Springsure, Queensland

Springsure is a small town in Queensland, 66 km south of Emerald on the Gregory Highway. It is 765 km northwest of Brisbane. At the, Springsure had a population of 829.

History
The area was first explored by Ludwig Leichhardt and his favourable reports encouraged settlers to move in. Springsure saw a massacre of Europeans by the Aboriginal Australian people, the Kairi, who resisted encroachment on their lands (Known as the Wills massacre or Cullin-La-Ringo massacre). At least 19 are known to have perished.

On 6 December 1919, the Springsure State School Memorial Fountain was dedicated by Mrs Annie Wheeler (née Laurie), a former pupil at the school. The memorial is a marble fountain and commemorates students of the school who served in World War 1.

On 16 November 1943 a Douglas C-47A Skytrain broke up in mid-air during a violent storm in the area, and crashed on Rewan Station, just south of Spingsure. All 19 people on board the aircraft perished in the crash.

Today, Springsure is a pastoral settlement serving cattle farms as well as sunflower, sorghum, wheat and chickpea plantations.

Heritage listings
Springsure has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
 * Wealwandangie Road: Old Rainworth Stone Store
 * 13 Woodbine Street: Springsure Hospital Museum

Feature
A cliff face in the hills surrounding Springsure is known to the area as Virgin Rock, named because it once looked like the Virgin Mary cradling the baby Jesus, although years of erosion have blurred the original resemblance.

Facilities
Facilities at Springsure include an airport, caravan park, hospital, library, motocross track, police station, service station and showground.

Mining
Springsure is the hub for several coal mines such as the Minerva Mine and the Rolleston Mine. These mines are letting Springsure prosper. Significant exploration is ongoing in the district. It is also a staging point for expeditions to the Carnarvon National Park.