Irvinebank


Irvinebank is a town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia.

Geography

Irvinebank is in the western foothills of the Atherton Tablelands of Far North Queensland, south-west of Cairns via the Bruce Highway, Gillies Range Road, State Route 25 and the Herberton Petford Road. From further west it can be accessed from the Burke Developmental Road at Petford.

History

First known as Gibbs Camp, the town was founded in 1884 by John Moffat, who had purchased the mining leases from the original prospectors. He built a dam, a mill, smelters and other infrastructure that attracted settlers and miners to the area. It became a thriving town with an economy based on mining, milling and smelting.
Montalbion State School opened circa 1888 and closed in 1906.
Irvinebank Post Office opened on 1 June 1885.
Stannary Hills Provisional School opened on 18 January 1904. In 1907 it became Stannary Hills State School. It closed circa 1931.
Rocky Bluffs Provisional School opened on 1904 and closed on 1910.
Gurrumba Provisional School opened in 1907. On 1 January 1909 it became Gurrumba Provisional School. It closed circa 1916.
In the ten years up to the 1911 census the population had swelled from 619 to 1264, but another 10 years saw it reduced back to only 607 and continued to fall.
At the 2006 census, Irvinebank had a population of 311.
Although currently and historically within the Shire of Mareeba, between 2008 and 2013 the Shire of Mareeba until 2014 when the shire was re-instated following a vote by the residents.

Heritage listings

Irvinebank has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: