The Cloncurry River enters the locality from the south-west (Cloncurry) and exits to the west (Four Ways). The Flinders River enters the locality from the south-east (Malpas-Trenton) and traverses the north-western boundary of the locality with Four Ways before exiting to the north-west (Stokes). The Saxby River enters from the east (Malpas-Trenton) and exits to the north (Fielding).[3]
Taldora was a cattle station from at least 1866.[8] In 1878 a monthly mail service was established which passed through Taldora,[9] and in 1880 it was referred to as a township.[10] In July 1880 a new company purchased Taldora and began developing the station.[11]
In 1900, Taldora was affected by a drought with rats infecting its water supply and a lack of rain resulting in no grass growing on the station and its waterhole drying up for the first time since 1880.[12] In 1916 it was reported that Taldora was supporting 30,000 head of cattle which was three times the amount of Nockatunga Station which was the largest station in the state geographically.[13]
In early 1947, Australian Aboriginal stockman Johnny Knight set out from Taldora to walk 150 miles to Normanton and went missing. A police search was launched which extended as far as Thursday Island and in July 1947 his swag was found and in July 1948 a skeleton which was found which may have been his remains.[14] In 1953 an elderly man, Patrick Murphy, went missing while camping near Taldora where he was employed for ringbarking.[15]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Taldora had a population of 37 people.[16]
In the 2021 census, Taldora had a population of 78 people.[1]
Economy
Cattle grazing, Taldora, 2019
There are a number of homesteads in the locality:[17]
Turn-off to Brinard Homestead from the Wills Developmental Road, June 2019Brinard (19°50′23″S140°56′01″E / 19.8397°S 140.9336°E / -19.8397; 140.9336 (Brinard (homestead)))
Taldora Station consists of a ranch which is a private property with permission being required to visit. It does not have its own address with mail instead being received at Julia Creek.[18][unreliable source?]
Transport
Communications mast off the Wills Developmental Road, 2019
^ abc"Mountain peaks and capes - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 12 November 2020. Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
^"Mount Brown – mountain in Mckinlay Shire (entry 4754)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
^"Mount Fort Bowen – mountain in Mckinlay Shire (entry 12923)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
^"Mount Little – mountain in Mckinlay Shire (entry 19785)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
^"The Late Mr. E. R. Edkins". The Queenslander. Brisbane, QLD. 4 November 1905. p. 12. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
^"Carpentaria". The Brisbane Courier. Brisbane, QLD. 19 January 1878. p. 7. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
^"Northern News". The Telegraph. Brisbane, QLD. 13 July 1880. p. 2. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
^"Local and General News". The Capricornian. Rockhampton, QLD. 17 July 1880. p. 11. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
^"Drought in the Cloncurry District". Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, QLD. 26 June 1900. p. 5. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^"Large Stations". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, NSW. 27 March 1916. p. 4. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
^"Skeleton Found in Gulf Country". The Cairns Post. Cairns, QLD. 1 July 1948. p. 5. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
^"Searching for Elderly Man". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane, QLD. 4 August 1953. p. 3. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
^"Homesteads - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
^"Taldora Station Cemetery". Interment.net. n.d. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
^ abcdefghijklmno"Heliports and landing grounds - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 22 October 2020. Archived from the original on 16 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.