Population 1,489 (2006 census) Postcode(s) 4630 Mean max temp Mean min temp Founded 1924 Local time Saturday 3:48 PM Federal division Division of Flynn | Established 1924 State electorate(s) Callide Elevation 249 m Postal code 4630 Lga North Burnett Region | |
 | ||
Location 459 km (285 mi) from Brisbane
223 km (139 mi) from Bundaberg
157 km (98 mi) from Gladstone Weather 29°C, Wind W at 8 km/h, 47% Humidity | ||
Monto /ˈmɒntoʊ/ is a town in Queensland, Australia, located on the Burnett Highway 500 kilometres (310 mi) north-west of Brisbane and 235 kilometres (146 mi) south of Rockhampton. The town was the administrative centre of Monto Shire. At the 2006 census, Monto had a population of 1,159.
Contents
- Map of Monto QLD 4630 Australia
- History
- Facilities
- Heritage listings
- Tourism
- Mining
- Notable persons from Monto
- References
Map of Monto QLD 4630, Australia
History
Europeans settled in the area in the late 1840s, maintaining large pastoral holdings at the northern end of the Burnett Valley. Gold unearthed along Three Moon Creek — a tributary of the Burnett River — in the 1870s attracted further settlers. The original site of the diggings, 30 kilometres (19 mi) north of present-day Monto, has since been flooded by construction of Cania Dam. The township of Monto was not formally established until 1924 in which year the post office opened. With dwindling gold reserves, Monto turned its economy towards farming and logging, two of the region's major industries today. Deposits of thermal coal and limestone have been discovered in the shire.
Facilities
Monto has a public library, a cultural and historical complex with a museum reserve, sporting facilities, swimming pool and golf club
Heritage listings
Monto has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Tourism
Tourism is also a major industry in the region. Besides being a major highway town, the chief local attractions are Cania Gorge National Park and Cania Dam, 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of town.
Mining
In 2006, Monto Minerals floated on the Alternative Investment Market in London, raising approximately A$41 million before expenses. It has since announced its plans to begin commercial production of Feldspar, Ilmenite, Apatite and Titanomagnetite from its site at the Goondicum crater, just outside the eastern border of Monto Shire by the second quarter of 2007.
Coal mining company Macarthur Coal also owns large amounts of land in the Mulgildie area.