Mingela
Mingela, with an estimated population of 20, is located 48 kilometres east of Charters Towers along the Flinders Highway to Townsville. Once you cross the railway line you drive into the remnants of what was once a busy little town. Mingela Hotel is a favourite watering hole for many in the region, especially on a Sunday, when many drive for miles to savour a hearty, home-cooked, country pub meal.
The site of Mingela was once known as Cunningham's Waterholes, named after Edward Cunningham who passed through here in 1861. These billabongs made a practical place for settlers and travellers to camp overnight.
Following the Ravenswood gold rush of 1869 it made the ideal location for a railway junction. The township of Cunningham was surveyed in 1881 and its name soon changed to Ravenswood Junction in 1884. When the railway line was closed in 1930, the name changed again to Mingela for the original Aboriginal place name of "Ming-illa", meaning big waterhole.
Bird life is prevalent during the wet season at the remaining waterholes near the Highway. It’s a perfect stop when travelling to Ravenswood and onto the mighty Burdekin Falls Dam.