CLERMONT - POPULATION: 1,854

CARRIAGE FROM THE RAIL WAGON MURALS PROJECT

SUNDAY 18.9.2011: Ludwig Leichhardt was the first European to pass through the Clermont area in 1845, but it was the discovery of gold in 1861 that was responsible for the establishment of the town. The town reserve was proclaimed on 25 March 1864. It is named after Clermont-Ferrand, France. Copper was discovered soon after. In the 1880s up to 4000 Chinese people were resident in Clermont, mining for gold and copper. This led to racial riots and the Chinese were removed from the region in 1888. The railway was extended north from Emerald to Clermont in February 1884. However, no passenger trains are available to or from Clermont.

The town was originally established on low lying ground next to a lagoon or billabong, but flooding was always a problem, with four substantial floods occurring between 1864 and 1896. The greatest flood, in 1916, killed 65 people out of a town population of 1,500 and remains one of Australia's worst natural disasters in terms of life lost. Following the 1916 flood, many of the wooden buildings of the town were moved using steam traction engines to a new town site on higher ground. A local amateur photographer, George Pullar took numerous photographs of the moving buildings, published in the 1980s as "A Shifting Town". Today, Clermont is a major hub for the large coal mines in the region as well as serving agricultural holdings.

Rio Tinto is currently constructing the Clermont Mine, located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) northwest of the township of Clermont in central Queensland. When the mine reaches full capacity (expected in 2013) it will produce up to 12.2 million tonnes of thermal coal for international markets.

We jumped into Poodle Palace and headed for Theresa Creek Dam.