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550 KM West of Brisbane
History – Located on the Queensland – New South Wales border, explorer SirThomasMitchell travelled through the Balonne region in 1846, naming an area off the BalonneRiver - St George after a special day of the same name. St George was the first official town in the region when it was proclaimed in 1862. As settlers moved into the region, other towns were developed in the area.
Indigenous Tribes – Koamu, Mandandanji, Kunggari and Morowari people
Industries – cotton, wheat, cattle, goats, sheep, table grapes, wine, rockmelons, soybeans, sorghum, nuts and legumes
- Bollon – became a town in 1879 and has a large koala population as well as over 110 species of birds, some of which are rare.
- Dirranbandi – has one of the largest privately owned cotton properties in Australia.
- Hebel – believed to have been the hiding spot for Dan Kelly and Steve Hart from the infamous Ned Kelly gang.
- Mungindi – the only town in Australia that is retains the same name on two sides of a border and is provided for by two local councils and two state governments.
- St George – often referred to as an “Oasis”, the town claims to be the home of the only known Aboriginal fighter pilot to serve in World War II. It was Warrant Officer Leonard Victor Waters.
- Thallon – The result of land being resumed in 1911 for closer settlement.
168 KM West of Emerald
(Formed following the amalgamation of the Aramac, Barcaldine and Jericho Shire Councils - 15 March 2008).
History – Major Thomas Mitchell was the first European explorer to travel westward in 1846. The development of the region grew following the construction of a railway line from Rockhampton.Towns were established along the railway line as it was built, including Jericho and Barcaldine.
Indigenous Tribes – Iningai, Wadjabangai, Iiba, Iningas, Jagalingu, Jirandali, Mootaburra, Pitjara, and Kuungkari people.
Industries – wool growing and sheep and cattle grazing.
- Alpha – the “gateway to the west” has many of its streets named after poets and is the home of many murals with 33 public artworks to be seen throughout the town.
- Jericho – named by Willoughby Hannam in 1879 as a biblical reference to the nearby Jordon River, named by an early settler Harry Jordon.
- Aramac – named Aramac after the carving of initials in a tree (R.R.Mac) by Robert Mackenzie who explored the area in the early 1850s.
- Muttaburra – the site where the Muttaburrasauras Langdoni was found in 1963. It was one of the first most complete dinosaur skeleton found in Australia.
- Barcaldine - was the central meeting place for striking shearers who protested against poor working conditions and low wages in 1891. It was from these strikes that led to the establishment of the Australian Labor Party under the Tree of Knowledge.
220 KM south of Longreach
History – Explorer CharlesSturt discovered the Coopers Creek in 1845, naming it after his friend Charles Cooper who was the Chief Justice of South Australia. Coopers Creek is the only one of its type in the world where two rivers (Thompson and Barcoo) meet to form a river. Jundah was the first town to be established in 1883, followed by Windorah and Stonehenge. Initially, the shire was a part of the Diamantina Divisional Board but local residents successfully petitioned for the establishment of their own board in 1887. The Barcoo Divisional Board included Isisford before that too was separated in 1904. Barcoo Shire Council was formed in 1903.
Indigenous Tribes – Karuwali, Malintji, Kuungkari, Marulta, Bidia, Kulumali, and Kungadutji people
Industries – beef production, opal mining, oil and gas, and tourism
- Jundah – one of world’s largest boulder opals was found in Jundah during 1989 and nicknamed the Galaxy Opal. It was valued at $1.2 million dollars.
- Stonehenge – the site of one of three areas chosen by the Defence Department for the “Over the Horizon radar initiative”, which guards the eastern coastline – despite Stonehenge being a long way from the coast.
- Windorah – the inspiration for Banjo Patterson’s poem – “Clancy of the Overflow”. Also holds the international Yabby races each year.
800 KM West of Rockhampton
(Formed following the amalgamation of the Blackall and Tambo Shire Councils - 15 March 2008).
History – Sir Thomas Mitchell first explored the region in 1846. He called the Barcoo River “Victoria” because he thought it flowed into the Gulf of Carpentaria. However, another explorer Edmund Kennedy came back to the area a year later and found that it was in fact a very separate river system. People began settling in the area around Blackall in 1846 but the local township was not surveyed and gazetted until 1868.. Augustus Gregory visited the area around Tambo in 1858 searching for explorer Ludwig Leichhardt who it was believed to have been murdered in the area. Soon after, pastoralists flocked to that area and the township of Tambo was surveyed and gazetted.
