Irvinebank

 Established in 1882, Irvinebank is a living museum. You really feel like you have stepped back in time when you arrive in this village, once the centre of a mining empire. Those days are long gone, today there are only about 90 people living in the town.

A good place to start exploring the town is at the Museum. As you come into the town, the 100 year old fig trees line the right hand side of the road (great spot for a picnic) and the old School of Arts Building is in front of you. Follow the signs to the Loudoun Museum tucked into the hill above and behind the School of Arts Building.

Things To Do

Loudoun House Museum (1884) - Take a guided tour through Loudoun House, the oldest high set timber and corrugated house in the north and former home of John Moffat. The museum provides insight into the towns past. It is open 10am to 4pm, 7 days a week, except major public holidays. There is a small admission fee. Pick up your map of the town. Ph. 4096 4020

School of Arts Town Hall (1900) - Irvinebank once served a hinterland population of about 6000 people. In 1900, the School of Arts Committee built a large hall to serve as a meeting place, theatre and entertainment complex. The building was described as the most grandiose outside of Brisbane when completed only 5 days before Federation Day 01/01/1901. In 1903 the first cinematographs were shown and the area in front of the hall once served as the Town Square.

Queensland National Bank Building (1905) - Not open to public - private residence, please keep out and respect the privacy of residents.

Irvinebank State School (1888) - Visitors are welcome. ISS has been operating continuously since 1888 and today is a model bush school with the latest technology and happy smiling kids.

Old Post Office and Telegraph Office (1910) - Not open to the public. Today the post office is at the Irvinebank Tavern. Please respect the privacy of residents.

Old Police Station and Courtroom (1886) - Visitors welcome. Courtroom and Police displays and the stories of justice and injustice, restored lock up and local crafts and products for sale.

Freethinker  Cottage - Not open to the public. One of the many workers cottages situated in the township. Please respect the privacy of residents.

Mango Cottage - One of the tiniest houses in the world. Named for the mango trees which flourish beside it.

Graveyard Gully - Some of the personalities from Irvinebanks past have found their final resting place here. Among the headstones you will find such prominent former residents as surgeon, missionary and astronomer Dr MacFarlane and Constable Edward Lannigan: Shot while in execution of his duty.

Loudoun Mill (1884) - Not open to the public, please keep out. The heart of Irvinebanks economy thumped along until the mid 1990s. Good views from the dam wall.

Tramway Station (1907) - Five trains per day left Irvinebank for Stannary Hills carrying passengers and ingots of the purest metal in the world.

Vulcan Mine (1889) - Once known as the Mighty Vulcan, this mine was the deepest tin mine in Australia at 1400 ft (440m)

History

Tin was discovered here in 1882 by a team of prospectors including Jim Gibbs, Jim McDonald, Billy Eales, Andy Thompson, Dave & Jack Green and Jack Pollard.

John Moffat & Company bought the leases and built the dam, Loudoun Mill and Smelters, and Loudoun House in 1883 - 1884. The industry attracted wage earners and independent miners requiring facilities to process their ore. The are originally named Gibbs Camp grew into a township which John Moffat renamed Irvinebank after the River Irvine in his birth place, Newmilns in Scotland. Moffats far sighted, careful and sensible development of the area, his management of his financial resources and commitments and his metallurgical skills enable his enterprises to weather the depression of the 1890s. Moffat would employ men for however long they wanted and should they leave for work elsewhere and it didnt work out, Moffat would assure them they could return. He was so appreciated by people at large that is it said that Irvinebank children were taught to end their evening prayers with "and God bless John Moffat".

Early mining in Irvinebank was centred around the hills to the south of the town. The Vulcan lode was discovered in 1889. The Vulcan developed into Australias deepest and richest tin mine and had a working life of 40 years.

For the first 25 years, Irvinebank grew steadily, reaching a peak population of about 3000 people in 1907. That year the tramway from Boonmoo - Stannary Hills, reached Irvinebank and the tramway operated until 1938.

John Moffat retired from Irvinebank in 1912 and for the next six years lived and worked in Sydney promoting agricultural machinery, including the machinery developed in Irvinebank by the Moffat-Virtue Agricultural Machinery Company until his death at the age of 77 in 1918. After liquidation of the Irvinebank Mining Company in 1919, the operations were taken over by the Queensland State Government and ran as the State Treatment Works Irvinebank until 1986.

Getting here

Irvinebank is 30km west of Herberton. The first 14km of the road is sealed, the rest is unsealed.

Services

Most facilities can be found at the newish Irvinebank Tavern, including accommodation (cabins & camping), fuel, eftpos, public toilets, postal services, food and alcohol.

For more detailed look at Irvinebank and the history - visit: http://users.qldnet.com.au/~loudounhouse/irvinebankHeritage.html

Images from top: Loudoun House Museum, School of Arts Town Hall, Old Post Office, Old Fig Trees, Mill Dam, Vulcan Mine. (Images courtesy of Loudon House Museum www.irvinebank.org.au)