A destination with a difference
The town of Clermont is one of the most historic towns in northern Australia, having a colourful past, rich in drama and laced with tragedy. It was the first inland settlement in the tropics, making it a frontier town in the truest sense of the word.
It was in 1861 that the owners of Langton Downs sent a party of shepherds to a lagoon at the edge of the flood plain. Their task was to build huts, but having had experience as prospectors, the men soon found payable gold in the area.
The first influx of miners occurred in 1862, pitching camp alongside what was to be called Hood’s Lagoon (after one of the owners of Langton Station). By 1864, the town reserve was declared in the name of Clermont. It is believed the town drew its name from Clermont-Ferrand in France, the home of Oscar de Satge who at the time was the owner of Wolfang Downs.
Some of that frontier atmosphere can still be found in Clermont without having to look for too long. Hidden amongst the new prosperity are the remnants of earlier times, from the days of gold rushes, and copper mines, timbergetters and shearers, stockmen and squatters. Mining development has brought many of the consumer comforts of the town, but the attitude of the people is still one of rugged individualism. Accommodation
Clermont Caravan Park Clermont Hotel/Motel Haig Street Herschel Street Phone: (+617) 4983 1927 Phone: (+617) 4983 1815
Clermont Motor Inn Commercial Hotel Cnr Capella and Box Streets Cnr Capella and Herschel Streets Phone: (+617) 4983 3133 Phone: (+617) 4983 3884
Grand Hotel/Motel Leo Hotel/Motel Capella Street Capella Street Phone: (+617) 4983 1188 Phone: (+617) 4983 1566
Peppercorn Motel Smart Stayzzz Inns Capricorn Street Box Street Phone: (+617) 4983 1033 Phone: (+617) 4983 2777
Theresa Creek Dam NB: Accommodation in the Isaac Region can be Theresa Creek Dam Access Road quite scarce and vacancy is subject to surrounding Phone: (+617) 4983 2327 mining activities. The local peak tourist season occurs between May and September. It is recommended you book your accommodation in advance to avoid disappointment. Walks and Drives
Railway Station and Railway Murals – Herschel Street The Clermont Railway Station was constructed in 1884 when the rail line was extended to Clermont. Near to the station are four painted railway wagons depicting the industries within the region. The artist Glen Gillard has hidden a green tree frog on each wagon for visitors to find at their leisure.
Commercial Hotel – Cnr Herschel and Capella Streets The Commercial Hotel opposite the railway station is one of the last remaining examples of the old style hotels. It has upstairs accommodation and spacious verandahs.
St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church – Capricorn Street The present church is situated on a site that was purchased in 1883 and the church was erected in 1890. Over the years the building has been renovated and restored to its former glory. The building also survived the 1916 flood.
Anglican Church – Cnr Capricorn and Daintree Streets This church was constructed in 1935. This magnificent building has stained glass windows, stonework and internal timber panels.
Rose Harris Park – Capella Street Named after local identity, Rose Harris, in recognition of her services to the community during the 1916 flood. Rose and her father were responsible for saving five lives. Rose operated a saddlers business for many years and was believed to be the only female saddler in Australia at that time. Hood’s Lagoon Memorial Walk
Located between Lime and Drummond Streets, Hood’s Lagoon is a scenic natural watercourse full of birds and wildlife. The adjacent Centenary Park provides a peaceful atmosphere for picnics and barbecues.
Follow the Lagoon’s winding footpaths and boardwalks and learn about Clermont’s rich and often tragic history. Memorials, monuments and sculptures about Mother Mary McKillop, Billy Sing, the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, Clermont’s pioneers, War Servicemen, Clermont’s Indigenous heritage and the 1916 flood, line the surrounding footpaths. The full circuit of the Lagoon is approximately 1.8 km long and is open day and night. 1916 Flood
The 1916 flood is known as Clermont’s most iconic event. Striking in the middle of the night, the flood washed away Clermont’s central business district and claimed 65 lives. It is still known as Australia’s second worst flood in terms of loss of life. Visit the 1916 flood marker on the corner of Capricorn and Drummond Streets to view the height of the flood waters and read the names of the citizens who perished.
The ‘Piano in the Tree’ in Capricorn Street (opposite Ivan Bettridge Park) is an eerie reminder of both the height and ravaging forces of the flood water. The piano was in fact one of three found in trees after the 1916 flood. You will also read how Clermont was founded, on the history board located next to the tree.
Theresa Creek Dam An Angler’s Delight
Theresa Creek Dam is located approximately 20 km south-west of Clermont and is an idyllic recreation area for locals and visitors alike. Camping on the grounds is permitted for a small per-site-per-night fee and can be paid at the kiosk upon arrival. All sites are non- powered, however dam facilities include toilets, hot showers, barbecues, picnic tables and swimming areas.
Take to the water on a sailboard, in a motor boat, or on waterskis for some wet and wonderful fun. Fish from the shores or launch your own tinnie and try for some golden perch, jewfish, barramundi, silver perch and red claw.
In order to safeguard the fish populations and to preserve this key recreational resource for the future enjoyment of all anglers, a few rules and regulations have been put in place. A Stock Impoundment Permit (SIP) is required if you intend on fishing at the Dam. SIP’s can be obtained from Fisheries Queensland on 13 25 23 or by logging onto www.smartservice.qld.gov.au.
