Harrisville

History

In 1839, a survey baseline of was marked out on the floodplain, then known as Normanby Plains, which now forms part of Harrisville, together with Wilsons Plains and Radford to the south. It was supervised by the surveyor Robert Dixon as the basis of a trigonometrical survey starting with Flinders Peak to the east and Mount Walker (then Mount Forbes) to the west, which began the accurate interior mapping of Queensland. A monument to this work "In the Steps of Our Forefathers" is situated just west of the Harrisville township on the Warrill View Peak Crossing Road, along where the baseline passed (). The area formed part of the old Mount Flinders sheep station established by William Wilson (and his brother Robert) around 1844, soon after the Moreton Bay penal colony closed. Some of the land from this station became available to selectors in December 1860 with provision of the Ipswich Agricultural Reserve. In 1863 Robert Dunn selected a portion from this Reserve, from which the Harris brothers purchased their land in 1870. The town is believed to be named after Harris brothers: John Harris (1819–1895) and George Harris (1831–1891) . They established a store and cotton ginnery in the area. Ipswich Reserve State School opened in 1867. In 1887, it was renamed Harrisville State School. In 1891, it was renamed Hillgrove State School, enabling a new school to open on 19 January 1891 under the name Harrisville State School. The new school reduced attendance at the Hillgrove State School and it was demoted to become Hillgrove Provisional School, but returned to state school status in 1894. Hillgrove State School closed in 1932, but, as at 2019, the "new" Harrisville State School continues to operate. On Sunday 27 August 1871, a Wesleyan Methodist church was opened near…

Geography

Warrill Creek, a tributary of the Bremer River, passes through the western parts of the town.

Most-observed species

• Torresian Crow

  Corvus orru Bonaparte, 1850 · Aves
  2,744
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,372
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  2,209
• Laughing Kookaburra

  Dacelo novaeguineae (Hermann, 1783) · Aves
  1,881
• Brown Honeyeater

  Lichmera indistincta (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827) · Aves
  1,880
• Striated Pardalote

  Pardalotus striatus (Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  1,863
• Noisy Miner

  Manorina melanocephala (Latham, 1801) · Aves
  1,863
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  1,845