Longreach Visitors Guide 2018

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Visit a Longreach landmark

Open Mon-Sat 8–2pm Relive the days of yesteryear while enjoying a coffee and a tasty treat.

Historic Longreach Railway Station, Landsborough Hwy, QLD, 4730

Ph: (07) 4658 3749

2 FOR 1 COFFEE VOUCHER* *Buy a coffee and receive a free coffee of equal or lesser value

Celebrating 30 Years Experience CAPE YORK & TORRES STRAIT LEGENDARY LONGREACH&WINTON OUTBACK OVERLANDER BIRDSVILLE DESERT ESCAPE JOURNEY OF THE GULF SAVANNAH CORNER COUNTRY EXPLORER

Call 1300 78 78 90

www.outbackaussietours.com.au

Your first drink is on us!

Quote promo code SUNSETDRINKS when booking*

Celebrating 30 Years Experience *One free drink (Beer/Wine/Soft Drink) per person when you book direct on our Drover’s Sunset Cruise.

Drover’s Sunset Cruise Package

Package from $105*pp

Top deck cruising as you take in the multi coloured sunset from fiery orange, yellow and pink to dark blue hues with golden highlights.

Then, take your seat at Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show. Tuck into a two-course camp oven dinner under the stars as you enjoy the music and stories on the River Stage.

*Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show only from $75pp

Outback Station Tours Meet local graziers on Camden Park & Strathmore Stations, tour their properties and hear their stories about life on the land. Enjoy a delicious home-baked smoko tour or relaxing nibbles at sunset tour.

From $85*pp

From $1 39 *pp

Longreach Legends AT T R AC T I O N PA S S

GOLD

SILVER

Plan ahead and SAVE on multiple attractions

BRONZE

Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame Qantas Founders Museum Stockman's Show & Qantas Jets Tour Drover’s Sunset Cruise including Smithy’s Outback Dinner & Show Outback Station Smoko Tour

Call 1300 78 78 90 Email info@oat.net.au or visit www.outbackaussietours.com.au Longreach Historic Railway Station, Landsborough Hwy *Pricing is per person based on Concession rates. View website for all rates.

The best value way to

LIVE THE OUTBACK HERITAGE STORY in LONGREACH

There is so much outback heritage and history to enjoy in Longreach but top of your list must be the award-winning experiences of ‘The Big 3’ – Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Outback Pioneers and Qantas Founders Museum.

That’s why we’ve packaged them into one pass at a special price for extra value.

SAVE

66!

$ This PREMIUM PASS with many extras includes:

ENTRY to the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame to explore five themed galleries of outback history and the Hugh Sawrey Art Gallery PLUS entry to the Outback Stockman’s Show for live entertainment showcasing great horsemanship and more.

TWO entertaining Outback Pioneers experiences – the Cobb & Co Stagecoach Experience for the only stagecoach gallop on an old mail route in Australia – AND the Starlight’s Cruise Experience, with stockman’s campfire dinner and bush poetry.

PER COUPLE

+ BONUS EX

TRAS!

ENTRY to the Qantas Founders Museum to learn about the history of Qantas Airways, from its early beginnings in Outback Queensland, AND entry to the fascinating Boeing 747 and 707 Jet Tour which takes you inside the aircraft for a nostalgic and insightful trip down memory lane.

You will SAVE AROUND 10% PLUS get an extra day’s entry to both Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Qantas Founders Museum. You can put your savings towards some of the other great options – perhaps the evening dinner and show at Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, the ‘Wing Walk’ or flight simulator at Qantas Founders Museum, or a Nogo Station Experience or Winton Discovery Experience with Outback Pioneers.

ADULT $286 | CONC $266 | CHILD (5–14) $190 | FAMILY (2+2) $866

To buy your pass PHONE (07) 4658 1776 TODAY

Live the Australian story with unique, award-winning experiences and accommodation that bring the outback pioneering spirit to life.

Cobb & Co Stagecoach – a ticket to pioneering adventure

Hold on to your hat as hooves pound the dust and five magnificent horses speed your stagecoach along the old Longreach-Windorah mail route! This is travel pioneer style!

It’s just one of the ways to unleash your pioneering spirit with Outback Pioneers.

EXPLORE OUR MUST-DO PIONEERING EXPERIENCES AT OUTBACKPIONEERS.COM.AU OR PHONE 07 4658 1776

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HISTORY OF LONGREACH

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LONGREACH ATTRACTIONS

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TOP NOTCH TUCKER

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TRAVELLING TIPS & GETTING AROUND

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EVENTS 15 LONGREACH TOWN MAP

ITINERARY 18 TOURIST DRIVE MAP

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MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR, LONGREACH REGIONAL COUNCIL

ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO COUNTRY

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Longreach Region, Heart of Outback Queensland; and an honour to serve as Mayor of this proud region.

Longreach Regional Council

On behalf of our entire team at the Visitor Information Centres in Ilfracombe, Isisford and Longreach – thank you for visiting! You give us a chance to show off the best of our region, and in so doing, you remind us what we love about this place.

of the land on which our Council

Ours is a characteristically Australian region with a proud heritage and a storied history. It has made, and continues to make, a big contribution to the very fabric of our nation both culturally and economically.

Elders past, present and future and

This is evident in the many experiences on offer to visitors – I’m sure you’ll leave with a deeper connection to our nation’s rural heritage.

This region and its communities are not only iconic in our nation’s history and culture; they also represent the best of the Australian lifestyle. Our region, with its harsh beauty and open skies, helps to shape confident, resilient and resourceful individuals, who can more than match the best in the world; in whatever they do.

acknowledges the Traditional Owners operates the Iningai, Malintji and Kuunkari peoples. We pay respect to value the traditions, cultures and aspirations of the First Australians of this land. We acknowledge and hold in great significance the valuable contribution that Traditional Owners have made and continue to make within the Longreach Region communities.

So while I hope that you enjoy our world-class attractions and our unique landscape, there’s one experience I hope you have more than any other. I hope you get to meet our people. They make this place special, and, at the same time, are made special by this place.

As Mayor, I get to witness their dignity and resourcefulness first hand, as the community overcomes challenges and creates opportunities with boundless grace and good humour. That is the Longreach Region I most want you to see.

So on behalf of our people; I welcome you to our diverse and resilient region. I hope that during your brief time here, this place leaves on you an indelible impression, so that when you return home, you take a lifetime of lasting memories with you.

Cr Ed Warren Mayor, Longreach Regional Council

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Longreach LIKE MANY TOWNS IN THIS GREAT OUTBACK, LONGREACH HAS CHANGED GREATLY FROM ITS EARLY DAYS, THOUGH THE HISTORY IS CLEAR TO SEE FOR ANY WHO LOOK FOR IT. WELCOME TO THE HEART OF OUTBACK QUEENSLAND.

