STANTHORPE

town, southeastern Queensland, Australia, near the New South Wales border. Tin, discovered in 1872 in the locality, led to the development of the town, which was first called Stannum (Latin: tin). Lead and silver were found in 1880, and Stanthorpe was gazetted in 1902. On a rail line from Brisbane (105 miles northeast) and the New England Highway, the town now serves a region of sheep, vegetable, and fruit farming. Limestone is quarried, and the alluvial tin workings, dormant since 1900, have been reactivated. Stanthorpe is the centre of the Granite Belt, a region of spectacular geologic formations, much of which are protected in the Sundown and Girraween national parks. The town is a popular resort. Pop. (1986) 4,138.