Calcifer, Queensland


Calcifer is a ghost town in the locality of Chillagoe in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia.

Geography

The town is located west of Cairns, and southeast of Chillagoe. It is near Calicifer Creek.

History

The town's name was derived from a combination of the words calx, cuprum and ferrum, the Latin words for "limestone", "copper", and "iron" respectively. The town was established in 1894, when John Moffat established a copper smelter on the site. At its height in 1898, the town boasted stores, a branch of the Bank of Australasia, a cricket team, and five hotels. An accident at the nearby Hobson mine in 1903 killed three men; and by 1907 smelting operations had moved to Chillagoe, and the site was all but deserted. Today, all that remains are the foundations of the smelters and a small cemetery with five graves.