Immediately prior to the coming of the Europeans to the Longreach Region, this was the land of the Iningai people, one of many indigenous groups stretching down the inland river systems towards South Australia.

theft in Australia, carried out by Harry Redford, better known as ‘Captain Starlight’. After the theft, the property was decided to be simply ‘too big’ and was broken into two halves, ‘Bowen Downs’ and ‘Mt. Cornish’.

Nomadic, highly ritualistic and spiritual, they lived with the seasons, surviving through boom and bust. Unfortunately history has been harsh on the Iningai and for reasons such as diseases, violence and forced transmigration; there is little trace of individuals or cultural practices.

Longreach was gazetted and made official in 1887. The name Longreach derives from the ‘long reach’ or waterhole of the Thomson River used by drovers as a place to rest their cattle, and the name was in use at that time by an outstation of Mt. Cornish which was located in the area of present day ‘Nogo Station’.

In 1860 explorers William Landsborough and Nat Buchanan came upon this area while searching for new grazing land and saw in it a potential not appreciated by former explorers. The area had been visited some years before by Thomson and Kennedy but had flourished in wet seasons since their departure greeting Landsborough and Buchanan with verdant Mitchell Grass plains, interspersed with broken boree, gidyea scrub and Flinders grassland.

The first pastoral lease was granted in Longreach in 1863 and called ‘Bowen Downs’; only nine years later this property was to be the site of the most infamous cattle

Longreach’s abundant grasslands made many rich in the days of the ‘golden fleece’ when Australia rode on the sheep’s back. The wealth of the area rose to a peak in the 1950s when wool made a ‘pound per pound’. The landholders drove gleaming Mercedes Benz cars to topof-the-line Australian/American makes, the Longreach Club was members only, men only and very exclusive both in admittance and dress standards. Longreach’s main thoroughfare, Eagle Street, was lined with hotels by the 1950s and was frequented by hardworking shearers and shed teams as well as stock workers.

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DID YOU KNOW? LONGREACH HAS A YACHT CLUB

Wander around Longreach today and tick off some of the older buildings that remain. The site of the national bank was the first to be sold in 1887 when the Queensland National Bank bought the allotment for ÂŁ107. The building opposite that now houses Carpenter Law was bought on the same day by J.M. Savage for ÂŁ103; Longreach Motors also operates from one of the oldest sites and was one of the biggest employers in town. These buildings give a hint of a Longreach since departed. There were splendidly huge hotels, however many have been burned but the old photographs still tell the story.

Today Longreach is very different, this one-time wool producing heartland now rides the broad back of beef cattle although many wool producers still exist. Longreach today is a service town to the Outback and acts as the hub for many government departments: Education, Primary Industries, Health and so forth. The employees attracted to these various agencies bring a youthful modernity to the region and celebrate living in a special place with the younger generations of landholders who are today embracing environmental responsibility in their management strategies.

LONGREACH VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE The Visitor Information Centre is housed in a replica of the first QANTAS booking office in QANTAS Park opposite the caravan day carpark, near the big roundabout at the entrance to the main street, Eagle Street.

The Visitor Information Centre is the perfect spot to stop and let one of the friendly customer service staff help you plan your time in the Longreach Region.

With a wealth of knowledge, local experience and Outback attitude, the customer service staff of the Information Centre are vital to ensuring you have the best possible trip to the heart of Outback Queensland.

All the details of our local tours, attractions, experiences and places to see in this stunning Outback are available at the Visitor Information Centre; upto-date road condition reports are also available here.

There are also some beautiful and unique gifts, local crafts and souvenirs available for purchase.

Phone: 07 4658 4150 Email: visitinf@longreach.qld.gov.au 99a Eagle Street, Longreach Qld 4730 visitlongreach.com.au @VisitLongreachRegion #VisitLongreachRegion

LEFT: Kite Street Car Park. ABOVE: Longreach Visitor Information Centre is housed in a replica of the first QANTAS booking office.

THE AUSTRALIAN STOCKMAN’S HALL OF FAME The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre is Australia’s premier outback heritage institution. Since its opening in 1988, the Hall of Fame has played host to over one million interstate and international visitors – providing each one with a spectacular outback experience. The museum, stunningly constructed from timber, stone and corrugated iron, is truly reminiscent of the Outback. With its unique design, the Hall of Fame stands comfortably amongst the rugged yet vibrant rural landscape.

Inside the Centre’s five themed galleries they proudly display the history behind some of Australia’s greatest and bravest explorers, stock workers, pastoralists, and Aborigines. The exhibits comprising an eclectic mix of objects, images, touch screens, audio-visual presentations and open displays, allow visitors to interpret the outback story in their own unique way.

OUTBACK PIONEERS Want an authentic and entertaining outback experience?

Outback Pioneers in Longreach has award-winning experiences that get you up close to the heritage and lifestyle.

Pop into their booking office at 128 Eagle Street in the historic The Welcome Home building for helpful advice on what to do.

You can book their Cobb & Co Stagecoach Experience, Nogo Station Experience, Starlight’s Cruise Experience and Winton Discovery Experience.

The Cobb & Co stagecoach is the only opportunity in Australia to gallop in a stagecoach on an old mail route. The full experience also includes the hilarious Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show, morning tea and a bush movie.

The Hall of Fame grounds are also home to other amazing sights. The grounds that once held flourishing rose gardens are now a beautiful walk with amazing poetry telling stories of outback life. The Pioneer’s Hut also holds special value, the hut being built by hand by R.M. Williams himself.

The ‘Hugh Sawrey’ art gallery was named for the man who envisioned this goliath project in 1974 and is full of stunning one of a kind artworks that depict rural life. The Hall offers a wide range of refreshments and snacks at the Wool Bale Café to cater for even the most famished of travellers. The Stockman’s Show is also a must-see, with local stockmen sharing their skills and local knowledge in a show you won’t forget.

The Nogo Station Experience takes you to the heart of station life, including sheep shearing, homestead morning tea and a new station safari across the sunlit plains to photograph wildlife and outback animals.

On the Starlight’s Cruise Experience, you’ll enjoy a leisurely river cruise through the outback sunset on the paddlewheeler or the historic Thomson Princess riverboat before a campfire dinner, traditional entertainment featuring the barefoot bush poet, and the Starlight’s Spectacular Sound & Light Picture Show.

Back in the heritage heart of Longreach, next door to The Welcome Home, don’t miss The Station Store – retail therapy outback style in a traditional emporium with leatherware, hats, stockman’s supplies, homewares, haberdashery, local crafts and gifts galore.

DID YOU KNOW? THE HALL OF FAME WAS OPENED BY QUEEN ELIZABETH II ON 29 APRIL 1988

In the beautifully-restored 1920s The Welcome Home itself you can enjoy a coffee, cakes or lunch in the café and tearoom.

Or stop by for a Stonegrill® dinner on Tuesday, Thursday or Friday evenings (BYO alcohol).

Outback Pioneers Experiences run during the winter season only (26 March - 31 October 2018).

