Finch Hatton lies in the valley of Cattle Creek (a tributary of the Pioneer River) which flows from west to east through the locality. Although the centre of the locality beside the creek is at 100 metres above sea level, the northern and southern parts of the locality are mountainous rising to 970 metres in the north and 870 metres in the south.[4]
The valley contains the town, roughly centre of the locality. The Mackay–Eungella Road passes through the valley and the town from west to east, although it is called Anzac Parade within the town.[4]
History
The town is believed to be named after Hon. Harold Heneage Finch-Hatton (1856–1904), a British aristocrat turn grazier of Mount Spencer run (1881–83), and imperial federationist in United Kingdom (1884–1904).[2][3] He gave an account of his experiences in the area through his book entitled Advance Australia! This book covers various topics including the sugar industry, cattle grazing, Native Police, Aboriginals, Kanakas and gold mining techniques.[5]
The first settlers were Hermann Wilhelm Zahmel and his wife Adeline Wilhelmina (née Grawunder), who had immigrated from Germany to Queensland in 1872 and 1876 respectively. They married in Mackay in 1877. In 1889 the Zahmels acquired a parcel of land (Portion 1044 in the Parish of Mia Mia) to the west of the present-day town, where they raised a family of nine children.[6]
On 18 February 1958, Mackay was hit with massive flooding caused by heavy rainfall upstream with 878 millimetres (34.6 in) of rain falling at Finch Hatton in 24 hours. The flood peaked at 9.14 metres (29.99 ft).[12] The water flowed down the valley and flooded Mackay within hours. Residents were rescued off rooftops by boats and taken to emergency accommodation. The flood broke Australian records.[13]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, the locality of Finch Hatton had a population of 499 people.[14]
In the 2021 census, the locality of Finch Hatton had a population of 531 people.[1]
Heritage listings
Finch Hatton has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
The Mackay Regional Council operates a mobile library service on a fortnightly schedule at the corner of Zahmel Street and Mackay–Eungella Road.[19][20]
^"Finch Hatton". Queensland Places. Centre for the Government of Queensland, University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
Kerr, John; Mackay Sugar Co-operative Association (1991), Top mill in the valley : Cattle Creek Sugar Mill, Finch Hatton, 1906-1990, Boolarong Publications with Mackay Sugar Co-operative Association Limited, ISBN978-0-646-06298-3