Editing Mount Isa (section)

== History ==
Long before European contact, the Mount Isa region was a centre for trade and production of [[Diabase|dolerite]] and [[basalt]]<ref name=":04">Davidson, Iain; Cook, Nick; Fischer, Matthew; Ridges, Malcolm; Ross, June; Sutton, Stephen (2005). "Archaeology in Another Country: Exchange and Symbols in North-West Central Queensland" (PDF). In Macfarlane, Ingereth; Mountain, Mary-Jane; Paton, Robert (eds.). Many Exchanges: Archaeology, History, Community and the Work of Isabel McBryde. Canberra: Aboriginal History Inc. pp. 101–128. {{ISBN|0-9585637-7-2}}.</ref> stone tools and objects. There is evidence of ground-edge stone tools as old as 20,000 years, the earliest in the world, originating from Mount Isa quarries. As of about 1000 years before the present (BP), large, ground-edge stone axes from Mount Isa were particularly prized by the peoples of the Lake Eyre Basin. They were not only valuable tools, but valuable trade items as well, and were often traded for the tobacco plant [[pituri]].<ref name=":12">Tibbett, Kevin (2002). "Archaeological Analysis of Stone Axe Exchange Networks in the Lake Eyre Basin During the Mid-to Late Holocene". Australian Archaeology (55): 22–29.</ref> Archaeologist Iain Davidson suggests that they were traded partly for reasons unrelated to function, as they were often sought after despite the availability of local resources.<ref name=":04" /><ref name=":22">Davidson, Iain (2008), "Ethnological Studies and Archaeology of North West Central Queensland", The Roth Family, Anthropology, and Colonial Administration, Routledge, {{doi|10.4324/9781315417295}}, {{ISBN|978-1-315-41729-5}}, retrieved 2024-06-01</ref> Leilira blades were also likely produced in the Mount Isa region, though dating is uncertain.<ref name=":32">Tibbett, Kevin (June 2006). "When East Is Northwest: Expanding the Archaeological Boundary for Leilira Blade Production". Australian Archaeology. 62 (1): 26–30. {{doi|10.1080/03122417.2006.11681827}}. {{ISSN|0312-2417}}.</ref>

Rock art is abundant in the region as well.<ref name=":62">Isaacson, Ken (2016-06-16). "Archaeological Reflections of a 68-Year-Old Bushman". In Nicholas, George (ed.). Being and Becoming Indigenous Archaeologists. New York: Routledge. pp. 139–145. {{doi|10.4324/9781315433134}}. {{ISBN|978-1-315-43313-4}}.</ref> It largely consists of engraved [[Rock art|petrographs]] and free-painted designs; stenciled designs are rare.<ref name=":42">Wade, Victoria; Wallis, Lynley A.; Woolgar Valley Aboriginal Corporation (June 2011). "Style, Space And Social Interaction: An Archaeological Investigation of Rock Art in Inland North Queensland, Australia". Australian Archaeology. 72 (1): 23–34. {{doi|10.1080/03122417.2011.11690528}}. {{ISSN|0312-2417}}.</ref> Rock art in the Mount Isa region varies stylistically site-by-site, and includes circular, geometric, and figurative motifs.<ref name=":52">Bednarik, R. G. (2010). Australian Rock Art of the Pleistocene. Rock Art Research, 27(1), 95–120. <nowiki>https://rockartresearch.com/index.php/rock/article/download/51/48</nowiki></ref> One figurative motif particular to the Mount Isa region is the north-west central Queensland anthropomorph figure. They are usually painted one color with an outline in a different color (often red and yellow, respectively) and have distinctive feathered headdresses, no face, and often a third leg which is variously interpreted as either a penis or a lizard's tail. These figures are found near reliable water sources, and may have been used to mark trade and travel paths between regions. Analysis indicates that the [[Ochre|ochres]] used for the paint originate over 100km southeast of Mount Isa. Davidson suggests that, like the Mount Isa stone axes, the ochre was valued for cultural reasons in addition to functional, economic reasons. This, combined with dating marking the anthropomorphs and stone axes as contemporaneous at about 1000 BP, suggests that they were all intertwined components of an extensive trade network stretching across the entire Lake Eyre Basin.<ref name=":04" />

Some rock art depicting figures and hands in the Mount Isa region, including some of the north-west central Queensland anthropomorphs, have only three fingers. The reason is unclear, but it may have a connection to the later observed common practice among Kalkadoon women of amputation of the little finger. Though Mount Isa was a centre for trade, fundamental stylistic differences suggest that there was little to no artistic exchange between the Mount Isa region and surrounding regions, aside from the anthropomorphs.<ref name=":42" />

