JULIA CREEK Julia Creek is one of the small towns on the hop route from Townsville to Mt Isa. Julia Creek is one of the smaller towns on this highway. That said there is a high level of community pride on display. The town was named after the niece of Donald McIntyre, the first white settler in the area. McIntyre took up a property called Dalgonally about 70 km north of the present site of the town in 1864, only a few years after the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition passed through the area. The township began life as a temporary terminus in 1907 when the railway was extended from Richmond to service the copper mines at Cloncurry. The town's main industries are farming, (especially the beef and wool industries), and mining, which is mainly centred around the BHP Billiton mine at nearby Cannington The town has a wine glass water tower that is supposed to be floodlit at night. Not on our visit. The Julia Creek Churches are of the modern era. The Julia Creek Museum is open at irregular times. Dependence on volunteers apparent. The Hotels in Julia Creek are in business, the Julia Creek Hotel has quite an interesting history. The Julia Creek War Memorial is in the main street. The traveler will pass through Julia Creek. A stopover is deserved. Heritage diary