ACTIVITIES CHARTERS TOWERS

Ancient lava flows, fossilised limestone and the Burdekin River, the largest river in Queensland, are features of this park in the Charters Towers area. Mount Keelbottom rises 130 metres above the surrounding plain and part of the old Dalrymple township site can be found in the park. It was one of the first inland settlements in northern Australia and has links with the discovery of gold in the area in the mid-1800s. Parts of the township are privately owned. Please respect private property signs. In the dry season, bush camp along the sandy edges of the Burdekin River. Explore the undeveloped walking trails that follow the river and Fletcher Creek, and discover basalt flows and a peaceful riverside setting. Longer hikes to Mount Keelbottom should only be undertaken by well-equipped and experienced walkers. Watch waterbirds from the river's edge. Ride trail-bikes and mountain bikes on the internal roads through the park.

Experience the thrill of livestock going under the hammer. Cattle Sales are held every Wednesday at the Dalrymple Sales Yards. Beef is produced on 250 commercial properties running around 600,000 head of cattle between them, making the Charters Towers Regional Council region the biggest cattle producing local Government area in Australia. Dalrymple Sales Yards sell over 100,000 head per annum of store and prime cattle and hosts North Queensland's premier bull and horse sales. The significance of the selling centre and the quality of the animals marketed is highlighted by the centre recently breaking an auction record price for a bull of AUD145,000.

Drop into the Civic Club, originally known as the Londoner's Club, (a gentlemen's club) and enjoy a drink with a local, soak up the atmosphere of this amazing historic building and have a round of billiards on one of the two 100 year old tables. Don't forget to make your booking for their famous Friday night barbecue.

Queenslander's loved their soldier statue, known as the 'Digger', symbolising innocence, youth, heroism, courage and mateship. When Charters Towers' war memorial was refurbished and rededicated on 11 November 2005, the cenotaph included a solemn soldier, head bowed and rifle pointing downwards. It was originally unveiled to honour those who fought in WWI and WWII, in November 1955. At that time it included an electric light in the shape of a flame, burning continually atop the nine metre tall stone pillar. Memorials were rare in Australia before WWI. The outpouring of grief at the loss of 60,000 young Australian men, buried where they fell in Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa, created a wave of monuments, from soldier statues to memorial parks, rolls of honour to empty tomb-like pavilions. The roll of honour provides an insight into local patriotism of the day, all who enlisted were volunteers willing to fight for the British Empire.

Charters Towers Cemetery was established in 1895. It is the resting place for a number of interesting local characters including Jupiter Mosman who, as local lore has it, was one of the party that discovered gold at Charters Towers; Doctor Leonard Redmond who discovered Australian dengue fever; Fredrick Pfeiffer owner of the rich Day Dawn PC Mine and James Knenniff who was the last bushranger in Queensland. The Charters Towers Visitor Information Centre has the cemetery records for both the Pioneer and Charters Towers cemeteries. Or if it is family history you are seeking, why not contact the Charters Towers and Dalrymple Archives Group or the Charters Towers Family History Association Incorporated. These groups aim to promote and preserve research into local and family history for the benefit of the community.