Calcifer, Queensland
Calcifer is a ghost town in the locality of Chillagoe in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia.
| Calcifer Queensland | |
|---|---|
 Mines at Calcifer, circa 1900 | |
  Calcifer | |
| Coordinates | 17.211°S 144.574°E |
| Population | 0 |
| LGA(s) | Shire of Mareeba |
Geography
The town is located 200 kilometres (120 mi) west of Cairns, and southeast of Chillagoe. It is near Calicifer Creek.[1]
History
The town's name was derived from a combination of the words calx, cuprum and ferrum, the Latin words for "limestone", "copper", and "iron" respectively. The town was established in 1894, when John Moffat established a copper smelter on the site. At its height in 1898, the town boasted stores, a branch of the Bank of Australasia, a cricket team, and five hotels. An accident at the nearby Hobson mine in 1903 killed three men; and by 1907 smelting operations had moved to Chillagoe, and the site was all but deserted. Today, all that remains are the foundations of the smelters and a small cemetery with five graves.
References
- "Calcifer Creek – creek (entry 5708)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- Kerr, Ruth (1995). "Calcifer - the First Copper Smelter on the Chillagoe Copperfield" (PDF). Australasian Historical Archaeology (13): 18–23.
- Olsen, Peter. "Calcifer Cemetery". Australian Cemetery Index. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
