregory
Federal Division(s) Flynn

Comet is a town in central Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the Capricorn Highway, 859 kilometres (534 mi) north west of the state capital, Brisbane. At the 2006 census, Comet and the surrounding area had a population of 233.[1]

History

Township, ~1878

Comet is the oldest town in the Emerald region, established at the confluence of the Comet River with the Nogoa River.[2] Originally called Cometville, the town takes its name from the river, named by explorer Ludwig Leichhardt who made observations of Comet Wilmot (C/1844 Y2) in the area on 29 December 1844.[3] Comet is home to a "dig tree" established by Leichhardt to indicate to others where he had buried food and journals.[4]

Comet Post Office opened on 5 September 1877.[5]

Today, the area around Comet supports cotton and grain production as well as cattle feedlots.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Comet (Emerald Shire) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Townships". Emerald Shire Council. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  3. John Dunmore Lang (1847). Cooksland in north-eastern Australia: the future cottonfield of Great Britain: its characteristics and capabilities for European colonization. With a disquisition on the origin, manners, and customs of the aborigines. Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. p. 315.
  4. "Comet". Central Queensland. Tourism Queensland. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
  5. Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 10 May 2014.

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, May 06, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.