Charters Towers

We loved it!!!!!!  interesting, friendly, good feeling place.  This town came into being in 1871 with the discovery of gold.  The city was first called Charters Tors after mining warden Charters and Tors for the hills in the vicinity of the the gold find.  It was at one time the 2nd largest city in Queensland and was known as 'The World'. The theatre now goes by this name.  Total gold production 1872-1911 was 6,800,000ozs.

This arcade was built in 1887-88 and called The Royal Arcade. In 1890 it became the Charters Towers Stock Exchange.When mining was at its peak this exchange had 3 calls a day.  I guess busy for its time!


There are 3 boarding schools here.  St Mary's opened in 1892.  the State High School opened in 1912 and the Mount Carmel College opened in 1902.
Education  is also delivered from here to children in the outback in the famous 'distance education' programs and international students who seek an Australian curriculum  certificate enrol as full fee paying students.

The entrance to the cinema/theatre.  Lovely auditorium.

We saw "Steaming" here. Very good.

Charters Towers was the birthplace of the ALP.  Bob Katter is the Independent for this seat of Kennedy which is huge!  His father left the Labor party when it lurched too far to the left.  It'll be interesting to see what happens in this election. I suspect Bob will hang on?

The US Army Airforce had their airfield on the site of the present airport.  During world war 2 15,000 US personnel were stationed here.

  street scenes

The bowlers have the weather under control with a retractable sun block "roof".

Arthur and Tony swapping Addresses in the bar at the Civic Club. He has promised to send us a box of mangoes.  This town has mango trees all over the place and most of the fruit just falls to the ground and rots!

At the Civic Club. The other side of this room was a mirror image. Both tables in beautiful playing condition.  Made round 1901.