TOP LEFT: Book your Cobb & Co Stagecoach Experience at Outback Pioneers. ABOVE: Inside the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame.

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morethanjustamuseum The Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame Discover Australia’s rich pioneering history, marvel at the skills of our Stockman at the Outback Stockman’s Show, lose yourself in the Hugh Sawrey Art Gallery, where artists bring stories of the bush to life and shop until you drop in our ‘Outback Traders’, carrying a unique range of Australian books, quality stockman’s clothing and outback giftware.

P: (07) 4658 2166 | E: museum@stockmanshalloffame.com.au

www.stockmanshalloffame.com.au

POWERHOUSE MUSEUM Quietly nestled in the back streets of Longreach is one of the town’s best kept secrets – the Powerhouse Museum.

This was once the energy heart of Longreach and the central-west before electricity came through long distance transmission lines. In the museum, you can walk through giant engines and generators unchanged since they last ran in 1985.

The Powerhouse Museum is heritage-listed and is the largest preserved rural generating facility in Australia.

You can see how electricity was generated before the age of computers when it depended on the skills and knowledge of the engineers who walked among these iron monoliths.

Additions to the museum include the Social History building housing the memories and history of past generations in the region as well as Nogo Cottage, a boundary riders hut from the nearby station that was built a century ago.

DID YOU KNOW? THE POWERHOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1921 AT A COST OF £19,000

LONGREACH POWERHOUSE MUSEUM

LONGREACH ARTS & CRAFTS CENTRE & GALLERY (UPSTAIRS)

The Longreach Powerhouse Museum is the largest preserved rural generating facility in Australia. Displays in this building explain how electricity was generated, maintained and distributed throughout the region.

Other exhibits in the museum grounds include ❚ Social history building with displays of early Longreach history ❚ 1921 Longreach Swimming Baths ❚ Nogo Cottage (depicting family life in the west from 1935 to 1955) ❚ Various displays of agriculture and road maintenance machinery

Admission free | Regular Exhibitions (Up green stairs at the side or use new lift chair on back stairs) Regular Art and Craft making days. Check out our facebook page and local information for days and time. Includes: pottery, wool spinning, fibre art, patchwork, painting and drawing, silver smithing and leather work.

Sale of art, craft, pottery, jewellery, patchwork, leather and much more.

Gallery Open: 2pm–5pm daily from April to September.

Open some mornings – check local information.

❚ A collection of commercial office equipment circa 1908 – 1950 from local business houses.

The Museum forms an interesting experience for the whole family.

12 Swan Street, Longreach QLD 4730 | P (07) 4658 4150 Open Monday to Friday: 10:30am – 12:30pm; 1:30pm – 3:30pm APRIL to OCTOBER

111 Ibis Street, Longreach QLD 4730 E longreachartsandculture@gmail.com Facebook: Longreach Arts and Crafts Centre

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R.M.WILLIAMS R.M.Williams was instrumental in getting the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre built during Australia’s Bicentennial year of 1988. RM made his fame and fortune making his distinctive elasticsided, one-piece-of-leather boots. In the early days, stockmen and women from all over Australia looked forward to the year’s R.M.Williams catalogue with the latest in boot styles and men’s and women’s clothing. All the shopping back then was done by mail order unless you were lucky enough to be taking a holiday in Adelaide and went to what was probably the most famous address in Australia for stockmen – 5 Percy Street, Prospect. This address was on the finger strap of every boot made by R.M.Williams.

PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID SEETO

Things sure have changed: these days the R.M.Williams tradition is being carried on through stores and stockists across the nation and internationally. What started out as work wear, now meets the needs of high fashion.

The R.M.Williams outlets sell a full range of clothing and footwear, including the gear that made the name – Australian-made boots.

LONGREACH CEMETERY TOUR

LONGREACH CEMETERY TOURS

The Longreach Cemetery Tour is a must-do to explore the region. Be enthralled as your knowledgeable Tour Guide takes you through the history of this outback pioneer town by immersing you in the lives of some of its early residents.

From a Confederate soldier, an Aboriginal tracker, and incredible tales of outback tragedy, the 75 minute Longreach Cemetery Tour provides unique insights into the town’s beginnings. Thorough research by History Tours Australia, and high quality presentations by local guides, make this an experience to remember.

This tour can be booked at Longreach Visitor Information Centre – find out more today!

Cemeteries are fascinating places to discover a town’s history. Longreach Cemetery is the resting place for many pioneers and characters who made their mark on the past.

Some stories are legendary, some infamous, and many forgotten. Hear stories of the Outback – including the Longreach Cinderella, a cemetery outcast and an Aboriginal tracker who tracked Queensland’s last bushranger.

History Tours Australia is proud to present the Longreach Cemetery Tour – a great experience for groups, visitors and those who love history…

Or, if you’re looking for evening activity, come for the Longreach Cemetery Haunted History Tour – if you dare!

Bookings: Longreach Visitor Information Centre – (07) 4658 4150 Further information: History Tours Australia – 0401 666 441 www.historytoursaustralia.com.au TOP LEFT The Powerhouse was built in 1921 at a cost of £19,000. TOP: Australian Icon, R.M.Williams. ABOVE RIGHT: The Longreach Cemetery.

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OUTBACK AUSSIE TOURS 2018 marks a big year for Outback Aussie Tours, celebrating 30 years as an Outback Queensland touring specialist. Longreach family owners Alan ‘Smithy’ and Sue Smith love what they do and their tours have retained that all important authentic flavour...right down to Sue’s famous home-baked smoko.

Based at the Longreach Historic Railway Station, the Outback Aussie Tours booking office is within an easy stroll of Longreach town centre. The friendly reservation team offer a full booking service for Longreach station tours, the awardwinning Drover’s Sunset Cruise and their great value Longreach Legend attraction passes.

They are true pioneers of Outback Queensland tourism, attracting visitors from all over the world with a suite of day tours, river cruises and multi-day tours across Outback Queensland. While most of their tours either begin or end in Longreach, they also offer a selection of tours from Brisbane and Cairns. These fully inclusive tours explore bucket-list destinations such as Birdsville, Corner Country, Gulf Savannah and Cape York.

Guests travel in customised vehicles designed for maximum comfort in the Outback and stay in private en suite accommodation. As a Savannah Guide Master Operator, the Outback Aussie touring team works closely with researchers, national parks and communities in the development of expert tour commentaries, often described by customers as a tour highlight.

According to ‘Smithy’, once visitors have had a taste of Outback Queensland, they usually come back for more. Over the years, many of their repeat customers have become life-long family friends. It’s probably no surprise that Smithy and the team think they have the best job in the world. They are passionate about Outback Queensland and love sharing the Outback Queensland story.

