Moranbah is a coal mining town and locality in the Isaac Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Moranbah had a population of 9,425 people.
In addition to the permanent population, Moranbah also has a large fly-in fly-out population working in Moranbah's mines: in excess of 1,500.
Geography.
The Peak Downs Highway between Mackay and Clermont passes through the south of the locality; the town is north of the highway via the Moranbah Access Road.
Moranbah Airport is also on the Moranbah Access Road, by road of the town ().
Climate.
Moranbah experiences a subtropical semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) with hot, relatively wet summers and very mild, dry winters with cool nights.
History.
The first European to explore the region was Ludwig Leichhardt in January 1845, and the area was first settled by pastoralists in the 1850s.
Moranbah was established in 1969. The town was rapidly expanded in the late 1970s by the Utah Development Company to house mine workers. It has been featured twice (once in 1977 and again in 2012) on Four Corners, an investigative news program, exploring the effects of Australia's various mining booms on local rural communities.
Moranbah State School opened on 1 January 1971 with a secondary department, which became Moranbah State High School on 25 January 1976. Moranbah East State School opened on 27 January 1981.
Moranbah Post Office opened on 1 March 1971.
In 2011, the Queensland Government's Office of Economic and Statistical Research reported Moranbah as the most expensive place to live in the state of Queensland. The study compared the cost of goods and services such as rent, electricity and household fuels in regional areas, to those in Brisbane and found Moranbah in first place with a housing index at 65 per cent higher than that of Brisbane. Since then, housing prices and accommodation rentals have returned to much more affordable levels. For example, the median house price in Moranbah between September 20203 and August 2024 was $350,000.
In 2021, the town celebrated its 50th anniversary with four days of jubilee celebrations, held across the Labour Day long weekend from 30 April 2021 to 3 May 2021. The event had been earlier postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Demographics.
In the 2011 census, the locality of Moranbah had a population of 8,965 people.
In the 2016 census, the locality of Moranbah had a population of 8,735 people.
In the 2021 census, the locality of Moranbah had a population of 9,425 people.
Economy.
Moranbah services the Peak Downs Mine, Goonyella Riverside Mine, Broadmeadow Mine, Grosvenor Mine, Olive Downs mine, Moranbah North coal mine, North Goonyella coal mine and several other smaller mines in the region. Although one of the newest towns in the region, its central location and large population has made it the seat of the Isaac Regional Council.
Approximately 100,000 workers have been employed in coal mining over Moranbah's 50-year history. 
Education.
Moranbah State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at Belyando Avenue (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 567 students with 42 teachers (37 full-time equivalent) and 31 non-teaching staff (19 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.
Moranbah East State School is a government primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 4 Williams Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 605 students with 35 teachers (34 full-time equivalent) and 30 non-teaching staff (18 full-time equivalent).
Moranbah State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at Mills Avenue (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 654 students with 56 teachers (55 full-time equivalent) and 30 non-teaching staff (23 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program.
Amenities.
For a small regional town it offers a diverse range of sports and entertainment facilities including a skate park, library, public swimming pool, soccer, rugby league, golf course, AFL, hockey, tennis, off-road racing, motocross and a BMX club.
Isaac Regional Council operates a public library located at Grosvenor Complex, Batchelor Parade, Town Square.
The Moranbah branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association meets at the QCWA Meeting Room at Town Square.
Churches in the town include:
Sport.
Sporting facilities in the town include:
Notable residents.
The following people were born in, or have lived in, Moranbah:
References.
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