Indigenous Tribes – Pitjara, Kunja, Wadjabangai, Kuungakari, and Wadjalang people
Industries – sheep and cattle grazing, wool, timber kangaroo harvesting, and tourism
- Blackall – well known for being the home of shearing legend Jack Howe who set the world record of shearing 321 sheep in 7 hours and 40 minutes with blade shears in 1892. It took another 50 years before someone could match that feat and it was with machine shears.
- Tambo - the oldest town in western Queensland. Tambo is now known for the teddies it has produced, naming each one after a local station. It is also well known Australia-wide for its sheep skin products.
566 KM West of Brisbane
History – Sir Thomas Mitchell explored the Booringa shire during 1846 trying to find an inland route from Sydney to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Pastoralists started to settle in the area in 1854 when Edmund Morey set up Mitchell Downs – naming it after the explorer. However, when the homestead was destroyed in 1864, it was taken over by Thomas Close and was converted into the Maranoa Hotel. This started the settlement of Mitchell. As the railway line was being constructed to western Queensland, two more towns were established to service the railway industry. They have survived as small communities servicing the surrounding area.
Indigenous Tribes – Mandandanji, Kunggari, Koamu, Kunggari, Nguri, Kongabula and Kunja people
Industries – grain, cattle, sheep, and cypress pine
- Amby – the site of a large lava flow of pure basalt which is quarried for the construction of roads, bridges and dames.
- Mitchell – the spot where the infamous Kenniff brothers – Patrick and James – were tried for the murder of a policeman and station manager in 1902. It led to a debate about the abolition of capital punishment in Queensland.
- Mungallala – the place of a rare tree known as Ooline. It is said to be the remnants of rainforests from a previous age.
300 KM south of MountIsa
History – Burke and Wills were the first Europeans to travel through the Boulia shire in 1861, on their ill-fated trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Burke gave his name to the river that stands near where the township of Boulia now lies. The first European to settle in the area was John Farrar in 1876. The reserve was transferred to Messes Ried and W.Patterson the following year. In 1879 the land was resumed for a township to be established in the area. Halfway between Windorah and Camooweal, Boulia became a popular stopping point on a well used stock route. Boulia Divisional Board was gazetted in 1887. The shire is well-known for two events. The first being the Min Min Light which first appeared near the old Min Min Hotel in 1918. The hotel burned down in 1918 when a stockman claimed to have been followed by a light on a journey to Boulia. No one has been able to satisfactory explain the phenomenon as no one has ever seen the light from a close distance. Boulia is also known for the camel races held in July every year.
Indigenous Tribes – Pitta Pitta, Waluwara, Rungarungawa, Wongkadjera, Ringaringa, Rakkaia, Kungkalenja, Julaolinja and Andakerebina people
Industries – beef and wool
Bulloo Shire Council
1014 KM west of Brisbane
History – Vincent Dowling travelled through Bulloo shire in 1859. Burke and Wills reached the area on their trip to the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1860, stopping at what is now Bulloo Station. Three men in the expedition died at that site during the visit. Dowling returned to the shire in 1864, establishing Thargomindah Station. He was followed soon after by other pastoralists who set up other stations in the shire. The township of Thargomindah was gazetted in 1874 to service stations throughout the area.
Indigenous Tribes – Wongkumara, Jandruwanta, Wadikali, Thereila, Bitjara, Karenggapa, Ngandangara, and Punthamara people
Industries – beef, wool, opals, oil and gas
- Cameron Corner – where the three states of New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland meets. The location of the community is in QLD but the town receives supplies from NSW and telephone services from SA.
- Hungerford – named after pioneer pastoralist Thomas Hungerford.
- Noccundra – site of the memorial for the ill-fated Hume expedition where members of the group died of thirst searching for survivors of the lost Leichhardt Expedition.
- Thargomindah – had Australia’s first hydroelectric scheme powered by a high-pressure artesian bore. It was one of three major centres for electricity in the world, surpassed only by London and Paris.
125 East of MountIsa
History – The Burke and Wills ill-fated expedition travelled through the Cloncurry in 1861. Burke named the local river after his cousin Lady ElizabethCloncurry. They were followed by JohnMcKinlay who went searching for members of the group and noted traces of copper in the area. However, it was prospector and pastoralist ErnestHenry who discovered copper in 1867, which led to the establishment of the Great Australian Mine. Cloncurry was gazetted in 1876 and became a major transport link from western Queensland to the east coast. The railway reached the town in 1908, encouraging growth in the area. However, the decline of copper prices led to the closure of the Great Australian Mine in 1920 and it was the far western town of Mount Isa that took over as a vital base for transport to the area. Cloncurry is also noted for a number of other events in the 1900. It was the place where the idea for Qantas was first mooted and it was the location where the popular Royal Flying Doctor Service was launched.
