Sunset over Mt Isa from the City Lookout

Mount Isa
The major service centre and mining town in north western Queensland.
Mount Isa is the largest and most impressive township in western Queensland. Unlike Longreach (its only competitor), which has a very rural feel, Mount Isa is a mining town with an air of self-confidence and sophistication which is rare in outback Queensland.

Thus, although the mining complex is the town's raison d'etre and though it dominates the skyline and the local economy, Mount Isa does not feel like a settlement nestling under 'dark satanic mills'. It is a centre with high quality accommodation, good restaurants, excellent facilities, and enough activities to keep even the most enthusiastic visitor busy for a week.

Located 1829 km from Brisbane, 883 km from Townsville and 356 m above sea-level, Mount Isa proudly claims to be the largest city in the world; a fact born out by its accreditation in the Guinness Book of Records. The argument is that the city extends for 40 977 sq. km, and that the road from Mount Isa to Camooweal, a distance of 189 km, is the longest city road in the world.

Prior to white settlement the area was occupied by the Kalkadoon Aborigines, who produced large numbers of axes and other tools in the area, using them as trade. They fiercely resisted the encroachment of pastoralists in the 1870s and early 1880s but their resistance and raids were effectively ended when native police and white settlers retaliated with a bloody massacre in 1884.

Copper was mined in the area from the 1880s but a price slump in the early 1920s saw the venture collapse. However, in February 1923 vast silver-lead-zinc deposits were discovered by the prospector John Campbell Miles. Miles named the site after Mount Ida, a Western Australian goldmine. Within months over 500 claims had been lodged in Cloncurry but slowly these claims were amalgamated into two major companies. Mount Isa Mines Ltd was formed in 1924 and by 1925 it had taken over all the leases to the field. Isolation and lack of facilities proved an early problem so MIM began to build a company town with low-rent housing and amenities in 1927. Matters were further aided when the railway arrived from Townsville in 1929.

The cost of developing the mine in such a remote location proved too much for the original Australian and British shareholders and, in mid-1930, the American Smelting and Refining Company (now ASARCO Incorporated) rescued the operation by providing millions of dollars to complete the treatment plant and commence the production of lead, although profits did not emerge until 1937.

When a partcularly large copper deposit was proven to exist in 1942 the Australian government, enduring wartime shortages of the strategic material, encouraged its expoitation. Copper would prove the main source of revenue in the 1950s.

In 1958 the Leichhardt River was dammed to provide a guaranteed water supply for the town and mine. Mount Isa was declared a city in 1968.

The novelist Vance Palmer wrote a trilogy of books about Mount Isa (Golconda, Seedtime, and The Big Fellow) and his descriptions of the town are a reminder of its harsh beginnings. In Golconda he writes of the town:

'There's nothing much to catch the eye at the first glance. It's bone-dry country, twisted shrubs and spinifex, and the hills are mostly humps of rock where a goat would find it hard to pick up a feed. But there's a life about the air of a morning that makes you feel that the few trees there are might pull up their roots and float away while you're looking at them.'

Today Mount Isa Mines Ltd is one of the most highly mechanised and cost efficient mines in the world. It's the world's biggest single producer of silver and lead and is amongst the world's top ten for copper and zinc. It is also one of the few areas in the world where the four minerals are found in close proximity. As Australia's largest underground mine, it has a daily output of around 35 000 tonnes of ore. The underground workings extend approximately 4.5 km in length and 1.3 km in width.

Inevitably the mine has had its problems. In the early 1960s large sections of Mount Isa's residential area were removed because they were located on useful ore bodies.

Major industrial action occurred in 1964-65. The dispute became so heated that the Queensland government actually declared martial law in the town.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information Centre
The town has no shortage of interesting sites and tours. It is sensible to start at the very helpful Tourist Information Centre (on Marian Street - the main road into town from the east) which can provide visitors with a map and directions.

Mine Tours
The highlight of any visit to Mount Isa is a comprehensive tour of the mines. It makes most sense to start with a surface tour which includes an excellent film which explains how the mine works and what equipment is used. Mount Isa is one of the few mines where visitors can actually take an underground tour. At the height of the season tours are often booked out two months in advance so plan ahead. Bookings can be made by phoning (07) 4749 1555 or by writing to the IQTDB, P.O. Box 356, Mount Isa,4825.

Kalkadoon Tribal Centre
Next to the Tourist Information Centre is the Kalkadoon Tribal Centre and Cultural Keeping Place which contains some interesting Aboriginal artefacts from the area.

Lookout
A suitable overview of Mount Isa can be had by going up to the City Lookout opposite the Tourist Information Centre. The views across the city to the mine offer an ideal orientation. At night the lookout is a popular vantage point as the streetlights and the illumination emanating from the mines give Mount Isa a much more attractive appearance than it has during the day.

The Frank Aston Rotary Underground Museum
Perched on top of a hill this establishment contains good displays of old mining equipment and some interesting Aboriginal artefacts. It has been designed to convey a sense of what the old mines at Mount Isa must have been like. The museum actually enters the hill from the top and goes down into a series of underground chambers and rooms. It was originally the city's reservoir.

The John Middlen Museum
This is another mining museum, located on Church St. It is open seven days a week, tel: (07) 4749 1429.

