Tieri and surrounds was originally home to the Western Kangoulu People who remain proud custodians of these lands.
We have a long history of human occupation due to the abundance of natural resources in the area. Settlement by European pastoralists began in the mid-1850s. These early settlers brought sheep to graze the pastures of the open downs country first travelled by the explorer Ludwig Leichhardt in 1845.
Following decades of wool growing, sheep were replaced with cattle grazing. Large-scale broad acre farming commenced in the 1950s, producing grain crops such as wheat, sorghum and sunflowers.
Immense change occurred when coal mining began in the early 1980s at the Oaky Creek mine. Tieri was built from the ground up to house mine workers and their families on ‘Crinum’ cattle property in 1983.
A purpose built town established in 1983 by the Government as a service centre for local coal mines, Tieri has since evolved into a strong country community with lots of character and charm. The town centre is a humble reminder of Tieri’s heritage, with streets named after the cattle stations which originally surrounded it.
Since the completion of Tieri’s first home in 1982, the township has grown to almost 2,000 residents.
Situated 4 hours west from Rockhampton and 15km west of Oaky Creek, Tieri is a well-equipped town with a local shopping centre, health care, day care, kindergarten and school, recreational clubs and sporting facilities.
The beautiful Whitsundays are just a 4 hour drive from Tieri, providing a convenient and affordable holiday destination for many of the town’s residents.
OAKY CREEK COAL
Oaky Creek Coal, a Glencore managed operation, commenced mining Open Cut Mining operations in 1982 with saleable coal being produced in December 1983. Underground mining commenced in July 1989 with longwall mining operations being established at Oaky No. 1 Mine in 1990.
Development work for a second underground longwall mine commenced at Oaky North Mine in 1995 and longwall coal was first produced in February 1999. In December 2006, open cut operations ceased due to the completion of economic reserves.
Oaky Creek Coal has substantial long-term reserves of high-quality medium volatile coking coal, a highly prized commodity in world markets.