LONGREACH SCHOOL OF THE AIR Imagine a classroom more than twice the size of Victoria, where the playground is as vast as the outback and the partnership between home and school is legendary. As QANTAS was formed out of the need to cover great distances of the Australian Outback; so too, health and education had to rise to meet the same challenges, and today we have the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Schools of the Air. Distance education, like everything, has changed significantly with the new technologies. No pedal radio anymore, or crumpled brown envelopes of correspondence lessons that confused the mothers as much as the children.

The same needs exist in the Outback today, but the new technologies are taking over. Kids on remote properties which can be as big as a small European country and remote communities no longer have to use the two-way transceivers. It’s now all completed through the phone and computer.

School of the Air guided tours give visitors a chance to watch as a teacher instructs students from a studio at the Longreach School of Distance Education; and their classroom can sometimes be as large as Victoria!

As a visitor, you will be able to learn a thing or two at this school. There are daily tours (9am and 10:30am M – F) with audio visual presentations as well as observing lessons in progress through a glass walled studio. Life and Learning is happening before your eyes and this schooling is vital to Outback families.

SCHOOL OF THE AIR, LONGREACH ❚ Experience how isolated children learn through the outback airways ❚ Guided tours 9:00am & 10:30am Mon-Fri (excl. public/Christmas school holidays). Bookings necessary for groups of 20 or more ❚ See how you can contribute to isolated children’s education

ABOVE: Alan Smith and team from Outback Aussie Tours.

TOP RIGHT: Studying in the Outback. FAR RIGHT: Take a Wing Walk on the decommissioned Boeing 747 on the grounds of the QANTAS Founders Museum.

Landsborough Highway, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 4232 E tours1@eq.edu.au www.longreacsde.eq.edu.au (tourist information)

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QANTAS FOUNDERS OUTBACK MUSEUM The Outback is unforgiving, sparse and lowly populated.

Pioneers faced the challenges of somehow tying a community together where distance is the tyrant, where people lived hundreds and thousands of miles apart. Largely these challenges were the driving force that saw Australia’s national airline – QANTAS – formed in the Outback, in Longreach and Winton.

Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service held its first Board Meeting in Winton in 1921 and the base was then shifted to Longreach where Australia’s first purpose-built runways and the first QANTAS hangar were built. To this day, even as QantasLink lands only metres away, you can walk through the heritage-listed hangar; history and modern day don’t get much closer than this.

Driving into Longreach from the eastern side you are not going to miss the QANTAS Founders Museum. The great red tail of a decommissioned Boeing 747 – a jumbo jet – can be seen flanking the iconic water tower from kilometres away. Tucked below it is Australia’s first international jetliner, a Boeing 707.

Top Notch Tucker Curry Across the Street: 117 Eagle Street CCD Restaurant & Bar: 110 Eagle Street Harry’s Restaurant: 84 Galah Street Oasis Restaurant: Stork Road The Woolshed Restaurant: 12 Thrush Road Longreach Outback Restaurant: 45 Ilfracombe Road Bushrangers Bistro: 29-31 Duck Street Commercial Hotel: 102 Eagle Street

Tours of the QANTAS jetliners are scheduled at different times each day and provide an inside glimpse at the many secrets of these great aircraft. The tours also offer the chance to sit in the cockpit and if you’re up for a bit of excitement, strap on a safety harness and take a wing walk. These tours are often in demand so be sure to book ahead.

Diggers Inn Bistro: 34 Duck Street

In the main museum and galleries, follow the history of QANTAS through modern interactive displays, aircraft exhibits and documentary films. McGinness’ Restaurant is open daily and offers a wide selection of meals, drinks and coffee during your visit. At the museum you will also find a great choice of distinctive souvenirs, clothing, jewellery, books and QANTAS memorabilia.

Darcy’s Diner: 108 Eagle Street

DID YOU KNOW? QANTAS IS THE SECOND OLDEST OPERATING AIRLINE IN THE WORLD

Longreach Tavern: 103 Eagle Street Happy Valley Chinese: 135a Eagle Street

Eagle Street Pizza: 135 Eagle Street McGinness’ Restaurant: Sir Hudson Fysh Drive Welcome Home Café Tearoom: 128 Eagle Street Historic Railway Café: Landsborough Highway The Wool Bale Café: Landsborough Highway Caltex Roadhouse: 33 Ilfracombe Road

MERINO BAKERY $2 MERINO MONEY Present this advertisement to be stamped at the Merino Bakery and receive your gift of $2 off any purchase. ❚ Minimum sale amount $5.00 ❚ One voucher per family per visit ❚ Not redeemable for cash ❚ Not to be used with ANY other offer

120 Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730 Open 7 days; Right in the middle of town P (07) 4658 1715 F (07) 4658 0045

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Getting Around Travelling Tips

AIR:

QantasLink has daily return flights from Brisbane to Longreach.

Phone: 13 13 13 Rex Airlines flies twice weekly from Townsville to Longreach via Winton.

Phone: 13 17 13

RAIL:

Spirit of the Outback fully themed rail journey travels twice weekly return Brisbane to Longreach via Rockhampton. Phone: 13 22 32

DRIVING TIPS In Central Western Queensland and remote areas, it is common to come across single lane bitumen roads. When coming across road trains and heavy vehicles on single lane roads, slow right down and move off the road to the left. If it is safe to do so move off the road entirely and stop to avoid any obstacles on the verge.

In wet conditions edges tend to be soft and/or slippery, so you should always keep your right wheels on the bitumen and keep moving slowly to avoid getting bogged.

COACH:

Bus Queensland have a daily service from Brisbane to Mount Isa. Phone: 1300 287 537 Greyhound Coaches have a twice weekly service from Rockhampton to Longreach. Phone: 13 14 99

ROAD:

Brisbane is approximately 1200km via Roma and Charleville along the Warrego and Landsborough Highway (A2).

Rockhampton is approximately 700km along the Capricorn Highway.

Mount t Isa is approximately 700km along the Landsborough Highway (A2).

Townsville is approximately 700km along the Flinders Highway via Hughenden and Winton.

Melbourne and Sydney are easily accessible along the Kidman Way through Western NSW. All roads listed are fully sealed.

Care should be taken when passing and overtaking road trains and heavy vehicles, including caravans. Ensure you have a clear line of sight, allow plenty of room and be prepared for vehicles to move a little from side to side as you overtake. If a road train is approaching to overtake you, move as far to the left as possible and stop if necessary to allow it to overtake safely.

BACKUPS On major highways, fuel stops are rarely more than 200km apart so it should not be necessary to carry spare fuel. However, where you do see ‘No Fuel’ signs, it means exactly that. Ensure your vehicle is mechanically sound and carry a first aid kit, plenty of water and spares such as tyres, radiator hoses and fanbelts, together with a good tool kit. Ensure your spare tyre is at the correct pressure.

If you’re travelling in a remote area, it is wise to have a UHF or satellite phone on board in case of an emergency, as mobile coverage is only available up to 20km outside of towns. External car aerials can increase mobile coverage dramatically.