Indigenous Tribes – Wunumara, Wanam, Maithakari, Kaladunga, Janda, Jalanga and Maijabi people
Industries – sheep and cattle
- Cloncurry
- Duchess – now a isolated mining town, it once boasted more copper than Cloncurry’s Great Australian Mine
1600 KM west of Brisbane
History – Charles Sturt was the first European to explore the Birdsville area while trying to reach the middle of Australia from New South Wales in 1845. He named the Coopers Creek after an Adelaide Barrister who later became the Chief Justice of South Australia. Sturt’s expedition was followed by Burke and Wills in 1861. John Costello settled in the Diamantina shire in 1868. In 1878, W.OHodgkinson was sent by the then Queensland Governor to explore the western edge of the region. Surveyor Augustus Poeppel was the next person to travel through the area in 1883. The township of Birdsville was proclaimed in 1887, with Bedourie and Betoota gazetted over the next two years. Pastoralists had already begun settling in the area during the 1870s with the establishment of the stations called Pandie Pandie, AltonDowns, and Planet Downs. Birdsville was originally named Diamantina Crossing in 1866 by explorer William Landsborough, but was renamed due to its diversity of birdlife. It became important during the 1880s when stockman found an efficient cattle route through South Australia to the coastal regions.
Indigenous Tribes – Wangkangurru, Lanima, Kungalenja, Karanja, Mitaka, Jeljendi, Maiawali, and Wangkamadla people
Industries – cattle and tourism
- Bedourie – the home of the Bedourie Camp Oven invented by drover camps over the years
- Betoota – started as a border town to collect tolls and taxes from people travelling between South Australia and Queensland. This stopped on the establishment of Federation.
- Birdsville – well known for the annual Birdsville horse races in which the population grows from 120 to 6000 people in two days.
376 KM west of Townsville
History – The Flinders River which is a key landmark of Flinders shire was first discovered by Lt Stokes in 1841. The next explorer to travel the region was FrederickWalker who was searching for the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition in 1861. He was followed by WilliamLandsborough who camped at the present site of Hughenden in 1862. The first settler was ErnestHenry who took up Hughenden Station, naming it after the English home of his maternal grandfather. The township of Hughenden was established in 1866. The railway arrived in 1905, ensuring Hughenden’s survival as a service town for the surrounding pastoral stations.
Indigenous Tribes – Dalleburra and Jirandali, Kutjala people
Industries – sheep, cattle and tourism
- Hughenden – the location of the first entire Muttaburrasauras dinosaur found in Australia in 1987.
- Prairie – was a major Cobb and Co Coach stopover point during the 1870s but is much quieter today.
- Stamford – dubbed the dinosaur way, the town was originally a part of the Katandra Station.
- Torrens Creek – was utilised as an ammunition dump by allied forces during World War 2, and is the site of an accident in which a huge explosion resulted from an uncontrolled fire during 1942.
676 KM west of Rockhampton
(Formed following the amalgamation of the Longreach, Ilfracombe and Isisford Shire Councils - 15 March 2008).
History – Sir Thomas Mitchell was the first European to travel through the region 1846, naming Yuranigh Pond near Isisford after his aboriginal headman. Explorer Edmund Kennedy travelled through the area in 1847, discovering and naming the Thompson River on which the town of Longreach now sits. It was also believed that explorer Ludwig Leichhardt passed through the area in 1848 before he disappeard. However, the area wasn’t really explored until the early 1860s when explorers William Landsborough and Nat Buchannan travelled through the area and set up Bowen Downs in 1863. Pastoralists then began moving into the region in 1865 establishing Portland Downs, Isis Downs, Ruthven, Louisa Downs and Emmet Downs. Towns began springing up following the establishment of a railway line from Rockhampton. The railway was a vital vital transport link for the surrounding properties but as transport efficiency grew it saw the decline in population numbers in the area with many of the stations broken up into smaller blocks of land.
Indigenous Tribes – Iningai, Malintji and Kunngkari people
Industries – sheep, cattle, wool and tourism
- Longreach - Longreach’s claim to fame is Qantas – formally known as the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service. Longreach was where Australia’s first hanger and purpose built landing field was built in 1921. The first six Qantas aircraft were constructed in Longreach. It is also the location of the Australian Stockman Hall of Fame which was opened in 1988 and saw the encouragement of tourism in outback Queensland.
