 Mount Morgan is an historical mining town nestled on the Dee River a short 38 kilometre drive from Rockhampton. The town is rich in nineteenth century Queensland colonial history and has artefacts and relics from the gold rush days that visitors can experience.
Founded as a gold mining town in 1882, Mount Morgan became a vast contributor of gold, silver and copper from the Capricorn region and the mine successfully ran until 1981. William Knox D’Arcy made both fame and fortune in Mount Morgan from his share in the lucrative mine to finance oil exploration overseas which later became BP Company.
To experience a 'real' pioneering adventure visit the Mount Morgan open cut gold and copper mines and enjoy the panoramic view of the township and mines from the Arthur Timms Lookout.
A rare opportunity to search for the 150 million year old prehistoric dinosaur footprints in the Mount Morgan clay caves can be organised for budding enthusiasts to explore. Celebrated as some of the best examples of Jurassic footprints in Australia, the caverns were man-made by miners for fire brick clay.
Heading downstream, the Dee River boasts a suspension bridge built in the 1890s to provide access from the town to the mine and was one of six swinging bridges at that time in Mount Morgan. However, only one bridge remains today to remind visitors of the colonial days.
For an old fashioned yarn, head to the 'Running the Cutter' statue illustrating a famous mining tradition from Mount Morgan. Between 1900 and 1918, buying a beer in 'billy' cans and drinking the beer outside was a common custom for Mount Morgan miners after a day's work that is symbolized in this unique statue.
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