Springfield, Queensland (Mareeba Shire)

This article is about the locality in Shire of Mareeba. For the locality in the City of Ipswich, see Springfield, Queensland.

Springfield is a rural locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia.^[2] In the 2021 census, Springfield had a population of 14 people.^[1]

Springfield Queensland
Fossibrook Creek in Springfield
Springfield
Coordinates	17.9316°S 144.5233°E / -17.9316; 144.5233 (Springfield (centre of locality))
Population	14 (2021 census)[1]
• Density	0.0226/km2 (0.0586/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4871
Area	618.5 km2 (238.8 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	31.5 km (20 mi) NE of Mount Surprise 122 km (76 mi) SW of Moount Garnet 218 km (135 mi) SW of Mareeba 280 km (174 mi) SW of Cairns 1,720 km (1,069 mi) NNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Shire of Mareeba
State electorate(s)	Hill Cook
Federal division(s)	Kennedy
Suburbs around Springfield: Fossilbrook Amber Barwidgi Fossilbrook Springfield Forty Mile Mount Surprise Mount Surprise Forty Mile

Geography

The Lynd River enters the locality from the east (Forty Mile) and forms part of the south-eastern boundary of the locality, before turning and flowing north-west, exiting the locality to the north-west (Fossilbrook / Amber).^[3] The locality is within the Mitchell River catchment within the Gulf of Carpentaria drainage basin.^[4]

The Tablelands railway line enters the locality from the west (Fossilbrook) and exits to the south-west (Mount Surprise).^[5]

Frewhurst is a neighbourhood within the locality (17.9833°S 144.4°E / -17.9833; 144.4 (Frewhurst (neighbourhood))), taking its name from the Frewhurst railway station on the Etheridge railway line (now part of the Tablelands railway line). The station was named on 16 December 1909 by the Etheridge Mining and Railway Company, with the approval of Queensland Railways, after railway engineer Archibald Smith Frew (184?–1917) who was involved in the construction of that railway line and others in Queensland.^[6]

Springfield has the following mountains and passes (from north to south):

• Mount Pudding Basin (17.8624°S 144.5196°E / -17.8624; 144.5196 (Mount Pudding Basin)) 582 metres (1,909 ft)^[7][8]
• Mount Bridge (17.9091°S 144.5434°E / -17.9091; 144.5434 (Mount Bridge)) 542 metres (1,778 ft)^[7][9]
• Mount Garling (17.9725°S 144.4948°E / -17.9725; 144.4948 (Mount Garling)) 596 metres (1,955 ft)^[7][10]

• Telegraph Gap (17.9728°S 144.3641°E / -17.9728; 144.3641 (Telegraph Gap))^[7]

History

Fossilbrook Creek railway station is an abandoned railway station on the Etheridge railway line (17.8946°S 144.4376°E / -17.8946; 144.4376 (Fossilbrook Creek railway station)).^[11]

Demographics

In the 2016 census, Springfield had "no people or a very low population".^[12]

In the 2021 census, Springfield had a population of 14 people.^[1]

Education

There are no schools in Springfield. The nearest government primary schools are Mount Surprise State School in neighbouring Mount Surprise to the south and Mount Garnet State School in Mount Garnet to the north-east. There are no secondary schools nearby; the alternatives are distance education and boarding school.^[13]