MOBILE COVERAGE Longreach, Mount Isa, Charleville, Bedourie and Birdsville have coverage from only Telstra. Outside of these towns only Telstra Next G Network is available, usually within a 20km radius of towns. There is limited mobile phone coverage in the far South West corner of the region, west of Quilpie. Public phones are recommended for extended travel in this area.

WILDLIFE AND STOCK If you see stock or wild animals near the road, slow down; do not swerve or your vehicle may roll. Be patient with stock and wary of kangaroos and emus. It pays to be vigilant when driving in the Outback, especially either side of sunrise or sunset when kangaroos tend to be at their most active and the light makes seeing them more difficult.

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s t n e v E

ILFRACOMBE MONTHLY MARKETS

APR

LONGREACH RACES

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LONGREACH ANNUAL SHOW ISISFORD SHEEP & WOOL SHOW

JUN

ILFRACOMBE MONTHLY MARKETS

SEP

ILFRACOMBE MONTHLY MARKETS

DEC

XMAS STREET PARTY

LONGREACH RACES

LONGREACH RACES

ILFRACOMBE CARAVAN PARK OLYMPICS

YARAKA HORSE & BIKE GYMKHANA

JUL

ILFRACOMBE MONTHLY MARKETS ILFRACOMBE PICNIC RACES

AUG

LONGREACH RACES SOUTHERN CROSS & ISISFORD FISHING COMPETITION

OCT

LONGREACH COLOUR DASH & TRIATHLON ISISFORD ROSS CUP RACES

NOV

ILFRACOMBE MONTHLY MARKETS LONGREACH RACES LONGREACH YELLOWBELLY FISHING CLASSIC

MULGA RATS & GIDGEE BRATS BACHELOR & SPINSTERS BALL 2018 LONGREACH RACES / MELBOURNE CUP DAY

15 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM . AU

LONGREACH RACES

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6 Pamela’s Dolls & Syd’s Outback Collectors Corner

2 Longreach Powerhouse Museum

7 Helicopter Flights

3 Longreach School of Distance Education

8 Longreach Arts & Crafts Centre

4 Qantas Founders Museum

9 Railway Station

5 Outback Pioneers

10 Outback Aussie Tours Bookings Office

WALKS 11

Iningai Nature Reserve There are three nature walks - one is the Coolibah Loop which is 3.7km long and is an easy 1 and a half hour walk.

12 The Cemetery Ask about the self-guided brochure

produced by the Longreach Archival & Historical Group.

13 Linear Botanical Gardens Walk This walk features a

diverse range of plants, mostly native, which makes for a beautiful early morning or late evening walk.

14 Thomson River Flood Plain Walk from Town to the

Old Bridge. This four and a half kilometre one way track features a diverse range of plants and animals, best viewed in the early morning or late evening.

16 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM. AU

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ustralian Stockman’s Hall of Fame A & Outback Stockman’s Show

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ACCOMMODATION

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AMENITIES

15 The Longreach Tourist Park

21 Longreach Motel

Ambulance

Police Station

16 Longreach Caravan Park

22 Longreach Motor Inn

Boat Ramp

Post Office

17 Abajaz Motor Inn

23 Commercial Hotel/Motel

RACQ

18 Albert Park Motor Inn

24 Lyceum Hotel

Clubs: RSL Club Bowls Club

19 Kinnon & Co Outback

25 Longreach Outback Adventure

Doctors Surgery

26 Apex Park Riverside Camp

QPWS: Queensland Parks & Wildlife Services

Golf Course

Accommodation

20 Jumbuck Motel

Hospital

Visitor Information Centre

Supermarkets Foodworks / IGA Toilets

Mobile Home Waste Dump Point TOWN MAP DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this map is indicative only. Please enquire at Visitor Information Centres for further details.

17 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM. AU

Itinerary Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

LONGREACH SCHOOL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

GUIDED HISTORY TOURS OF THE CEMETERY

COBB & CO. STAGECOACH EXPERIENCE

• Guided Tour • Experience an on-air lesson • Largest classroom in the world

• 75 minute guided walking tour

• • • •

QANTAS FOUNDERS MUSEUM

• • • •

• • • •

Experience the Qantas story 707/747 Jet Tour and Wing Walk Museum and Original Hangar Flight Simulators

AUSTRALIAN STOCKMAN’S HALL OF FAME Legends & Pioneers tribute Live stockman’s show Cattleman’s Bar & Grill Dr Bruce Yeates Memorial Cottage & Gardens

THOMSON RIVER CRUISE

DOWN TOWN

• Cruise along the Thomson River while the sun is setting • Enjoy a meal on the banks of the Thomson with entertainment

• Lunch and/or coffee at your choice of great cafés

45 minute stagecoach ride Outback hospitality with Smoko Old Australian Movie Harry Redford Old Time Tent Show

15 MINUTE DRIVE AND EXPLORE ILFRACOMBE • • • • •

Pioneer stories Machinery and Heritage Centre Wellshot Information Centre Artesian Spa Pool Marine Dinosaur evidence

Day 5

POWERHOUSE MUSEUM • Local social history • Nogo Boundary Riders Cottage • Historical generating complex

Day 4

Explore the Outer Region (MIN 1 – 2 NIGHTS)

ISISFORD CAPTAIN STARLIGHT’S LOOKOUT (HALF/FULL DAY)

CHOOSE YOUR SPECIAL INTERESTS:

Follow the drover’s stock route. 4WD recommended, please check road conditions prior to travel.

• Lily Lagoon • Starlight’s Lookout (no facilities) • Flood plains and wildlife • 100km return from Longreach

• Botanical walkway, Iningai Park and River Walk • Tropic of Capricorn and Tree Carving • Pamela’s Dolls • Helicopter scenic flight

STATION TOUR (HALF DAY/EVENING)

• Tribute to Captain Starlight • Poetic stories and Aussie humour

Explore an outback station and let the Family guide you on a tour

HARRY REDFORD OLD TIME TENT SHOW

18 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM . AU

• • • •

Oma Waterhole & Explorer Mitchell’s cairn Outer Barcoo Interpretive Centre 100 million year old crocodile discoveries 450km circuit from Longreach

EMMET • Visit the Railway Musum • Emmet Store Display

YARAKA • • • • •

Yaraka’s Scenic Mount Slowcombe Geological fossicking Magee’s Shanty Tagalong Tours Idalia National Park

A2

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Oma Waterhole

12

Magee’s Shanty

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Magoffin’s Grave

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Battle Waterhole

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Abandoned Town of Welford

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Yuranigh’s Pond

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12 Mile Stone Pitching

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JUNDAH SHIRE

QUILPIE SHIRE

MAP IS INDICATIVE ONLY, PLEASE OBTAIN DETAILED DRIVE MAPS OF THE REGION.

