Boiling Down Works, Burketown

Boiling Down Works is a heritage-listed boiling down works at Truganinni Road, Burketown, Shire of Burke, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1891 to 1901. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 August 1992.[1]

Boiling Down Works
Remnants of the Boiling Down Works, 2009
LocationTruganinni Road, Burketown, Shire of Burke, Queensland, Australia
Coordinates17°44′21″S 139°33′53″E / 17.7391°S 139.5648°E / -17.7391; 139.5648
Design period1870s – 1890s (late 19th century)
Built1891–1901
Official nameBoiling Down Works
Typestate heritage (built)
Designated21 August 1992
Reference no.600375
Significant period1892–1901
Significant componentsboiler room/boiler house, engine/generator shed/room / power supply
Boiling Down Works, Burketown is located in Queensland
Boiling Down Works, Burketown
Location of Boiling Down Works in Queensland
Boiling Down Works, Burketown is located in Australia
Boiling Down Works, Burketown
Boiling Down Works, Burketown (Australia)

History edit

The first boiling down works was established in 1867. The plan was to cure beef in brine for export to Batavia. However, the business was not successful and closed in 1870.[2]

Construction of a new boiling down works commenced in November 1891 and was operational in July 1892.[3][4] However, it closed for a period around 1893-4 due to the drought.[5] In February 1896 it shut down again after a quarantine order to prevent the spread of disease and cattle tick.[6]

In April 1898 it was announced that the Endeavour Meat Export Agency would re-open the Burketown meatworks.[7] However, the meatworks burned down in June 1898 and had to be rebuilt in order to re-open in June 1899.[8][9]

In February 1901, the works was doing well, processing 20,000 cattle in a season. However, the business had losses from its decision to own and operate its own ships.[10] In October 1901, the works closed temporarily due to a shortage of cattle because of the high prices being paid for cattle by Kidman Brothers and Elder, Smith & Co.[11] In November 1902, the Queensland Government withdrew its meat inspectors from the works because of "the closing down of the meatworks and the uncertainty of about their reopening".[12]

In 1911, in a bid to get a railway link from Burketown in order to ship cattle for processing on the east coast, it was claimed that it was no longer possible to process the cattle in Burketown as "the white ants are making havoc with all that remains of the Burketown works".[13]

References edit

  1. ^ "Boiling Down Works (entry 600375)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  2. ^ "Boiling Down Works". Burke Shire Council. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  3. ^ "TELEGRAMS". The Telegraph. No. 5, 963. Brisbane. 27 November 1891. p. 4. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.Download
  4. ^ "TO-DAY—JULY 29". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. XLIX, no. 10, 777. 29 July 1892. p. 4. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Break-up of the Drought". The Queenslander. 3 March 1894. p. 420. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "The Pastoralist". The Queenslander. Vol. XLIX, no. 1061. 22 February 1896. p. 369. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Pars for Pastoralists". The Week. Vol. XLV, no. 1, 165. Brisbane. 22 April 1898. p. 14. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Burketown Meatworks". The Telegraph. No. 7, 980. Brisbane. 17 June 1898. p. 2. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ "Meat Industry". The Week. Vol. XLVIII, no. 1, 228. Brisbane. 7 July 1899. p. 14. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Provincial Pickings". The Telegraph. No. 8, 818. Brisbane. 23 February 1901. p. 2. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Gulf Cattle Movements". The Telegraph. No. 9, 006. Brisbane. 1 October 1901. p. 5 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. ^ "OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LIX, no. 14, 002. 27 November 1902. p. 7. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "THE POST". Cairns Post. Vol. XXV, no. 1002. Queensland. 9 May 1911. p. 4. Retrieved 11 July 2016 – via National Library of Australia.

Attribution edit

  This Wikipedia article was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from the "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014).

External links edit

  Media related to Boiling Down Works, Burketown at Wikimedia Commons