A volcanic plug in the Peak Range on the road between Clermont and Moranbah

Clermont
Quiet and attractive rural township near the beautiful Peak Ranges.
Clermont is a charming and substantial town on the gentle slopes above Sandy Creek and Hoods Lagoon. The town is located 106 km north of Emerald on the Gregory Highway and 760 km north of Brisbane.

Like so many of the townsites in the Central Highlands, Clermont's first European visitor was Ludwig Leichhardt who, in 1845, travelled through the area to the west of the town sighting the beautiful mountaintops of the Peak Range and naming them after members of his expedition.

In 1854 Charles and William Archer, members of the family who went on to establish the port at Rockhampton, explored the area. They recognised the potential of the district to support grazing and returned to claim large tracts of land in 1856-57. In the meantime Jeremiah Rolfe had become the first white settler. There is, in the park, a plaque honouring his memory.

In 1861 the town of Clermont achieved instant prominence when some shepherds found gold beside Hoods Lagoon. Overnight the area was inundated with prospectors. It became the first inland settlement north of the Tropic of Capricorn. Clermont was gazetted in 1864 and named after Clermont-Ferrand in France, the home of Oscar de Satge who at the time was the owner of Wolfang Downs.

In 1862 copper was discovered south of the town, leading to the establishment of Copperfield. By 1865 there were over 3500 people in the area. However, supplies of copper and gold were short-lived and by the 1870s the area was in decline. Nonetheless the combination of gold, copper and coal at Blair Athol, and the sheep and beef industries ensured that even during the most difficult times the town survived.

In the 1880s and 1890s the area seemed to be a barometer for the problems of the country. In the 1880s, when there were nearly 4000 Chinese working on the gold and copper fields, Clermont experienced some particularly ugly racial riots. The Chinese were removed from the fields in 1888. A few years later, in 1891, the Shearer's Strike spilled over into Clermont when 400 troops were called in to separate striking shearers and non-union labour.

The climate, particularly the summer cyclones, and the peculiar combination of Sandy Creek and the long Hoods Lagoon, made the area vulnerable to flooding. In 1870 fifteen people died during a major flood. There were five more floods between 1870 and1916.

The town's worst flood (and the second-worst in the country's history in terms of loss of life) occurred on the night of 28 December 1916 when cyclonic waters rushed through the town sweeping houses away, forcing people to clamber up trees to escape the torrent, and drowning at least 65 people.

At the town's entrance is a large cement 'tree' with a white mark far up its trunk which indicates the height of the floodwaters and the people who died in the disaster. The monument is located on what used to be the town's main street. The remains of the old bridge, which was largely washed away, can be seen at the bottom of Capella Street (now the town's main thoroughfare). Nearby, in Lime Street, is Centenary Park with its famous traction engine which helped to move the town from its original site onto higher ground.

After the flood the survivors decided to move to the higher ground on which the town now stands. The town's recovery from the flood was rapid and today it is a centre with a considerable number of attractive buildings.

Things to see:  

The Flood
At the town's entrance is a large cement 'tree' with a white mark far up its trunk which indicates the height of the disastrous 1916 floodwaters and the people who died in the disaster. The monument is located on Drummond St, the former main street. The remains of the old bridge, which was largely washed away, can be seen at the bottom of Capella Street (now the town's main thoroughfare). Nearby, in Lime Street, is Centenary Park with its famous traction engine which helped to move the town from its original site onto higher ground.

Buildings
Entering Clermont the visitor is immediately struck by the beautiful wooden St Mary's Roman Catholic Church which was erected in 1890. Its elevated position saved it from the floodwaters.

There is also the magnificent old Queensland home 'Carinya' at 30 Daintree Street, built in 1912. It is now a private residence and not open to the public. Beside it is the attractive 'Griffin House', built in 1947 and now used by local art groups.

The Clermont Club in Drummond Street has now been totally refurbished. One of the earliest Gentlemen's Country Clubs in Queensland it opened its doors in 1887.

Clermont Museum
Located near the junction of the Gregory and Peak Downs highways, about 3 km north of the town centre, the museum has a collection of goldrush relics, early coalmining machines and a slab timber pioneer's hut

Copperfield and Miclere
People interested in the copper and gold mining history of the region should visit the ruins of Copperfield, which are located 4 km south of Clermont, and Miclere which is located 4 km off the main road some 31 km north of the town, on the Charters Towers Road.

Copperfield has a few buildings and a solitary chimney stack whereas Miclere, the old goldfield, is still operational. This tiny settlement contains remnants of bygone mining processes including the old battery and a rare horse-drawn whim.

The Peak Range
The greatest attraction in the area is the Peak Range, a series of dramatic volcanic plugs which stand like sentinels some 50 km east of the town. The plugs are formed when a volcano cools and the molten lava melts in the volcanic pipe. Gradually the surrounding volcano erodes away leaving only the hard core protruding. One of the most dramatic examples of this is Wolfang Peak on the southern side of the road from Clermont to Mackay. It is possible to climb it, although it is on private property and permission must be obtained from Mr and Mrs Ryder on (07) 4983 1769.There is a brochure which covers the whole area in great detail titled 'Exploring the Peak Range'.

	Tourist Information
	Clermont Information Centre Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 3001
	Motels
	Clermont Hotel Motel Herschell St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1815
	Clermont Motor Inn Cnr Box & Capella Sts Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 3133 Rating: ***
	Grand Hotel Motel Capella St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1188 Rating: **
	Leo Hotel Motel Capella St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1566 Rating: **
	Peppercorn Motel Capricorn St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1033 Facsimile: (07) 4983 1679 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Commercial Hotel Capella St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1950
	Caravan Parks
	Clermont Caravan Park 1 Haig St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1927
	Restaurants
	Clermont Chinese Restaurant Daintree St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1900
	Clermont Hotel/Motel Herschel St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1815
	Commercial Hotel Capella St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1950
	Grand Hotel/Motel Capella St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1188
	Leo Hotel Motel Capella St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1566
	Peppercorn Motel Capricorn St Clermont QLD 4721 Telephone: (07) 4983 1033