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 is located in Queensland
Calcifer
Calcifer
Coordinates17°12′40″S 144°34′26″E / 17.211°S 144.574°E / -17.211; 144.5740
LGA(s)Shire of Mareeba

Geography

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The town is located 200 kilometres (120 mi) west of Cairns, and southeast of Chillagoe. It is near Calcifer Creek.[1]

History

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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

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  1. ^ "Calcifer Creek – creek (entry 5708)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
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  Media related to Calcifer, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons