Moura, Queensland

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Moura
Qld

Population:

1,774 (2006 Census)

Postcode:

4718

Location:

589 km (366 mi) from Brisbane
171 km (106 mi) from Rockhampton

LGA:

Banana Shire

State District:

Callide

Federal Division:

Flynn

Mean Max Temp	Mean Min Temp	Rainfall
32 °C ^{90 °F}	12 °C ^{54 °F}	732 mm ^{28.8 in}

Moura is a small town servicing the surrounding coal mining and rural activities. The town was first established in 1936 as a farming centre near the existing Moura Station.

The town of Moura is located in Central Queensland, Australia. It is situated approximately 65 kilometres west of Biloela on the Dawson Highway, 186 kilometres west of the port city of Gladstone, and 171 kilometres south west of Rockhampton and is administered by the Banana Shire Council. Town population is estimated at 3,000 persons (many people live in other towns on their rostered days off).

The town was named after a local property, also named Moura, which in turn is believed to have been named after the town of Moura in Portugal.

Moura has a pre-school, primary and secondary school. The town also has many shops, including banks, post office, video store, grocery store, newsagent, beauticians, hairdressers, butcher, service station, electrical, furniture and hardware store and many more. Moura also has numerous sporting clubs (golf, bowls, squash, football) as well as eateries and restaurants. There is also a RSL and Memorial club for socialising.

A number of industries are represented in the local economy. Chief amongst these is coal mining. The Dawson Mines' is the name of the local coal mine that Moura services. Both open-cut and underground methods have been used up until 1994. There have been three mining disasters that have occurred near Moura:

The first was the Kianga mining disaster occurring due to an explosion in the underground workings of the Kianga No. 1 mine on 20 September 1975, claiming 13 miners' lives.^[1]
The second, on 16 July 1986, was an explosion in the Moura No. 4 underground mine, claiming twelve miners' lives, the youngest miner being 18.^[2]
The third was an explosion in the Moura No. 2 underground coal mine on 7 August 1994. Rescue and recovery attempts were abandoned after a second, more violent explosion occurred 18 hours later. Eleven miners' lives had been lost and the mine was sealed at the surface.^[3]

After this, underground mining was closed and the area was operated as an open-cut coal mine.

Beef, cotton and cereals are other major industries of the area.

Average yearly Rainfall: 732mm, raining an average of 63 days per year. The average summer temperature is 32 degrees Celsius (with temperatures in excess of 36 degrees Celsius a common occurrence during Dec-Jan). The average winter temperature is 12 degrees Celsius.

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v • d • e Towns in the Banana Shire Local Government Area

Banana · Baralaba · Biloela · Cracow · Dululu · Goovigen · Jambin · Moura · Rannes · Thangool · Theodore · Wowan

Main Article: Local Government Areas of Queensland