- Isisford - The town of Isisford was established in 1877 when a couple of hawkers by the name of Whitman could not cross the river when the axle of their wagon broke. They decided to stay in the area and named the new township Whitman but that was changed in 1878 to Isisford because it was closed to the homestead of IsisDowns and it was at the ford of the river.
- Ilfracombe - Ilfracombe can lay claim to being the first to receiving a motorised mail service in Australia. It started between the towns of Ilfracombe and Isisford in 1910.
632 KM west of Townsville
History – The ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition passed through the McKinlay shire in 1861 but was not opened up until a year later when explorers William Landsborough and Frederick Walker travelled through looking for Burke and Wills. The first settler was Donald MacIntyre who established Dalgonally Station in 1862. McKinlay shire was named after JohnMcKinlay who undertook the first trip across Australia from Adelaide to the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1861-62. The region began to develop following the establishment of a railway line in 1908. JuliaCreek was the first European settlement in north-west Queensland. It was named after the niece of DonaldMacintyre. McKinlay is now a major stock trucking and cattle sales centre.
Indigenous Tribes – Wanam and Ngaun people
Industries – cattle, sheep, mining and tourism
- Julia Creek – home to the endangered species known as the Julia Creek Dunnart. A small carnivorous marsupial which has only been sighted a few times over the years due to its nocturnal nature.
- McKinlay – the site of the Walkabout Creek Hotel which was the location for the Crocodile Dundee movies.
- Kynuna – the location of the Blue Heeler Pub which was where the song “Waltzing Matilda” was first performed.
883 KM west of Townsville
History – Pastoralists started settling in the MountIsa region during the 1870s but the local aborigines resisted the encroachment on their land with a large massacre recorded in 1884. Copper was mined in the area during the 1880s but it was unprofitable so it didn’t continue. It was 1923 when prospector John Campbell Miles discovered large amounts of silver-lead-zinc deposits. Initially the location was called Mount Ida after a gold mine in Western Australia but that soon changed following the establishment of the company – MountIsa Mines in 1924. As the location was isolated MIM started to build a mining town which is today known as MountIsa. Development of the town was encouraged following the establishment of the railway from Townsville in 1929. Up until 1963, MountIsa came under the Cloncurry Shire Council before becoming Mount Isa Shire Council. It was formed from Cloncurry Shire Council’s division four and the area of the former Barkley Tableland Shire Council which included the township of Camooweal. In 1968, MountIsa was proclaimed a city and was declared the largest city in the world with its total area exceeding 40,977 square kilometres. It also has the longest city road in the world with the main street extending 189 kilometres between MountIsa and Camooweal.
Indigenous Tribes – Kalkadunga, Wakabunga, Indjilandji, Wakaja, and Jaroinga people
Industries – cattle, mining and tourism
- Camooweal – was once a massive droving centre for the largest cattle drivers in the world. It now celebrates its heritage with the Drovers Festival every year.
- Mount Isa – the youngest town in Queensland, Mount Isa hosts one of the richest and largest rodeos in the world, as well as being the world’s largest single producer of copper, silver, lead and zinc.
758 KM west of Brisbane
History – Edmund Kennedy was the first European to explore the Murweh shire in 1847. He was followed by AC Gregory and William Landsborough in 1958. Settlement in the town began in the 1860s with Charleville established as a township in 1866. It was named by the surveyor WA Tully who wanted to call it after a town he lived in Ireland. The area started to grow following the establishment of the railway in 1888 and the Cobb and Co Coach Service in 1890. Cobb and Co closed its service in 1920 after people became motorised. The area is now targeting the tourism industry with more people interested in visiting outback Queensland.
Indigenous Tribes – Kunja, Wadjalang, Pitjara and Maranganji people
Industries – sheep, beef, cotton, kangaroo, timber and tourism
- Augathella – known as the “Home of the Meat Ant” – a species of ant which is said to be capable of carrying 100 times their weight.
- Charleville – the location where the first regular Qantas flight took off. Also, the spot where Cobb and Co Coaches based its large coach making business in 1890. Also, the home of a special enclosure for the endangered Bilby.
- Cooladdi
- Morven – was initially a camping spot for early travellers throughout the outback
972 KM west of Brisbane
History – Paroo shire was settled in the 1850s after Sir Thomas Mitchell passed through the area in 1846. He thought the Victoria River flowed into the Gulf of Carpentaria. However, Edmund Kennedy travelled back to the area in 1847 and found this to be untrue. A number of vast sheep and cattle stations were established throughout the region but it was William Landsborough positive reports of the shire in 1862 that saw it being opened up. Cunnamulla was the first town to be formed in 1879 as it was on the intersection of two major stock routes. A regular Cobb and Co Coach Service and the establishment of the railway allowed the area to continue to develop.
