Richmond, Queensland

The town is 498 kilometres (309 mi) west of Townsville and 406 kilometres (252 mi) east of Mount Isa. The Flinders Highway traverses the locality from east to west passing through the town which is located in about the centre of the locality. The Great Northern railway runs immediately south and parallel to the highway through the east of the locality, crossing over in the town which is served by the Richmond railway station, and then the railway runs immediately north and parallel to the highway through the west of the locality. There is a second railway station, the Moselle railway on the far eastern edge of the locality, named after the pastoral run, which in turn was named in about the 1870s by pastoralist J.B. Brodie after the Moselle River in eastern France.[4][5]

The Flinders River flows through the locality from east to west, passing to the west of the town, where the river has its confluence with its tributary Dutton River.[4]

Jirandali (also known as Yirandali, Warungu, and Yirandhali) is an Australian Aboriginal language of North-West Queensland, particularly the Hughenden area. The language region includes the local government area of the Shire of Flinders, including Dutton River, Flinders River, Mount Sturgeon, Caledonia, Richmond, Corfield, Winton, Torrens, Tower Hill, Landsborough Creek, Lammermoor Station, Hughenden, and Tangorin.[6]

Wanamarra (also known as Maykulan and Wunumura is an Australian Aboriginal language in North West Queensland. The language region includes areas within the Shire of McKinlay, Shire of Cloncurry and Shire of Richmond, including the Flinders River area, and the towns of Kynuna and Richmond.[7]

The explorer William Landsborough camped at the site that would become the town of Richmond on 13 March 1862.[8] Explorer and former Commandant of the Native Police, Frederick Walker, had previously passed through the area in October 1861, naming and camping on the Dutton River. Both the Landsborough and Walker parties were attempting to locate the Burke and Wills expedition.[9]

The town was originally known as Richmond Downs after the nearby pastoral run called Richmond Downs, which in turn was named in 1864 because two of the leaseholders Walter Hays and Arthur Bundock came from the Richmond River in New South Wales.[10]

In 1880, gold was found at Woolgar to the north and Richmond became an important stagecoach stop en route to Woolgar.[11]

The town was surveyed on 9 December 1882 by surveyor Joseph Hargreaves with town lots sold from April 1883.[12] In May 1899, the name was changed from Richmond Downs to Richmond.[2]

Richmond Provisional School opened on 22 May 1889 with 23 pupils, becoming Richmond State School on 27 February 1902 when it had 113 pupils.[13][14]

Official opening of the railway line to Richmond, 1904

The Great Northern railway reached the town in June 1904. At the official celebration on 2 June 1904, it was explained that the line was the first to be built by cheaper methods by replacing the track ballast with packed earth, but the cost saving was at the expense of train speed, which was expected to be 15 miles per hour. It was hoped that cheaper methods would allow more pastoral areas to be serviced by rail with an immediate desire to connect through to Cloncurry.[15]

The Richmond Public Library was opened in 1996.[16]

At the 2006 census, Richmond had a population of 554.[17]

In the 2011 census, Richmond had a population of 522 people.[1]

St John the Baptist Anglican Church, Richmond, 2014

Richmond has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

• Crawford Street: St John the Baptist Anglican Church[18]

Traditionally, the two biggest industries in Richmond are sheep- and cattle-farming, however tourism is an increasingly important aspect of the local economy. In addition to being a major transit stop on the Flinders Highway, recent paleontological discoveries have unearthed the fossils of prehistoric marine creatures, some of which are on display in Richmond.

Kronosaurus Korner (dinosaur museum), 2008

Richmond has a golf course, bowling club, swimming facilities, race course, caravan park, tourist information centre and a fossil museum named Kronosaurus Korner.[11]

The Richmond Shire Council operates a public library in Richmond at 76 Goldring Street.[19]

The Richmond branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its rooms at 74 Goldring Street.[20]

Richmond State School is a primary and secondary school (P-10) school for boys and girls operated by the Queensland Government at 88 Crawford Street. In 2016, the school had an enrolment of 78 students with 10 teachers and 12 non-teaching staff (7 full-time equivalent).[21]

Richmond has a hot semi-arid climate bordering on a tropical temperature regime.

• See Richmond Airport

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richmond, Queensland.

• Richmond Shire Council
• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Richmond and Richmond Shire
• Travelmate - Richmond, Queensland
• Town map of Richmond, 1973