Farleigh

History

Farleigh Mill was built in 1883 by Sir John Bennett Laws. For the first years, the mill had an associated sugar plantation. In 1900 the mill was sold to Farleigh Estate Sugar Co Ltd in 1900 and developed so that it could replace a number of the local mills: Ashburton, The Cedars, Coningsby, Pioneer, Richmond, Nindaroo, Habana and Dumbleton. In 1921 the CSR Company discontinued operations at the nearby Homebush Mill and the Farleigh Mill took over their crushing. After Farleigh Estate Sugar Co Ltd went bankrupt in 1926, the mill was purchased by a co-operative of local sugarcane growers. In November 1987 Farleigh Mill merged with other Mackay district mills to create the Mackay Sugar Co-operative Association Ltd. Coningsby State School opened on 24 November 1884.

Geography

The town is located in the south-east of the locality. The Bruce Highway traverses the locality from the south-east to the west, passing through the town. The North Coast railway line also passes through the locality from the south-east to the west but further north and east than the highway. The Farleigh railway station is located beside the Farleigh sugar mill which has an associated sugarcane tramway network. The land in the locality is mostly flat at 30–40 metres above sea level. It is freehold land used for cropping, principally sugarcane.

Most-observed species

• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,374
• Masked Lapwing

  Vanellus miles (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  1,307
• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  1,272
• Australasian Figbird

  Sphecotheres vieilloti Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 · Aves
  1,235
• Rainbow Lorikeet

  Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  1,234
• Australian Ibis

  Threskiornis molucca (Cuvier, 1829) · Aves
  1,225
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,013
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  984