20160725 Qld Cracow

20160725 We decided to do a bit of a round trip on our way to the Leyburn Sprints at the end of August and after tracking over old grounds we landed in a Ghost town called Cracow. The town took is name from a nearby pastoral run, Cracow Station in 1851, and was named after a Polish city of Krakow or from the sound a whip makes.  In the gold rush days Cracow had a population of over 3,000 and was once the largest town in the Banana Shire. Although the mine is still operating the town never returned to that of the Gold Rush days and the Cracow Hotel is all that remains open.  It is said that if you go in search you could find deserted homes full of furniture.

The Cracow Hotel 1936
Today the pub is owned and operated by Fred Brophy and his wife Sandy.

Fred Brophy name is synonymous with the nostalgic sport of 'Tent Boxing Troupe'

Fred is the last of the traditional Tent Boxing Troupe and he still travels Queensland setting up his boxing tent in local towns and challenges all who have the desire to try out the boxing skills.

The interior of the hotel is covered with old wares but GE! it needs a clean.

The walls and bar have the marks of many traveler's passing through leaving their signatures and quirky comments.

Now if you're ever in Cracow check out the end door for Des and Leonie's cheeky verse.

Life's a waste of time, times a waste of life so get wasted all the time and have the time of your life.

Now this is what I call a fire pit situated at the back of the hotel.

As we walked the streets that once housed 5 bakers, 2 butchers, 8 fruiterers, stockbrokers, laundry's, machinery house, 2 cordial factory's, 3 drapers, chemist's and even a picture show. Unfortunately all that's left of what was once a thriving mining town are the shells of shops and  abandoned businesses.

The Main Street in Cracow where all that remains are a few run down homes in need of repairs and some barking dogs.

It was in 1875 the town became known for gold! Igniting a century-long boom, at first prospectors came to try their luck in the fields.  Then from 1931 to the mid 1970s the mine finally closed its holdings, the Golden Plateau Mine kept the workers coming

Early Golden Plateau miners of the 1930s.

SEE YA FROM CRACOW