Cloncurry

About Cloncurry

Cloncurry is a rural town in north-western Queensland, situated on the Cloncurry River 770 kilometres west of Townsville via the Flinders Highway. Named by Robert Burke during his ill-fated 1861 expedition after his cousin Lady Elizabeth Cloncurry, the town was founded when Ernest Henry discovered copper in the area in 1867. Known locally as The Curry, Cloncurry is the birthplace of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which commenced operations here on 15 May 1928, and played an early role in Qantas history with the original hangar still standing at the aerodrome. The area holds one of the richest geological layers in the world, with ongoing copper and gold mining.