Mount Isa is located on the traditional land of the [[Kalkadoon people|Kalkadoon]] people. The endemic language of the area was [[Kalkatungu language|Kalkatunga]] (also known as Kalkadoon, Kalkadunga, Kalkatungu).<ref>{{Cite SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://maps.slq.qld.gov.au/iyil/view/78|title=Kalkatunga|author=|date=|website=Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages map|access-date=28 January 2020}}</ref>[[File:One of the first camps at Mount Isa, 1923.jpg|thumb|One of the first camps at Mount Isa, 1923]]

The Kalkadoon people first came into contact with advancing European pastoralists and miners in the mid 1860s, following the [[Burke and Wills expedition|Burke and Wills]] expedition to the Cape York Peninsula in 1861.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The First European Contact|url=https://www.cherneesutton.com.au/pages/the-first-european-contact|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Chern'ee Sutton|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725044018/https://www.cherneesutton.com.au/pages/the-first-european-contact|url-status=live}}</ref> As settlers and prospectors pressed further into their lands the Kalkadoon set out on one of Australia's most successful guerrilla wars, now known as the [[Kalkadoon Wars]] which took place from about 1871 to 1884. Their success continued until at Battle Mountain in 1884, when Kalkadoon people killed five Native Police and a prominent pastoralist. Only 29 Kalkadoon people survived. In response, the Queensland Government sending a large contingent of heavily armed patrols who chased surviving tribe members. It is estimated that 900 Kalkadoon people were killed during this six-year campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indigenous Australians: Australia's First Peoples exhibition 1996-2015|url=http://australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/indigenous-australians/|access-date=2021-07-25|website=The Australian Museum|language=en|archive-date=3 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803192200/https://australian.museum/about/history/exhibitions/indigenous-australians/|url-status=live}}</ref> There is now a memorial near the site of the Black Mountain.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Battle Mountain|url=https://www.cherneesutton.com.au/pages/battle-mountain|access-date=2021-07-25|website=Chern'ee Sutton|language=en|archive-date=25 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725044022/https://www.cherneesutton.com.au/pages/battle-mountain|url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:StateLibQld 2 239722 Greeting the officials train at Mount Isa, western Queensland.jpg|thumb|The Attorney General of Queensland, [[John Mullan (Australian politician)|John Mullan]], officially opened the railway line on 6 April 1929]]

In 1923, a lone prospector, [[John Campbell Miles]], stumbled upon one of the world's richest deposits of copper, silver and zinc during an expedition into the Northern Territory. When Miles inspected the yellow-black rocks in a nearby outcrop, they reminded him of the ore found in the Broken Hill mine that he had once worked at. Upon inspection these rocks were weighty and heavily mineralised. A sample sent away to the assayer in Cloncurry confirmed their value. Miles and four farmers staked out the first claims in the area. Taken with friend's stories of the [[Mount Ida Gold Mine|Mount Ida gold mines]] in Western Australia, Miles decided upon Mount Isa as the name for his new claim.[[File:StateLibQld 2 256762 Blast furnaces 1-2, Interior view of part of the smelter at Mt. Isa Mines, 1932.jpg|thumb|[[Smelter]] interior, 1932|left]][[File:StateLibQld 2 256694 Elevated view of the mining town of Mt. Isa, 1932.jpg|thumb|Township, 1932]]Mount Isa Post Office opened on 1 August 1924.<ref name="Post Office">{{Cite web  | last = Phoenix Auctions History  | title = Post Office List  | publisher = Phoenix Auctions  | url = http://www.phoenixauctions.com.au/cgi-bin/wsPhoenix.sh/Viewpocdwrapper.p?SortBy=QLD&filter=*Mount*Isa*  | access-date = 20 January 2021 }}</ref>[[File:StateLibQld 2 242577 Main street in Mount Isa with Smiths Hotel on the left, ca. 1936.jpg|thumb|Main street, {{circa|1936}}]]A location for the town's hospital was chosen in 1929, with a small building completed the following year.<ref name="dqh" />  In 1931, a larger structure was moved to the site from the closed mining town of Kuridala.<ref name="dqh" />[[File:Mt Isa Street Scene in June 1962.jpg|thumb|Mt Isa Street, 1962]]In 1970, [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]], [[Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh|The Duke of Edinburgh]] and [[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Anne]] toured Australia including Queensland. The Queensland tour began on Sunday 12 April when the royal yacht ''Britannia'' entered Moreton Bay at Caloundra, sailing into Newstead Wharf. After visiting Brisbane and Longreach next on the tour was Mount Isa and while there the royals were driven to Kalkadoon Park where the royal couple witnessed a programmed event under the guidance of Ringmaster Mr. J. O’Shea. Kalkadoon Park was the original site of the famous Mount Isa rodeo. The following day, on 16 April, the Duke of Edinburgh was taken on an underground tour of the [[Mount Isa Mines|Mount Isa mine]] while Queen Elizabeth stayed above ground. The Marshalling Area around R62 Shaft Winder Tower was cleaned, and a display was set up using operational mining equipment from underground so Queen Elizabeth II could see it in action. The display was designed to demonstrate the operation of an EIMCO air powered rail mounted [[Rocker Shovel Loader|rocker shovel]] loading ore.<ref>{{SLQ-CC-BY|url=https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/state-queensland-welcomes-royalty-1970-part-1-inland-tour|title=The state of Queensland welcomes royalty in 1970 - Part 1 The Inland Tour|date=6 May 2022|author(s)=Anne Scheu|accessdate=18 May 2022}}</ref>[[File:StateLibQld 2 273587 Mines in Mount Isa, 1954.jpg|thumb|Mining in 1951]]The Mount Isa City Library opened in 1974.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/388497/SLQ_StatsBulletin1617_20171109.pdf|title=Queensland Public Libraries Statistical Bulletin 2016-2017|date=November 2017|website=Public Libraries Connect|publisher=State Library of Queensland|access-date=30 January 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130022546/http://www.plconnect.slq.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/388497/SLQ_StatsBulletin1617_20171109.pdf|archive-date=30 January 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

