Marlborough is a rural town and coastal

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivis ...

in the

Livingstone Shire The Shire of Livingstone is a local government area located in the Capricornia region of Central Queensland, Queensland, Australia, to the immediate north and east of the regional city of Rockhampton. The shire, administered from the coastal ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, Australia. In the , the locality of Marlborough had a population of 149 people.

Geography

The town lies on the

Bruce Highway The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Nat ...

, north west of the city of Rockhampton. The town is a small service centre for the surrounding area, and one of a number of fuelling points on an otherwise isolated stretch of highway. To the south lies the Kunwarara Magnesite mine, which works one of the world's largest supplies of the mineral. Marlborough is famous for producing the world's finest chrysoprase, a semi-precious gem once coveted by

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

and Cleopatra. The small but high-grade deposit is located about south-south-west of the township and is universally regarded as the most valuable find in the world. The

passes through the locality, entering from the east ( Kunwarara) and exiting to the north-west ( Ogmore), bypassing the town approx to the west. The North Coast railway line also passes through the locality, running roughly parallel to the east of the highway, but does pass through the town, which is served by Marlborough railway station ().

History

Marlborough was established as a squatting pastoral run in 1857 by Dan Connor. The name is probably connected with the First Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722), a British army commander. The

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

at Marlborough opened on 1 January 1861. The first town allotments were sold in 1862. Marlborough was the location of a

Native Police Australian native police units, consisting of Aboriginal troopers under the command (usually) of at least one white officer, existed in various forms in all Australian mainland colonies during the nineteenth and, in some cases, into the twentie ...

barracks from 1865 to 1876. The barracks were located at Barrack Creek on the northwest outskirts of the town. Marlborough Railway Provisional School opened on 26 July 1917. On 26 April 1919 it was renamed Koonama Provisional School. On 18 October 1920 it became Koonama State School. On 11 September 1925 it was renamed Marlborough State School. On 24 July 2000, five people were killed when the Rockhampton-based Capricorn Helicopter Rescue Service helicopter crashed in a paddock at Marlborough while attempting to land in thick fog. Following the tragedy, the community of Marlborough raised enough money to establish a permanent helipad in the town in an attempt to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring in the future. Marlborough is within the local government area of Shire of Livingstone, but, between 2008 and 2013, it was within the

Rockhampton Region The Rockhampton Region is a local government area (LGA) in Central Queensland, Australia, located on the Tropic of Capricorn about north of Brisbane. Rockhampton is the region's major city; the region also includes the Fitzroy River, Mount ...

. In the , the locality of Marlborough had a population of 149 people.

Education

Marlborough State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at Magog Road (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 34 students with 5 teachers (3 full-time equivalent) and 6 non-teaching staff (3 full-time equivalent). The school competes against otherschools in the area such as Clarke Creek State School, Milman State School and School of Distance Education. They compete in swimming and athletic carnivals which Marlborough normally hosts, having a 16-metre pool and a grassy oval. There is no secondary school in Marlborough. The nearest government secondary school is Glenmore State High School in Kawana, Rockhampton, over away. Distance education and boarding schools would be other options.

Amenities

Livingstone Shire Council operates a weekly library service at Marlborough. It is located at 15 Milman Street () in the Marlborough Historical Museum building. All Saints Anglican Church is at 27 Milman Street (). It is part of the Parish of North Rockhampton (also known as the All Saints Anglican Community) within the Anglican Church of Central Queensland.

Attractions

Marlborough Historical Museum is at 15 Milman Street (). It collects and presents the natural and social heritage of Marlborough.

References

External links

* {{authority control Towns in Queensland Populated places established in 1856 Shire of Livingstone Localities in Queensland