Theresa Creek Dam Kiosk has varied opening hours, Tuesday through to Sunday, with reduced hours during the summer months. For more information contact the Kiosk on (+617) 4983 2327. The Peak Range Park Breathtaking Panoramic Views
For a scenic drive, travel along the Peak Downs Highway for panoramic views of the Peak Range. The Peak Range is a chain of prominent and picturesque mountains between Moranbah and Clermont and consists of various sharp peaks visible from a considerable distance across the flat country plains.
The Peak Range is underlain by an extensive sequence of basalt flows and rhyolite/ trachyte intrusive bodies, which erupted and emplaced between 26 and 30 million years ago, probably as this part of the Australian crustal plate drifted northwards across a ‘hot spot’ deep below in the Earth’s mantle 1.
Many of the formations are popular climbing challenges for locals and visitors. Wolfang Peak (pictured above), at 572 m is the most popular and takes about an hour to summit. Climbers will discover a colony of bats in a small cave and need to look out for the giant St Andrews spiders near the summit.
Climbing is not recommended without advice from the local Queensland Parks and Wildlife Office. Protective clothing and plenty of water is recommended to guard against the bush and heat. For more information on National Parks in the region please contact Department of National Parks on (+617) 4983 1211 or 0438 132 630, alternatively visit www.nprsr.qld.gov.au.
1 Extracted from Geological Elements of the National Estate in Queensland. Gold Fossicking
Try your luck! Declared a gold field in 1862, the Clermont district still has small quantities of this precious metal waiting for treasure seekers to unearth it. Many fine nuggets have been found over the past few years by people using gold detectors.
Requirements To legally fossick for gold in the Clermont district, a fossicking licence and kit must be purchased. A fossicking licence gives the holder permission to fossick in the state of Queensland, whereas the fossicking kit authorizes the holder to fossick within the General Permission Areas in the Clermont district. Fossicking kits contain general rules for prospectors and maps of the General Permission Areas. These General Permission Areas are the only areas people can legally fossick.
Fossicking licenses and kits are very affordable and are issued at varying terms, up to 12 months. Fossicking kits can be purchased from Clermont Caravan Park, whilst fossicking kits and licenses can be purchased from Clermont Detectors. Clermont Detectors also hire fossicking equipment such as metal detectors. For more information phone the Detectors on (+617) 4983 2002 or 0419 682 600, alternatively contact Clermont Caravan Park on (+617) 4983 1927 or 0427 008 287. The Ghost Town of Copperfield Queensland’s First Copper Mine
In 1862, a 10m high wall of solid copper ore was discovered at Copperfield. Queensland’s first copper mine opened, and continued until the 1880s when the best quality ore had been mined out. It is difficult to imagine that Copperfield was once a bustling town of 2,000 people. By the mid 1860s there were three hotels, a butcher, blacksmith, newsagent, mens clothing store, and many other small businesses.
The site of Copperfield township, 4 km south of Clermont, and the Peak Downs Copper Mine is testimony to the changing fortunes of the mining industry. Today all that remains of this town’s thriving past is Copperfield Chimney, the old general store that still has its original merchandise on the shelves as the day it closed, and Copperfield Cemetery.
The single chimney stack was once one of 21. The bricks were made in Clermont by Welsh tradesmen. The glossy finish was achieved by powdering glass and sprinkling it on the surface. North Copperfield was located on the northern side of the chimney and South Copperfield was approximately 1 km down from the chimney on the left hand side of the Rubyvale Road.
Copperfield Cemetery is located on the right hand side of the Rubyvale Road. Browse through the old graves to feel the echo of lives lived and lost in this slice of Australia’s pioneering past. Clermont Historical Centre Discover the Region’s deep heritage
Clermont is one of the most historic towns in northern Australia and has a colourful past filled with drama and laced with tragedy. In fact, Clermont was the first inland settlement in the tropics, making it a frontier town in the truest sense of the word. Some of that frontier atmosphere can still be found here without having to look for too long. Behind it’s small town façade is evidence from the days of gold-rushes, copper mines, timbergetters, shearers, stockmen and squatters.
The Clermont Historical Centre is situated approximately 2 km north of Clermont along the Peak Downs highway. It contains over 8000 artefacts reflecting the rich and sometimes tragic history of Clermont and its surrounding region. Travel back in time when steam was the king of the rails, read about the murder at Mt. Coolon in 1918, find out why Clermont is known as the ‘Town that Moved’ and discover the many interesting articles which make up the collection.
The Clermont Historical Centre has recently undergone an extensive revitalisation of the facility, and a strategic business plan is in place to ensure the integrity of the collection is maintained. Contact Clermont Historical Centre on (+617) 4983 3311 or 1300 ISAACS (1300 47 22 27) to find out more about opening hours and entry fees.
For more information, please contact Isaac Regional Council. P: 1300 ISAACS (1300 47 22 27) W: www.isaac.qld.gov.au E: [email protected]
Clermont Visitor Information Centre Cnr Herschel and Karmoo Streets Phone: (+617) 4983 4755
Clermont Office Cnr Karmoo and Daintree Streets Phone: (+617) 4983 4700