On 9 June 2000, the first torch relay in Queensland for the [[2000 Summer Olympics|Sydney 2000 Olympics]] reached Mount Isa.

In 2008, plans were made to build a massive motor sports complex on the city's north-eastern outskirts, but as of 2024 it had not been built.<ref>{{cite web |last=WALTON |first=SAMANTHA |date=7 March 2016 |title=Mt Isa wants motorsports |url=http://www.northweststar.com.au/story/3774111/mt-isa-wants-motorsports/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817133215/http://www.northweststar.com.au/story/3774111/mt-isa-wants-motorsports/ |archive-date=17 August 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In 2008, a [[Queensland Health]] report found that more than 10% of children in Mount Isa had [[blood lead level]]s above [[World Health Organization]] recommendations. The mining operator Glencore denied responsibility and stated that the town has naturally high levels of lead in the soil.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 2008 |title=Mount Isa Community: Lead Screening Program 2006-7 |url=http://www.health.qld.gov.au/ph/documents/tphn/mtisa_leadrpt.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929075526/https://www.health.qld.gov.au/ph/documents/tphn/mtisa_leadrpt.pdf |archive-date=29 September 2015 |access-date=12 July 2014 |publisher=[[Queensland Government]] |df=dmy-all}}</ref> However, a more recent study led by Macquarie University environmental engineers has used lead isotope analysis to show conclusively that the lead ingested had originated from smelted ore and not surface deposits.<ref>{{cite web |date=17 June 2013 |title=Xstrata mining emissions causing lead poisoning |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-17/mining-emissions-in-mount-isa-cause-lead-poisoning-in-children/4757502 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403192621/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-17/mining-emissions-in-mount-isa-cause-lead-poisoning-in-children/4757502 |archive-date=3 April 2015 |access-date=9 March 2015 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Mackay, A.K.|author2=Taylor, M.P.|author3=Munksgaard, N.C.|author4=Hudson-Edwards, K.A.|author4-link=Karen Hudson-Edwards|author5=Burn-Nunes, L. |date=September 2013 |title=Identification of environmental lead sources, pathways and forms in a mining and smelting town: Mount Isa, Australia. |journal=Environmental Pollution |volume=180 |pages=304–311 |doi=10.1016/j.envpol.2013.05.007 |pmid=23770073}}</ref>

In 2015, Mt Isa formed its own Symphony Orchestra, acclaimed as the "most remote in the world".<ref name="Orchestra">{{cite news |last=Burns |first=Chris |date=17 March 2015 |title=Mount Isa symphony orchestra 'most remote in the world' |work=Daily Advertiser |url=http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/2949693/mount-isa-symphony-orchestra-most-remote-in-the-world/?cs=2452 |url-status=live |access-date=29 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713045658/http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/2949693/mount-isa-symphony-orchestra-most-remote-in-the-world/?cs=2452 |archive-date=13 July 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Inaugurated on 23 July 2015, the event attracted several stars of the music world, including world-famous jazz musician [[James Morrison (musician)|James Morrison]]. Morrison also figured in the premiere of [[Matthew Dewey|Matthew Dewey's]] 'Symphony of the Inland Sea', composed for the occasion.<ref name="Orchestra" />

On 5 March 2017, Mount Isa was chosen as a host city of the [[2018 Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay]], along with [[Cloncurry, Queensland|Cloncurry]], [[Hughenden, Queensland|Hughenden]], [[Winton, Queensland|Winton]] and [[Birdsville]]. The baton passed through the Mount Isa CBD and suburbs and regions en route before the opening ceremony on the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-10-17 |title=Locals chosen for Commonwealth Games baton relay |url=https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/4990860/locals-chosen-for-commonwealth-games-baton-relay/ |access-date=2022-05-28 |website=The North West Star |language=en-AU |archive-date=26 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626195606/https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/4990860/locals-chosen-for-commonwealth-games-baton-relay/ |url-status=live }}</ref>