Quamby

History

The Quamby hotel was originally built as a customs house in the 1860s and converted to a hotel somewhere around 1921. It was also used as a staging post for Cobb & Co stagecoaches who required fresh teams of horses every 10 – 30 miles. The Quamby State School operated from 1924 until 1969. In the 1930s, the town is reputed to have had 40 homes but the demise of the railway saw most of the existing buildings relocated as is common with the stumped, timber-frame houses of north Queensland. In 1934, Quamby was also the scene of what was described at the time as a 'Shooting Affray'. Mr Charles Cameron, a schoolteacher, shot Mr James Croke after a dispute in Mr Croke's home. Croke was taken to hospital in a critical condition while Charles Cameron was later found dead in his hotel room at The Quamby Hotel. The police noted a pea rifle was nearby.

Geography

Quamby is within to the Parish of Corella in the County of Beaconsfield.

Most-observed species

• Black-faced Woodswallow

  Artamus cinereus Vieillot, 1817 · Aves
  20
• White-winged Triller

  Lalage tricolor (Swainson, 1825) · Aves
  20
• Brown Honeyeater

  Lichmera indistincta (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827) · Aves
  18
• Rufous Whistler

  Pachycephala rufiventris (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  18
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  17
• Singing Honeyeater

  Gavicalis virescens (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  16
• Rufous Songlark

  Megalurus mathewsi (Iredale, 1911) · Aves
  15
• Budgerigar

  Melopsittacus undulatus (Shaw, 1805) · Aves
  14