Greenvale, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Greenvale is a nickel
mining settlement in Queensland
, Australia
, approximately 220 kilometres (137 mi) northwest of Townsville. Other metal ores are also extracted there. It is located within the Charters Towers Region.
It lies on the banks of the Burdekin River
and on the Gregory Developmental Road
. A good sealed road crosses the hills over to Townsville. An ore-carrying railway line ran between Greenvale and Queensland Nickel Industries (QNI) in Thuringowa city from 1974 to 1993. Some of the longest trains in Australia were pulled along this. The railway line tracks were removed in mid 2000, however the bridges, cuttings, blue metal and easement
remains. Occasionally people walk from Thuringowa to Greenvale along it, as a form of fundraising.
Despite the fact that the mine itself has since concluded operations, more mining operations around the area have since commenced and homes are all fully occupied with workers supporting the regional mining and exploration.
Greenvale's population is approximately 150; however, when the nickel mine was in operation, its population was roughly estimated to be 3,000. The 2006 Census Data states that 255 people were living in the Greenvale statistical division of the Dalrymple shire
.
There are no real sights at Greenvale; the nearest site of interest would be Undara Volcanic National Park
approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi) to the north, however the town is a snapshot of life in 1973 so it's a point of interest for many passing tourists.
The Three Rivers Hotel, made famous by Slim Dusty
in a song by the same name, is now located at Greenvale. This is not the actual hotel where the song was penned by Stan Coster. The hotel reference is actually to the "Mess Hall" at the construction camp where Stan Coster penned the song. Stan worked as Grader operator for Thiess Brothers on the construction of the railway line. The origin of the name "Three Rivers Hotel" is not because the "hotel" was ever at the junction of the three rivers - Burdekin, Star and Clarke as stated on numerous web sites. The lyrics mentions the camp at the Star River. This was one of 6 camps that existed on the length of the Greenvale line . During 1974 North Queensland was severely drenched by a very active wet season and work on the railway line ceased for days, even weeks, on end. The workers in the camps had nothing better to do than spend the day in the camp "boozer". Each camp had a boozer which was a basic demountable building with outdoor covered seating. During one of these wet days the water started to enter the confines of the boozer and immediately some of the men started digging some improvised drainage around the boozer to channel away the water. As they built the channels, some wags named them after the 3 main rivers (Burdekin, Star and Clarke). These were joined up roughly as they do in real life and the boozer named "the Three Rivers Hotel". One of the drinkers that day was Stan Coster who penned the song on the spot in the bar and performed it for the drinkers - the rest is history. The three rivers referred in the song do not join up at one point but the Star and the Clarke join the Burdekin at completely separate locations and therefore there could be no hotel on the "junction" of the three rivers the song refers to.
There is a 9-hole golf course, caravan park and general store/mini supermarket. The hotel serves meals and has a number of self-contained units once used by the mine to house staff and contractors.
. During this most recent exploration work, the Lucknow ridge south of the mine has been found to contain one of the largest known reserves of scandium oxide in the Lateritic nickel ore deposits
. According to the managing director of Metallica Minerals, Andrew Gillies, the deposit's quality and purity are remarkably high.
Scandium oxide is a critical component of solid oxide fuel cells which have promise for the efficient direct production of electricity from low carbon gas fuels.
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
mining settlement in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, approximately 220 kilometres (137 mi) northwest of Townsville. Other metal ores are also extracted there. It is located within the Charters Towers Region.
It lies on the banks of the Burdekin River
Burdekin River
The Burdekin River in Queensland, Australia rises on the western slope of the Seaview Range and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Upstart Bay over 200 km to the southeast of the source. The river was first encountered by Europeans during the expedition led by Ludwig Leichhardt in 1845 and named...
and on the Gregory Developmental Road
Gregory Highway
The Gregory Highway is a state highway in Queensland that serves the major coal-mining centres of Central Queensland. The highway was named after Augustus Gregory, an early explorer....
. A good sealed road crosses the hills over to Townsville. An ore-carrying railway line ran between Greenvale and Queensland Nickel Industries (QNI) in Thuringowa city from 1974 to 1993. Some of the longest trains in Australia were pulled along this. The railway line tracks were removed in mid 2000, however the bridges, cuttings, blue metal and easement
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
remains. Occasionally people walk from Thuringowa to Greenvale along it, as a form of fundraising.
