Atherton (Queensland) 5.52

Atherton is a town and locality on the Atherton Tablelands within the Tablelands Region, Far North Queensland, Australia. At the 2011 census, Atherton had a population of 7,287.HistoryThe town was named after John Atherton, a pioneer pastoralist who settled at Mareeba (then known as Emerald End) in 1875. The area was formerly known as Priors Pocket or Priors Creek.Atherton Post Office opened by 1903 (a receiving office had been open since 1889).The Atherton War Memorial commemorates local residents who died in World War I. It was dedicated on 1 May 1924 by the Tinaroo Shire chairman, Frederick Grau. It is the only war memorial in Queensland of a digger in an animated pose.The Atherton Courthouse was used as a wartime hospital for officers during World War II and has air raid bunkers beneath the building.Heritage listingsAtherton has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Herberton Road: Chinatown Herberton Road: Atherton Chinese Temple Kennedy Highway: Atherton War Memorial corner of Kennedy Highway and Rockley Road: Atherton War Cemetery 42 Mable Street: Atherton State School Head Teacher's Residence 53 Main Street: Barron Valley Hotel Mazlin Street: Merriland Hall