Mount Perry - Culture and History

The Mount Perry area was first settled in the 1840s when shepherds from the large coastal properties brought their sheep into the area for grazing. This tranquility was dramatically disrupted in 1869 when Henry Dingle discovered copper. Overnight a mining town sprang up and, at the turn of the century, it was actually bigger than either Mackay or Cairns. At its height the population is said to have been greater than 30 000 and the town reputedly had 21 hotels. However, the settlement collapsed dramatically in 1914, possibly due to mistaken financial ventures by the mining company.

The remarkable thing is that a town which was once so large and thriving can leave so few signs of its former glory. Today Mount Perry has fewer than 300 people. It is literally nothing more than a few buildings (none of which are particularly old) and an old copper slagheap where the old smelter used to be.