Bouldercombe Local History

Plan: To supply a brief outline of the history of the district and then encourage contributions from the community to introduce or enhance various historical facets that have influenced the district. The use of paintings, drawings and photographs is enthusiastically encouraged.

The indigenous inhabitants of Bouldercombe were the Wara-bura Clan which belonged to the Darambol language group of people. The name Wara-bura means "men of the place of the wild guava." They roamed the area hunting and gathering native flora and fauna for their subsistence for centuries before the destruction of their lifestyle by the coming of Europeans.

In 1853 Thomas and Charles Archer after following the Dee River towards its source were able to look across the Bouldercombe Valley from the top of the Razorback Range and see the meres* around where Gracemere is situated today. Using bush ingenuity, they were able to descend to the plains below with their wagon. The brothers established a sheep run and part of the present day Bouldercombe locality was within its boundaries.

Actual European settlement at Bouldercombe took place after the discovery of alluvial gold in Gabriel's Gully in 1865 near where Nugget Avenue is today. A gold rush took place and the area became known as the Crocodile Diggings and the main Creek known as Crocodile. Gavial which is a type of crocodile was the official name given to this creek further downstream. By the end of 1866 it was estimated that there were some 2,000 Europeans and 1,000 Chinese on the field.

At the beginning of 1867 after riots against the Chinese, many diggers left the field as they were disappointed with their returns. Some stayed and began digging shafts and over time a number of hard rock mines which continued production over a number of years were established. Among the best known mines were Mt Usher, Block and Pillar, and Anglo-Saxon which were worked till the early 1900s. Some large scale dredging was also attempted in the creek bed but the large boulders prevented profitability. By the end of the 1920s meaningful production had ceased. However, a successful alluvial operation was maintained during the late 1980s for a number of years.

Before 1900 the area near the Mt Usher Mine was known as Mt Usher, the area around the present hotel and shop was known as Bouldercombe and the area in the vicinity of the Sub-station was known as Unionville. In the early 1900s the name Bouldercombe began to be used for the whole area.

According to the dictionary "combe" means a steep sided valley and having some pretty large boulders in the creek bed, Bouldercombe has been aptly named.

From the earliest gold mining times, the alluvial soil on the creek flats was found to be suitable for the production of fruit and vegetables and the Chinese diggers were renowned for their produce. Market gardens and citrus, paw paw, grapes and mango orchards were later established to supply the Rockhampton market and some still continue today. In the early part of the 1900s cotton was extensively grown while dairying was an important occupation. Beef breeding and production has remained an important occupation over the years while poultry and pork production have been of less significance.

Since the early 1980s, improved roads, cheaper transport, available water and small blocks of land has led to Bouldercombe being used as a rural residential area for retirees, and workers from Rockhampton who enjoy the benefits of a country lifestyle. Lifestyle at Bouldercombe has proved to be so attractive that quite a number of sub-divisions have led to successful developments and the process continues today. Active community participation has ensured that facilities and activities make Bouldercombe an attractive place to live.

Notes
*meres = lakes or ponds.

bouldercombe

Bouldercombe Historical Background Project

BRIEF HISTORY