Riversleigh Fossil Centre
Behind the city library, under an amphitheatre, is the Riversleigh Fossil Display. This is a genuinely interesting, if small, collection of fossils from Riversleigh Station, located 250 km north of Mount Isa. There is everything from bat's teeth to the bones of a huge flighless ancient bird known as Dromornorthis - the precursor of the emu. It is open from 9- 4.30.

Royal Flying Doctor Service and Distance Education
Across the Leichhardt River in the shadow of the mines are the Royal Flying Doctor Service, open between 9 and 3 (tel: (07) 4743 2800) and Distance Education, open from 10 to 12 during school term (tel: (07) 4744 9100.

The Tent House - reasonable quality low-rent housing

National Trust Tent Museum
In 1932 Mount Isa Mines began building this style of low-cost accommodation. Miners had been living in very primitive conditions and J. L. Urquhart, who had gained a substantial interest in the mining company, began to develop Mount Isa as a company town. One of his first acts was to establish reasonable quality low-rent housing. The blinds to keep the heat out and the simple design were a vast improvement on the primitive quarters the miners had been living in. These houses were vital to the growth of Mount Isa. They played a part in making the city more than just an outback mining town. This is an excellent display.

The Lakes
There are a number of pleasant lakes around the city. Most of them are artificially designed. About 10 km from the city centre is the Lake Moondarra reservoir and 100 km north is Lake Julius, which has a delightful recreation park. Because of the shortage of water in the area all the lakes have quickly become important bird sanctuaries.

Aboriginal Sites
It is not possible to visit the Aboriginal art sites around the city without a guide. There are, however, a number of tours to the sites. Information can be obtained from the Visitors' Information Centre.

The Cloncurry-Mount Isa Road
One of the most interesting aspects of any visit to Mount Isa is the road from Cloncurry to the city. Most of the Gulf lands are flat but this is uncharacteristically hilly and dramatic. In many ways the area appears to be similar to the MacDonnell Ranges in central Australia. The reason for this is that, like the MacDonnells, the Selwyn Ranges are extremely ancient. These mountains have been eroded back to their bones, and consequently their bedding erratically twists in a thousand different directions. The people of Mount Isa will tell you that these mountains are the oldest exposed land mass on earth - and you will be inclined to believe them. The Clem Walton Park (on the main highway between Cloncurry and Mount Isa) includes a remarkable lake with lots of birdlife.

	Tourist Information
	Mount Isa City Council West St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4744 4200
	Mount Isa Tourist Information & Riversleigh Fossil Centre 19 Marion St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4749 1555
	Outback Queensland Tourist Authority 11 Barkly Hwy Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 7966 Facsimile: (077) 43 8746
	Motels
	4th Ave Motor Inn 20 Fourth Ave Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3477 Rating: ***
	Boomerang Lodge 11 Boyd Pde Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2019
	Copper City Motel 105 Butler St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2033 Rating: ***
	Copper Gate Motel 97 Marian St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3233 Rating: **
	Dalpura Motel 20 Fourth Ave Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3477 Rating: *
	Fortland Burke and Wills cnr Grace & Camooweal St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 8000 Facsimile: (07) 4743 8424 Rating: ****
	Mt Isa Outback Motor Inn 45 West St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2311 Facsimile: (07) 4743 5411
	Silver Star Motel Marian St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3466 Rating: **
	Verona Motel Camooweal St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3024 Rating: ****
	Waltons Motor Court 23 Camooweal St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2377 Rating: **
	Welcome Inn 118 Camooweal St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2241
	Hotels
	Argent Hotel Cnr Isa & West Sts Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3388
	Barkly Hotel 65 Barkly Hway Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2988 Rating: **
	Boyd Hotel 20 West St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3000
	Fortland Burke and Wills cnr Grace & Camooweal St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 8000 Facsimile: (07) 4743 8424 Rating: ****
	Mt Isa Outback Motor Inn 45 West St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2311 Facsimile: (07) 4743 5411
	The Mount Isa Hotel 15 Miles Rd Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2611
	The Overlander 119 Marian St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 5011 Rating: ***
	Caravan Parks
	AAOK Monndarra Caravan Park Lake Moondarra Rd Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 9780 Rating: **1/2
	Argylla Caravan Park Cloncurry Rd Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 4733 Rating: ***
	Leichhardt Caravan Park 5 Camooweal St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2291
	Mt. Isa Caravan Park 112 Marian St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3252 Rating: ***1/2
	Town View Caravan Park 112 Kookaburra St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3328
	Copper City Caravan Park 185 West St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 4676 Rating: **1/2
	Riverside Tourist Caravan Park 195 West St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3904 Rating: ***
	Sunset Caravan Park 14 Sunset Dve Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 7668 Rating: ***1/2
	Restaurants
	Chopsticks Palace 64 Barkly Hwy Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 7799
	Los Toros Mexican Restaurant 79 Camooweal St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 7718
	Maxim Chinese Restaurant 24 West St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 6567
	Mt. Isa Irish Club Cnr Buckley Ave & Nineteenth Ave Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2577
	Mt Isa Outback Motor Inn 45 West St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 2311
	Red Lantern Chinese Restaurant 1 Simpson St Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 4070
	Verona Restaurant & Motel Cnr Marian & Camooweal Sts Mount Isa QLD 4825 Telephone: (07) 4743 3024