1882

Township of Ayr gazetted and Land commissioner in Bowen sells off town lots.

An enterprising selector close to the site of the Pioneer  mill subdivided his land for a township iwhich he named Brandon.  

John Spille  and Henry Brandon sell Pioneer Estates to Drysdale Brothers.

Township of Clare officially named after being known by other names including Mulgrave, Burdekin Crossing and  Hamilton’s Crossing.

Pioneer Hotel opened in Brandon. It was blown down 21 years later by Cyclone Leonta.

Kalamia opened by Charles and John Young.

Melbourne interests, represented by Thomas Swallow, propelled an infant sugar-farming industry around Cairns into large scale production by plantings and a mill at Hambledon in the area that is now suburban Edmonton. 

Charters Towers connected by railway to Townsville.

Georgetown had ten hotels, ten billiards rooms and an enlarged courthouse to deal with participants in drunken brawls, assaults, indecent language and livestock theft. 

Pyramid plantation established near Gordonvale.  

Chinese businessman, Andrew Lee On built Pioneer Mill, the first sugar mill in the Cairns district, and established the Hop Wah Plantation on 612 acres of land. 

Richmond was surveyed.

Jack and Newell's store opens in Herberton, the first of a chain that operated across north Queensland.

Watsonville surveyed and named.

Ernest Henry found copper at Argylla, near Cloncurry.

March

Search for a suitable route for a railway to Herberton tin mines was announced by the Minister for Works and Mines.

May

18 Mackay Free Press & Pioneer Advocate ceased  publication.

© Ian Hughes 2013