Atherton's main street

Atherton
Major service centre for the Atherton Tablelands.
Atherton, at the heart of the Atherton Tablelands, is an attractive service town. Located 94 km south-west of Cairns and 753 m above sea-level, it has, over the years, lost some of its charm and appeal. The attractive Environmental Park is a reminder of how attractive the area must have been before grazing and clearing.

The town, and the whole area, was named after John Atherton. When he was only 20 Atherton and his brother James overlanded sheep to Rockhampton from the New England district of New South Wales. Although principally a grazier he showed huge initiative in 1873 when he drove some cattle from his property near Mackay to the booming goldfields on the Palmer River. He followed this two years later with another overlanding expedition to the new goldfields on the Hodgkinson River.

Atherton finally settled at Emerald End on the Upper Burdekin River and remained there for 37 years. He was a remarkable man who did much to open up the Atherton Tablelands for settlement.

The town was first settled by Europeans in the early 1880s as a camp for cedar-cutters. It was first called Prior's Pocket after a family of timber getters who settled near the present site of the town. In 1885 it was surveyed and renamed Atherton.

If most of the towns on the Tablelands have a single reason for their existence then Atherton's was as a stopover point on the roads from the coast to the Herberton tin fields.

A substantial Chinese population which, at its peak, was probably about 1100 people, lived around the town working for the timber-cutters and setting up businesses. They also worked the rich soils of the area producing vegetables for the miners. The Chinese began to leave the area after 1907 and much of their land was taken over by soldier settlers after World War I.

Over the years Atherton has been the centre for a number of industries on the Tablelands. The rich, red volcanic soils of the area (estimated to be over 30-m deep) have been used to produce maize, potatoes, peanuts, macadamia nuts and avocados. The town has also been important to the local dairy industry with a butter factory opening in 1909 and a large dairy co-operative established in 1914.

Things to see:  

Halloran's Hill Environmental Park
The Halloran's Hill Environmental Park is another interesting reminder of the Atherton Tablelands' volcanic past. In the park is a crater from an extinct volcano. A path leads to the crater's edge. It was once possible to go down into the crater, which is densely vegetated with rainforest. It is now fenced off. To get there turn off Main Street into Robert Street and then turn into Louise Street, tel: (07) 4095 3768 for additional information.

The Old Post Office Gallery
The town's post office was moved to this site at the southern end of town on the Herberton Rd and is now used as a museum and as a gallery which contains a range of work by local artists and potters.

The Chinese Temple to the Emperor Hou Wang
Next door to the Old Post Office Gallery is the building known locally as the Chinese Joss House. It is a rare combination of traditional Chinese architecture and local corrugated iron. A room in the Gallery provides additional details on the history of the temple. The prominent local Fong On family have renovated the old temple and its adjacent kitchen annexe and community hall. The ornate interior with its subtle pink shading and cedar lining is truly remarkable. The building is open on Sundays from 10.00am - 4.00pm. Ask at the Museum for additional information. The Museum recalls the history of the Chinese in the Atherton district with displays which record the history of early goldmining, the Cedar Creek settlement when Chinese miners moved to timber cutting and the subsequent gardening which saw peanuts and lychees grown on the tablelands. The site was completed in 2003 at a cost of $1.3 million and won a National Trust of Queensland award that year.

Fascinating Facets
The town's major 'tourist attraction' is the much-publicised Fascinating Facets in the Main Street, tel: (07) 4091 2365. This gem shop has a gallery of excellent stones and valuable rocks and a basement area which has been constructed like a cave with a variety of crystals (quartz, amethyst and topaz amongst others) on display in a carefully lit area.

	Tourist Information
	Atherton Tablelands Information Centre Cnr Main & Silo Rds Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 4222
	Motels
	Atherton Rainforest Motor Inn Simms Rd (cnr Kennedy Highway) Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4095 4141 Rating: **
	Hinterland Motel 44 Cook St Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 1885 Rating: **
	Motel Atherton Maunds St Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 1500 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Atherton Hotel Main St Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 1061
	Barron Valley Hotel Main St Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 1222
	Carrington Hotel Main St Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 1139
	Grand Hotel Main St Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 1088
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Atherton Blue Gum 36 Twelfth Ave Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 5412 Facsimile: (07) 4091 5149 Email: bluegum1@tpg.com.au
	Caravan Parks
	Atherton Caravan Park Yungaburra Rd Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 1099 Rating: **
	Atherton Halloran's Leisure Park 152 Robert St Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 4177 Rating: ***1/2
	Atherton Woodlands Tourist Park 141 Herberton Rd Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 1407 Rating: ****
	Restaurants
	Atherton International Club Kennedy Hwy Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 4970
	Atherton Rainforest Motor Inn Cnr Kennedy Hwy & Simms Rd Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4095 4141
	McDonalds Silo Rd & Main St Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 6400
	Pagoda Chinese Restaurant Maunds Rd Atherton QLD 4883 Telephone: (07) 4091 4555