Cerberus1 Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Yesterday's trek took us to Maytown and the surrounding area in the Palmer River Goldfields. Maytown is located around 280km NW of Cairns, with the last 75km being off road 4wd track. Maytown was the 'capital' of the Palmer gold field in the late 1800's with a population of around 700 at it's peak. There were 12 hotels, 6 stores, 3 bakers, 3 tobaconists, 3 banks, a lemonade factory, butchers, chinese stores (the majority of the population were chinese), a saddler, chemist, post office, printers, newspaper, school, courthouse, hospital and police barracks. Today Maytown is a ghost town, with the last resident leaving in the 1950's. Like so many ghost towns, little remains due to buildings being relocated and reused and termites and bushfires destroying remaining buildings. There's still plenty of evidence of mining on the outskirts of town though and in town, the bakers oven is visible as are kerbsides, flagged shopfloors, the graveyard and stumps of buildings. Road to Maytown Queen Mill Mine Ida Mine Ida Mine as it was Mabel-Louise Battery Comet Mill Charcoal burners - Tea tree & iron bark were burned to produce charcoal for the mine's forges. Maytown - view down Leslie Street Maytown - remains of bakery ovens Relics of Maytown Camping on the riverbed of the mighty Palmer River Wildlife Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus1 Posted October 16, 2011 Author Share Posted October 16, 2011 Anyone any idea what the bird is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest37336 Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Anyone any idea what the bird is? I think it is an 'Australian Bustard' Rob, and I did say 'Bustard'.:no: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Save The Lemming said: I think it is an 'Australian Bustard' Rob, and I did say 'Bustard'.:no: You are so clever, I'm impressed:notworthy: What about the frog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus1 Posted October 16, 2011 Author Share Posted October 16, 2011 Cheers I'd been trying to google long legged Queensland bird but the images i was getting back were somewhat different to what i was expecting:laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackboots Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I was just going to say Australian Bustard ... Mr lemming you beat me to it ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest37336 Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Cerberus1 said: Cheers I'd been trying to google long legged Queensland bird but the images i was getting back were somewhat different to what i was expecting:laugh: :biglaugh::biglaugh: Google 'Australian Bustard' Rob and bloody Keating comes up each time.:mad::embarrassed: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 The frogs an easy one Kate. It's commonly known as a 'Small' one.:embarrassed::biglaugh: :wub::wub::laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 I was just going to say Australian Bustard ... Mr lemming you beat me to it ! Go on then Sharon any idea on the frog:idea: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest37336 Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 :wub::wub::laugh: Amphibians have never been my forte Kate, unless it is stuck down a snakes throat, then I'll be interested.:notworthy::notworthy: Only ever seen one Bustard, at first I thought it was a big Curlew, then realised it didn't make that incessant screeching noise at the top of it's lungs at 5 in the morning.:SLEEP::mad::mad::arghh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Amphibians have never been my forte Kate, unless it is stuck down a snakes throat, then I'll be interested.:notworthy::notworthy: Only ever seen one Bustard, at first I thought it was a big Curlew, then realised it didn't make that incessant screeching noise at the top of it's lungs at 5 in the morning.:SLEEP::mad::mad::arghh: We have the curlews here, like you say noisy buggers. There is one bird that literally drives me insane, I can't explain the noise but it's like some kind of electronic device, I prefer the screeching cockatoos more than this. Another noise we hear in the rainforest is one that sounds like a squeaky dog toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackboots Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Go on then Sharon any idea on the frog:idea: :eek: nooooo ... tell the truth my parents have just been over for a holiday from the Uk and they are Twitchers ( well some long name .. they love birds and take pictures and do all the usual holidays with bird books ) they say their not lol . Anyway they have kindly got myself and my daughter a tad addicted to the Birds here :eek: so we have books and cards to mark them off when we see them .. hehe bit different to the Ds i'm sure .. :wink: for now . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Real weird at times Kate.:goofy: But have you ever heard or seen a Lyrebird, AMAZING. Only ever seen one very fleetingly, but have a look at this clip.:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy: [YOUTUBE]Cd82a3LOw98[/YOUTUBE] They are such clever birds, never spotted one but hopefully one day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 :eek: nooooo ... tell the truth my parents have just been over for a holiday from the Uk and they are Twitchers ( well some long name .. they love birds and take pictures and do all the usual holidays with bird books ) they say their not lol . Anyway they have kindly got myself and my daughter a tad addicted to the Birds here :eek: so we have books and cards to mark them off when we see them .. hehe bit different to the Ds i'm sure .. :wink: for now . What a wonderful hobby, there are sooo many beautiful birds out here. I still haven't found out what the blue one is that flys in to the window, it's not a blue fairy wren, it's a little like a sunbird but blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackboots Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Kate , i bought a lovely bird book from Amazon .. its actually worth every penny and has all the states Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest37336 Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 What a wonderful hobby, there are sooo many beautiful birds out here. I still haven't found out what the blue one is that flys in to the window, it's not a blue fairy wren, it's a little like a sunbird but blue. Never a huge fan of birdlife Kate, but always interested to learn more. Bearing in mind PNG is so close to Australia (on world basis) it is such a shame that some of the Birds Of Paradise are not found in OZ. There are a couple of species (less colourful) but would be great to have the whole family of them living in OZ. Amazing birds, just don't seem real with their plumage and antics.:shocked::notworthy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackboots Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Field Guide to the Birds of Australia (Helm Field Guides) [Paperback from amazon uk ] this is the book , its really nice . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tandcmum Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 lovely photos, thanks for sharing Love the vid of that bird too, i'm really looking forward to seeing all the different birds and hearing their songs, birdsong is one of my favourite sounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 16, 2011 Share Posted October 16, 2011 Good one, Rob; passed Maytown on my way to Cooktown in 1985, but as I only had a small car in those days, never got to see the old gold diggings. The Australiam bustards are fairly common in the desert areas. We saw 8 in one group in the Mt Isa area and 5 in a second group near Tennant Creek. Err, that little 'frog' is a cane toad...:yes: "We have the curlews here, like you say noisy buggers. There is one bird that literally drives me insane, I can't explain the noise but it's like some kind of electronic device, I prefer the screeching cockatoos more than this." It is also called "the screaming-woman bird"...which would explain the noise...Hmmm? http://www.australiazoo.com.au/our-animals/amazing-animals/birds/?bird=stone-curlews&animal=bush_stone-curlew Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus1 Posted October 17, 2011 Author Share Posted October 17, 2011 One or two more photos Marker in the centre of Maytown Flagged Floor of Store owned by Sun Yee Lee Flagged Kerbs/Pavements on Leslie St. Comet Mill Boilers at Ida & Queen Mill mines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted October 17, 2011 Share Posted October 17, 2011 Err, that little 'frog' is a cane toad...:yes: Cheers, Bobj. Nooooooo don't say that, it was so cute:frown: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus1 Posted February 17, 2018 Author Share Posted February 17, 2018 Been adding a few old photos to some of the travel threads recently. When it comes to Maytown though, historical photos of the township are very thin on the ground and I've never seen one showng the main street. Maytown General Store (1880's) Maytown Bank (1880's) Laura - Maytown Mail Coach (1895) Mine Workings (1890) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Maytown and surrounding mines, courtesy Bonzle Maps A lot of gold came out of the Palmer River 'diggings' Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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