19 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM. AU

STAR CINEMA LONGREACH

THURECHT BROS SADDLERY

Our cinema features the following: ❚ Modern cinema with new releases weekly ❚ Digital projection with Dolby Digital Sound ❚ Stadium seating with comfortable seats ❚ Candy bar ❚ Airconditioning

Established in 1927 by the Thurecht Brothers, Thurecht Bros Saddlery is one of the few remaining working saddleries in Queensland today.

Call in and see Phil, Jayne and Georgia and their great range of outback styled gifts, horse supplies and belts made to order.

117 Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730 (Next to NAB Bank) Cinema Programme Line: (07) 4658 1357 Management CTC after hours: 0427 581 776

130B Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 1011 M 0407 111 324 F (07) 4658 0030 E hog.hunter@bigpond.com

QUEENSLAND HELICOPTERS

LONGREACH OUTDOORS CENTRE

Scenic helicopter flights over Longreach and the mighty Thomson River.

Fantastic photos! Book a 10 minute, 20 minute or sunset flight from $75 per person (minimum 2 passengers).

P 0417 624 422 (Tim & Sandy) E qldheli@bigpond.com www.queenslandhelicopters.com.au

Camping Gear & Tables Fishing Gear & Bait Pool & Toilet Chemicals Camp Ovens/Cooking Equipment ❚ Swags, Tents & Tarps ❚ Car Fridges, Ice Boxes & much more Check out our Facebook Page for current Catalogues ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚

1/136 Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 3229 M 0428 573 008 E locamp@tpg.com.au

2 0 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM. AU

(07) 4658 3737

info@qfom.com.au

www.qfom.com.au Sir Hudson Fysh Drive, Longreach, Queensland, Australia

OPENING HOURS: The Museum is open daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm (except Christmas and Boxing Day). Special opening hours are available to groups and charters by prior arrangement.

Tours operate daily and bookings are essential. Combination tour packages are also available.

ABAJAZ MOTOR INN

Find us on

THE WELCOME HOME CAFÉ, TEAROOM & STONEGRILL® Discover fresh outback fare in welcoming heritage surroundings: ❚ Coffees and home-baked cakes ❚ Light lunches (GF options) ❚ Open Monday to Friday, 8.00am – 4.00pm (April – October) ❚ Stonegrill® dinner (Tuesday, Thursday & Friday only), 6.00pm – 10.00pm BYO (corkage fee applies) Available April to October 128 Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 1776 E reservations@outbackpioneers.com.au www.outbackpioneers.com.au/experience/the-welcome-home

STRATHMORE STATION

Rodd and Liane invite you to stay at the Abajaz. We pride ourselves in our personalised service to ensure your Longreach experience is the best.

❚ Meet local graziers Bevan and Maree on their family-run cattle and sheep property

❚ 19 Ground floor rooms, undercover parking, Foxtel, reverse cycle airconditioning, microwave, fridge, tea/coffee making facilities ❚ Free Wireless Internet direct to all rooms, pool, BBQ, guest laundry

❚ Discover their award-winning water run, the life-blood of their operation

❚ Cooked or Continental Breakfasts available every day, and Dinners each night with prior notice

❚ Tour the property and explore the original Cobb & Co route

❚ Cot, hairdryer, toaster, fax and photocopying – ask at office

❚ Hear the story first hand of contemporary life on the land and enjoy a home baked morning tea

❚ TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Winner 2013, Certificate of Excellence Winner 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 ❚ Call us Direct and mention this ad for Special/Promotional Rates 11 Wonga Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P 1800 081 288 E info@abajazmotorinn.com.au www.abajazmotorinn.com.au

Longreach P (07) 4658 3000 E info@oat.net.au www.outbackaussietours.com.au

2 1 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM . AU

SLADE SMASH REPAIRS

JOHNLEE MOTORS

❚ Smash Repair Work (40 yrs in business)... All Insurance Companies + Private ❚ Tilt Tray Towing 24 hrs ❚ RACQ Contracted Service Provider ❚ RACQ Agent for 20 yrs + Maps ❚ RACQ Batteries ❚ Windscreens + Chip Repairs ❚ Hood Linings ❚ Fibreglass Repairs

4WD, Car Servicing and Repairs ❚ Suppliers of Spare Parts and Suspension ❚ Engine Rebuilding ❚ Flywheel, Head and Manifold Grinding ❚ Polaris & Can-am sales and service Great customer service ... the ‘local’ way

174 Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 1609 M 0428 458 149 F (07) 4658 3849 E admin@sladesmashrepairs.com.au www.sladesmashrepairs.com.au

34 Swan Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 1423 F (07) 4658 2647 E johnlee33@bigpond.com www.johnleemotors.com.au

SMITH BROS. MITRE 10 LONGREACH

LONGREACH MOTORS ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚

Smith Bros. Mitre 10 Longreach is a local family owned hardware store that stocks a wide range of hardware, building and homeware supplies, LPG refills and caravan supplies, as well as great customer service.

114 Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 1195 F (07) 4658 2298 E orders@smithbroshardware.com.au www.smithbroshardware.com.au

Mechanical Alignments Suspension Steering Repairs Exhaust Brakes Kelly, Cooper, Toyo, Goodyear, Century

33 Swan Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 1700 F (07) 4658 1857 E longreachmotors@bigpond.com

Stay pioneer style Homestead Stables Pioneer Slab Huts Outback Lodges Iconic outdoor bath terrace

STANDARD ACCOMMODATION

(Homestead Stables and Pioneer Slab Huts only)

Close to Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Qantas Founders Museum

BOOK KINNON & CO’s OUTBACK ACCOMMODATION outbackpioneers.com.au/stay OR PHONE 07 4658 1776 63–65 Ilfracombe Road Longreach Queensland 4730 2 2 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM . AU

LONGREACH RSL MEMORIAL SERVICES CLUB

CAMDEN PARK STATION Camden Park Station is home of the newly famous Outback Yacht Club – tour the homestead where the Queen visited in 1970!

Award Winning Outback Dan and the Walker family will love to host you for a hands on touch feel unique experience.

Live Australia’s story!

M 0407 139 640 E camdenparkstation@gmail.com www.camdenparkstation.com.au Longreach RSL is an award winning venue. The club has won Small RSL/Services Club in Queensland for the last 5 years. The club offers to its members, guests and visitors a place where you can relax and enjoy the excellent friendly service. There is a great display of war photos and memorabilia in the foyer of the club.

The Diggers Bistro is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner and the menu has a wide variety of delicious food for everyone. The facilities at the Club include UBET/Sky Racing/ Fox Sports/Keno & Keno Racing/ATM & Eftpos/Free Wi-Fi/Kids Rooms/ Gaming and a well-stocked Bottleshop. Entertainment and promotions are held regularly.

ORLANDO ORCHARDS Orlando Orchards Longreach are your local Fruit & Vegetable specialists in premium quality produce at very competitive prices.

We offer daily & weekly specials on all your kitchen favourites, staying healthy has never been easier.

Self Service Freshly Squeezed Juice Machine available in store. We look forward to seeing you, come in and say hello.