Despite the fact that the mine itself has since concluded operations, more mining operations around the area have since commenced and homes are all fully occupied with workers supporting the regional mining and exploration.
Greenvale's population is approximately 150; however, when the nickel mine was in operation, its population was roughly estimated to be 3,000. The 2006 Census Data states that 255 people were living in the Greenvale statistical division of the Dalrymple shire
Shire of Dalrymple
The Shire of Dalrymple was a Local Government Area located in North Queensland, Australia, and surrounded but did not include the town of Charters Towers, at which its council and administrative centre was based...
.
There are no real sights at Greenvale; the nearest site of interest would be Undara Volcanic National Park
Undara Volcanic National Park
Undara Volcanic is a national park in North Queensland, Australia and is notable for its lava tubes and gem fossicking. Minerals found there include topaz, moonstone, peridot, aquamarine, garnet, quartz and gold...
approximately 130 kilometres (81 mi) to the north, however the town is a snapshot of life in 1973 so it's a point of interest for many passing tourists.
The Three Rivers Hotel, made famous by Slim Dusty
Slim Dusty
David Gordon "Slim Dusty " Kirkpatrick AO, MBE was an Australian country music singer-songwriter and producer, with a career spanning nearly eight decades. He was known to record songs in the legacy of Australian poets Henry Lawson and Banjo Patterson that represented the Australian Bush...
in a song by the same name, is now located at Greenvale. This is not the actual hotel where the song was penned by Stan Coster. The hotel reference is actually to the "Mess Hall" at the construction camp where Stan Coster penned the song. Stan worked as Grader operator for Thiess Brothers on the construction of the railway line. The origin of the name "Three Rivers Hotel" is not because the "hotel" was ever at the junction of the three rivers - Burdekin, Star and Clarke as stated on numerous web sites. The lyrics mentions the camp at the Star River. This was one of 6 camps that existed on the length of the Greenvale line . During 1974 North Queensland was severely drenched by a very active wet season and work on the railway line ceased for days, even weeks, on end. The workers in the camps had nothing better to do than spend the day in the camp "boozer". Each camp had a boozer which was a basic demountable building with outdoor covered seating. During one of these wet days the water started to enter the confines of the boozer and immediately some of the men started digging some improvised drainage around the boozer to channel away the water. As they built the channels, some wags named them after the 3 main rivers (Burdekin, Star and Clarke). These were joined up roughly as they do in real life and the boozer named "the Three Rivers Hotel". One of the drinkers that day was Stan Coster who penned the song on the spot in the bar and performed it for the drinkers - the rest is history. The three rivers referred in the song do not join up at one point but the Star and the Clarke join the Burdekin at completely separate locations and therefore there could be no hotel on the "junction" of the three rivers the song refers to.
There is a 9-hole golf course, caravan park and general store/mini supermarket. The hotel serves meals and has a number of self-contained units once used by the mine to house staff and contractors.
Scandium deposits
Recently the Greenvale mining lease has undergone extensive exploration work by Straits Resources and Metallica Minerals for the purpose of reopening the nickel and cobalt operations. The surrounding areas have extensive nickel and cobalt mineralisationMineralization (geology)
In geology, mineralization is the hydrothermal deposition of economically important metals in the formation of ore bodies or "lodes".The first scientific studies of this process took place in Cornwall, United Kingdom by J.W.Henwood FRS and later by R.W...
. During this most recent exploration work, the Lucknow ridge south of the mine has been found to contain one of the largest known reserves of scandium oxide in the Lateritic nickel ore deposits
Lateritic nickel ore deposits
Lateritic nickel ore deposits are surficial, weathered rinds formed on ultramafic rocks.They comprise 73% of the continental world nickel resources and will be in the future the dominant source for the winning of nickel....
. According to the managing director of Metallica Minerals, Andrew Gillies, the deposit's quality and purity are remarkably high.
Scandium oxide is a critical component of solid oxide fuel cells which have promise for the efficient direct production of electricity from low carbon gas fuels.