The Great Northern railway line runs immediately parallel and west of the eastern boundary of the locality, while the Flinders Highway runs immediately parallel and east of the eastern boundary of the localilty. Both the railway and the highway enter from the north-east (Woodstock) and exit to the south-west (Reid River). No railway stations serve the locality today.[3]
The Mingela State Forest occupies the south and west of the locality. Apart from this protected area, the land use is mostly grazing on native vegetation with crop growing in the north-west of the locality. There are some historic limestone mines in the centre of the locality.[10]
Manton Provisional School opened on 1 October 1903. In 1908, it reported an average daily attendance of 11.8 students.[15] It become Manton State School on 1 January 1909. In 1920, it began to operate as a half-time school in conjunction with Toonpan Provisional School (meaning one teacher was shared between the two schools). It returned to full-time school status in 1923. Due to low student numbers, it closed in October 1924, but reopened in 1928, closing again in 1930. The school reopened in 1934 with 14 students.[16][17][18] It closed permanently on 18 August 1946 .[19][20] The school was on a 5-acre (2.0 ha) site at 4073 Burdekin Highway (now Flinders Highway in neighbouring Woodstock, 19°39′12″S146°50′12″E / 19.65338°S 146.83664°E / -19.65338; 146.83664 (Manton State School (former))).[21][22][23][24]
Demographics
In the 2016 census, Calcium had a population of 21 people.[25]
In the 2021 census, Calcium had a population of 12 people.[1]
Education
There are no schools in Calcium. The nearest government primary school is Woodstock State School in neighbouring Woodstock to the north. The nearest government secondary school is William Ross State High School in Annandale to the north; however, students living in the south-west of Calcium might be too distant from this school with the alternatives being distance education and boarding school. There are also non-government schools in Annandale and other southern suburbs of Townsville.[26]
^"SKETCHER". The Queenslander. No. 2454. Queensland, Australia. 28 March 1914. p. 8. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Calcium North". Queensland Minerals. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
^"State Schools". The Evening Telegraph. Vol. 8, no. 2223. Queensland, Australia. 4 August 1908. p. 3. Retrieved 6 June 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
^"NEW RESERVES". The Brisbane Courier. Vol. LIX, no. 14, 022. Queensland, Australia. 20 December 1902. p. 10. Retrieved 6 June 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
Woodstock State School centenary, 1890-1990 : including Manton, Reid River & Toonpan schools. Woodstock Centenary Committee. 1990. ISBN0646008374. — via State Library of Queensland