Cool Place! Great Staff! Excellent Food!

34 Duck Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 1092 F (07) 4658 0811 E longrsla@longrsla.com

41 Duck Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 2002 E orlandoorchards@bigpond.com

JUMBUCK MOTEL ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚

LONGREACH MOTOR INN

Friendly outback hospitality Clean, comfortable & affordable Walk to major attractions Local tour booking agent Native wildlife at your door Terrific restaurant, bar & room service Gardens, BBQ area, gazebo & pool FREE Wi-Fi

45 Ilfracombe Road, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 1799 E reception@jumbuckmotel.com.au www.jumbuckmotel.com.au

THE LONGREACH TAVERN Open 7 days (most weeks) – Lunch & Dinner ❚ ❚ ❚ ❚

Cold Beer & Best Pub Grub in Town Latest Dragon & Lightning Pokies Full TAB & Keno Celebrations Bottle Shop at the rear

Drop in and say hello. We’ll look after you at The Longreach Tavern.

103 Eagle Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 1925 E kimsiga2@bigpond.com

❚ Convenient free WiFi and Foxtel ❚ Dine at Harry’s Restaurant & Bar (fully licensed) ❚ Modern, air-conditioned rooms (Deluxe, Executive, King and Family rooms) ❚ Full tour desk service and itinerary planning ❚ Pool, sauna and BBQ area ❚ Centrally located opposite Longreach Railway Station ❚ Undercover parking ❚ 57 room motel

84 Galah Street, Longreach QLD 4730 P (07) 4658 2322 E info@longreachmotorinn.com.au www.longreachmotorinn.com.au

2 3 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM. AU

Ilfracombe

Ilfracombe (pronounced; Ill - fra - comb) is located 28km due East of Longreach on the Landsborough Highway and was named after a small Devonshire town in England.

Ilfracombe was founded in 1891 as a transport hub for Wellshot Station, which at the time held the largest number of sheep on any station in the world. The shire also claimed the record of the largest mob of sheep ever moved as a single flock in 1886. 43,000 sheep were moved through the area by a droving team of 27 horsemen, not including the cooks, blacksmiths and hands needed to accompany the drovers.

Long before the railway reached its way to Ilfracombe, wool transport consisted of giant wool-laden wagons drawn by up to 30 horses, taking three months to carry the load of wool over the 650 kilometres to the nearest port, which then was Rockhampton.

The town had three hotels with plenty of accommodation, each with its own dance hall, two general stores, a billiard saloon, a coach builder, a soft drink maker, a couple of butchers, a baker, dressmaker, three commission agents, and a saddler. Today there are just over 268 people living in Ilfracombe.

Experience the sense of freedom and adventure as you spend time exploring the charms of Ilfracombe, you can’t miss ‘the Great Machinery Mile’, an amazing line-up of historic machinery stretching over 1km.

The collection of machines leads you to the Folk Museum, a replica of an early station residence. Also situated within the museum complex is Oakhampton Cottage which offers a tangible glimpse into early outback households and Romani Hall, a memorial to the young men of the district who answered ‘the call to arms’ and is dedicated to Australia’s Light Horsemen.

Visit the Wellshot Centre and learn about the story of Wellshot Station, one of Australia’s greatest sheep and wool producers.

Call into Wellshot Hotel, an exceptional and historic outback pub, standing exactly as it was established over 120 years ago... it is well worth a wander through, and to finish off your day you can just relax in the artesian spa.

ABOVE: Mitchell Grass Plains. LEFT: The Wellshot Hotel was established in Ilfracombe in 1890.

24 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM . AU

REC CENTRE

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Oakhampton Cottage

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Romani Hall

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Wellshot Hotel

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Swimming Pool & Spa

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Wellshot Centre

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Jackson Collection

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Langenbaker House

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Places of Interest ILFRACOMBE MACHINERY & HERITAGE MUSEUM

WELLSHOT CENTRE

The ‘Great Machinery Mile’ is a graphic timeline of the evolution of the pastoral and transport industries.

Telling the story of one of Australia’s largest sheep stations

FOLK MUSEUM

Wellshot Centre, housed in a building in the centre of town where you can take in a 20-minute film ‘A Rush for Grass’ which graphically displays the challenges faced by early pioneers and their fortitude in adapting to the realities of a boom/bust climate.

Showcases the role of men, women and children of the world.

LANGENBAKER HOUSE Heritage-listed, over 100 years old and in its original condition.

THE 12 MILE Magnificent 19th century bush ingenuity. Naturally formed flagstones form a leak-proof reservoir. Map available at the Wellshot Centre.

ROMANI HALL A tribute to the young men of the district who answered ‘the call to arms’, and dedicated to Australia’s Light Horsemen.

McMaster Drive, Ilfracombe QLD 4727 P (07) 4658 4150 E visitinf@longreach.qld.gov.au

THE JACKSON COLLECTION & HILTON’S CORNER

LYNN CAMERON MACHINERY MILE AND HERITAGE DISPLAY

The lifetime collections of brothers Hilton and Ike Jackson – 30,000 bottles and memorabilia gathered from the World Wars.

Along the Lynn Cameron Machinery Mile and Heritage Display you will be able to trace the history of pastoral and community development from early walking beam drilling rigs, to early graders and fireploughs, tractors, pumps – just about every bit of heavy metal needed to establish a sheep station, make a town and keep the roads passable.

MEMORIAL PARK & ARTESIAN SPA Swimming pool, artesian spa, children’s playground and barbeque.

WELLSHOT CENTRE Tells the story of Wellshot Station, one of Australia’s great sheep and wool producers. Also the Ilfracombe Visitor Information Centre.

WELLSHOT HOTEL Stands in proud testament to the good times and the hard times.

Main Avenue, Ilfracombe QLD 4727 www.ilfracombe.com.au/Ilfracombe-Machinery-Mile.html www.visitlongreach.com.au

2 5 • VIS I T LON G R E AC H.COM. AU

Isisford

Discover Isisford on the Outer Barcoo, where the locals personify true outback spirit.

The misfortune of two early traders led to the development of the Isisford Township, when two travelling hawkers, brothers William and James Whitman broke an axle attempting to cross the Barcoo River, and decided that rather than press on, they would settle on the banks of the river. A village soon developed and the siblings erected a hotel, butcher’s shop, store and saddlery among other businesses.

Originally named ‘Whittown’ by the Whitmans in selftestament to their founding enterprise, the name was changed to ‘Isisford’ in 1878 when a town was surveyed, based on the presence of a river ford and the settlement’s proximity to Isis Downs station which lay 20km to the east.

Primarily dependent on the wool industry, Isisford was hard hit by drought in 1965 and the bust in the wool price in 1970 – this halved the town population but left Isisford with a rich history tied to the land and stories of days gone by. The town continues to rely on the wool and beef industry and also on its regional tourism.

