Mitchell, Queensland, Australia

Mitchell is a town and locality in the Western Downs district of Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia. The town services the local area, a cattle and sheep farming district. In the 2011 census, Mitchell had a population of 1,311 people.GeographyMitchell is on the Warrego Highway, 587km west of Brisbane and 176km east of Charleville. The Warrego Highway passes through town to form the main street, Cambridge Street. The Maranoa River flows around the northern and eastern sides of the town before eventually flowing into the Balonne River.HistoryBefore the arrival of Europeans, the Maranoa region was occupied by the Mandandanji and Gunggari Aboriginal peoples. Based on archaeological excavations in the Mount Moffatt area, it has been deduced that the Aboriginals had lived there for around 19,500 years. Descendants of the original peoples still live in and visit the area today.The town is named after Sir Thomas Mitchell explorer and Surveyor General of New South Wales, who explored the area in 1846. In 1854, Edmund Morey established the property of Mitchell Downs. When the original homestead was largely destroyed by a flood in 1864, Thomas Close acquired the building's ruins established the Maranoa Hotel. On 1 January 1865, Mitchell Downs Post Office opened and around 1878 was renamed Mitchell Post Office.