Miles (Queensland)

Miles is a town and a locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. At the 2011 census, Miles had a population of 1,170.GeographyThe town is on the Warrego Highway, 340km west of Brisbane, the state capital.HistoryFormerly known as Dogwood Crossing, the town is situated on Dogwood Creek, named by German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt in 1844. The town was renamed Miles in honour of the Queensland Colonial Secretary, William Miles. Miles Post Office opened on 3 January 1878.Miles Provisional School opened on 31 May 1880, becoming Miles State School on 18 January 1886.Holy Cross School opened in 1926. It closed on 15 December 1989.The Miles War Memorial and Wall of Remembrance was erected by the Murilla Shire Council and dedicated on 25 April 1967.Miles State High School opened on 30 January 1979.ClimateMiles is located on the Western Downs, at an elevation of 304 m. The region around Miles has hot summers with mean maximum temperatures in January of 33.4° Celsius falling to 19.6 in July. Average rainfall is 655.7 mm, falling mainly in the period between November and MarchIndustryThe economy of Miles is based mainly on agriculture and cropping, producing wheat, sorghum, barley and cotton. Timber production is another area of economic activity and in common with much of Western Queensland, cattle and sheep grazing, including feedlots is widespread.