History of Kidston Township
History of Kidston Site |
The Kidston town is located alongside the Copperfield River in Far North Queensland. The Township of Kidston was developed on the west bank of the Copperfield River after the discovery of gold in September 1907. Kidston, before 1908 was originally known as 'Oaks Township'. However, due to there already being an Oakville a few miles away it was necessary to change 'Oaks Township' to 'Kidston Township' due to the uncertainty it was causing travellers during the gold rush periods. |
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Population Growth of Early Kidston |
1907: 60 men 1908 Jan: 200 men 1908 Feb: 500 men 1908 April: 600 men 4 women and 10 children 1908 May: 800 men 1908 August: 1500 miners and 200 others End 1908: 404 persons 1909: 600 persons 1910: 350 miners besides townspeople 1922: 300 persons |
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Retail History of Kidston |
In 1908 the town comprised of three hotels known as, ‘Shamrock’, ‘Oaks Rush Hotel’ and the ‘Royal Hotel’. However, in 1922 the only hotel left in the town was the ‘Shamrock’ which shut its doors just after 1974, leaving no hotels open in Kidston. There were two bakeries, a butcher, a post office, a blacksmith and a saddler shop. The post office operated until the late 1980s, while the police station closed in 1964, which was a defining point in the town’s history. All retail stores listed above would have been visited by visitors when they entered the town via coach. |
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