Indigenous Tribes – Dadjiri, Kalali, Maranganji, Kunja, Kunggari and Morowari people
Industries – sheep, cattle, fruit, honey, opal mining and tourism
- Cunnamulla – has what is known as the “Robbers Tree” where bank robber Joseph Wells concealed himself in whilst trying to hide from the police in 1880. It was dogs that alerted officers to his location.
- Eulo – holds the annual Cunnamulla Eulo World Championship Lizard Races. It also was the home of Isabel Robinson who migrated to Australia in 1878 and became known in the local area as the Eulo Queen.
- Yowah – built on the Yowah Opal Mining Field, registered in 1883. Known for the Yowah nuts which can contain a kernel of crystal opal.
- Wyandra
980 KM west of Brisbane
History – Pastoralists settled in the Quilpie shire in the second half of the 19 th century, with the early pioneers including the Costello, Tully and Durack families. However, it didn’t start to grow until Queensland’s first opal was found on Listowel Downs, south of Blackall, in 1869. The first registered opal mine was established in 1871, south of the present town of Quilpie. By 1875 interest began to grow in opal mining, especially after a number of great finds. However, the industry slowed down during the two world wars. It was only in 1967 when a pharmacist from QuilpieDesBurton helped revitalise the industry. He introduced modern opal cut mining techniques which cemented Quilpie as the home of opal mining.
Indigenous Tribes – Karendala, Kulumali, Ngandangara, Wadjalang, and Punthamara people
Industries – sheep, cattle, oil and gas, opal mining and tourism
- Adavale – proclaimed in 1872 the town had five hotels where Cobb and Co Coaches use to stop so passengers could quench their thirst.
- Cheepie – established in 1914 when railway was extended to the town. It used to be a service town but now just has a post office.
- Eromanga – named “Opal Opolis” because of the number of opals found in the area. It’s also a major oil producer.
- Quilpie – the only producer of the ironstone boulder opal and Quilpie is the biggest miner of the opal.
- Toompine – nicknamed “Pub without a Town”. It was once a stop over point for the Cobb and Co Coaches but the pub is all that remains today.
500 KM west of Townsville
History – William Landsborough was the first European explorer to pass through Richmond shire whilst looking for Burke and Wills in 1862. He noted the Flinders River – Queensland’s longest river – and the high grounds on its banks. Pastoralists Bundock and Hayes were the first people to settle in the area, establishing the Richmond Downs Pastoral Run in 1862. The discovery of gold at the Woolgar fields south of Richmond saw a rush of miners settle in the area and it became a major pick up point for Cobb and Co Coaches. The Richmond Township was surveyed in 1882 and was named after the station on which it was sited. The railway reached the area in 1904 and Richmond became an important service centre for surrounding properties. It is now cashing in on the large number of tourists now visiting the outback with Richmond known for KronosaurusKorner which holds some of Australia’s best vertebrate and marine fossils. Richmond was once a part of a massive inland sea.
Indigenous Tribes – Oonoomurra, Mitjamba, Wanam and Jirandali people
Industries – sheep, cattle and tourism
Winton Shire Council
849 KM west of Rockhampton
History – Ludwig Leichhardt was the first European explorer to travel through the Winton shire in 1848. He was followed by Frederick Walker, John McKinlay and William Landsborough in the 1860s as they searched for the missing Burke and Wills group. The first Europeans settled in the area in 1866. It was originally known as the Pelican Waterhole but in 1875 the local postmaster, Robert Allen changed it to Winton after he tired of writing the name. The town was gazetted in 1879. Opals were discovered in the shire at Opalton in 1888 – the oldest opal mining venture in Australia. Winton’s biggest claim to fame is that it is the place where Banjo Patterson wrote Waltzing Matilda in 1895, whilst staying at Dagworth Station. It is from that first writing that Winton became the home of Australian bush poetry, hosting the annual Bronze Swagman Awards – one of the country’s most prestigious awards. Winton is also known for being the place where the Qantas airline was first formed in 1920 after the idea was first mooted in Cloncurry. The planes were later built in Longreach. Now it is also well known for the discovery of Elliot in 1999. The largest dinosaur skeleton found in Australia was discovered on a property outside Winton. Winton is also the location of Lake Quarry which has the world’s only record of a dinosaur stampede.
Indigenous Tribes – Koa, Malintji and Maiawali people
Industries – sheep and cattle raising, tourism, and opal mining.
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