Today Isisford is home to the Outer Barcoo Interpretation Centre which showcases world class fossils of the oldest modern crocodile and bulldog fish. Many of the original buildings constructed by the Whitmans still stand and house fascinating little museums – the old bakery, Café Arcadia and Whitman’s Memorial Museum are a must-see. The Golden West Hotel also still stands in the main street of Isisford, formerly the ‘Westward Hotel’ it is the only one of the four hotels in existence in 1904 to remain open to this day.

Isisford also rests on the banks of the Barcoo, with camping available at the Barcoo Weir and Oma Waterhole. It’s a perfect spot to relax and wet a line for an afternoon or even a few days while you relax and enjoy the slower outback pace.

DID YOU KNOW? THE BARCOO RIVER IS FEATURED IN SOME POEMS BY BANJO PATERSON

TOP: Locals stop for a chat as the sun sets in the town of Isisford.

LEFT: Oma Waterhole. RIGHT: Pelicans bathing in the Barcoo Weir.

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ISISFORD 1

Outer Barcoo Interpretive Centre

2

Whitman’s Memorial Museum

3

Historic Buildings • Hooper & Brunkhorst • Butcher • Bakery

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Wases

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Sporting Complex Swimming Pool Tennis Court Skate Park

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Isisford District Hospital Museum & Multipurpose Centre

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Nature Walks and Trails

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Golf Club

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Places of Interest OMA WATERHOLE 16km south west of Isisford on the Isisford/Yaraka River Road. Great for camping, fishing and water activities.

Hot showers | Toilet facilities | Boat ramp access

THE OUTER BARCOO INTERPRETIVE CENTRE Museum depicting the evolution of nature. The feature attraction is a replica of Isisfordia Duncani, which lived more than 98 million years ago, and is the ancestor of all the world’s crocodiles.

Theatrette | Cafeteria | Local arts and crafts displays

OLD BAKERY & CAFÉ ARCADIA

A glimpse of years gone by. Just don’t expect a fresh loaf of bread!

YURANIGH POND Approximately 6km from town. Major Mitchell camped here and the waterhole was named after his Aboriginal guide.

There is a plaque and shelter in their honour.

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OUTER BARCOO INTERPRETATION CENTRE A museum depicting the evolution of nature from more than 100 million years ago This museum features the ‘Isisfordia Duncani’ a life size replica model of a crocodile ancestor that lived over 100 million years ago. There are displays of local fauna, flora, reptiles, birds and fossils that have lived in this region, as well as formation of the Great Artesian Basin and general history of the Isisford area. An audio-visual presentation portrays life in the Isisford area since settlement. The film depicts Isisford as being ‘the middle of everywhere’. The building also houses 60 seat theatrette, cafeteria, local arts and craft displays.

12 St Mary’s Street, Isisford QLD 4731 P (07) 4658 8133 E outerbarcoocentre@gmail.com Closed over the Christmas to New Year period

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Emmet

Just down the road from Isisford on the way to Yaraka lies the township of Emmet, surveyed in 1910 as a town in preparation for the Great Western Railway from Jericho to Windorah.

Emmet is a historic railway siding with a rich history. Situated on the railway line running from Blackall to Yaraka, Emmet was once a bustling depot where people from the local properties came to pick up their stores and mail.

Emmet was the second water take west of Blackall in the early days of the steam train and is the western gateway to the Idalia National Park where the dry mulga scrub and rocky escarpments are home to the yellow-footed rock wallaby.

DID YOU Emmet, in Queensland’s Outback, KNOW? was once a thriving railway siding EMMET IS THE with a population of 30 people.

WESTERN GATEWAY Today, with only two residents, the TO THE IDALIA town has a picnic shelter and an NATIONAL PARK interesting historical display in the revamped railway station.

Visit the Emmet Store, where the stories of the area begin.

Nearby is ‘Emmet Downs’, the scene of a ghost story; stay for a while and learn more about the area and its history.

TOP: The historic railway station. ABOVE RIGHT: Inside the Emmet Store. RIGHT: Wild Budgies flying over the grasslands.

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Yaraka

Yaraka is truly the hidden gem of Outback Queensland with a fascinating history, breathtaking landscape and locals that will make you feel like you’ve found home all over again.

The history of Yaraka dates back to the early settlers and pioneers in 1860 though the town was officially founded in 1917 when the rail line opened from Emmet. The railway station was called Yaraka after the indigenous name for the white spear grass which grows in the district.

The early days of Yaraka were prosperous and allowed wool producers to move their bales much faster than ever before, going from a four month trip for a horse team to only a three day journey by rail.

Yaraka also has a history of gem and goldmining, the Yaraka opal fields are available for fossicking tours and are famous for top pattern and various types of opal in as many as eight levels. The site of Magee’s Shanty is not far from Yaraka and is the historic site of the shanty immortalised in Banjo Paterson’s ‘Bush Christening’. Close by are the ruins of the Cobb and Co pub and the grave of the lonely goldminer Richard Magoffin who perished in 1885 chasing his fortune.

The township of Yaraka is a place where memories of the past are strong. The Yaraka Hotel is the town’s central meeting place, enjoy a cold beverage with the locals, and discover the views of Mount Slowcombe, the gem of Yaraka. With a tar sealed road winding its way to the top, enjoy the stunning outback sunset or the glorious colours of a sunrise.

The Yaraka area was once part of the giant Milo sheep station located on the southern side of the Yang Yang Ranges. Yaraka was one of their huge paddocks where vast numbers of Merino sheep grazed and produced much sought after low micron wool.

The State Government split up the Milo leases, thus allowing the only settlers to become ‘Kings and Queens’ of their own properties. The Yaraka district still produces fine micron wool but has faced increasing wild dog populations which have devastated sheep grazing to the point where many graziers have had to abandon their sheep and switch to cattle.

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DID YOU KNOW? THE TOWN OF YARAKA HAS A PERMANENT POPULATION OF 12 RESIDENTS

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Places of Interest

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Mount Slowcombe Lookout

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Historic Railway Station

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Cemetery

MAGEE’S SHANTY This is a historic site of the shanty immortalised in Banjo Paterson’s Poem A Bush Christmas. Ruins of the Cobb & Co pub and goldmining history lay here.

MOUNT SLOWCOMBE The gem that Yaraka can offer is Mount Slowcombe, with a tar sealed road winding its way to the top making it easily accessible, even for cars. This is an ideal place to enjoy the stunning outback sunset or the glorious colours of a sunrise.

Electric BBQ and covered seating and toilet facilities available.

YARAKA HOTEL Come on down to the hotel and enjoy a cold beverage with the locals, discover the views Yaraka can offer, take a tour to Mount Slowcombe or fossick for opals in this spectacular area.

TOP: Sunset from Mount Slowcombe. LEFT: The historic Yaraka railway station opened in 1917. FAR LEFT: 360° views from the summit of Mount Slowcombe.

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Drive Routes Overlander’s Way

Matilda Way

3,096 km

1,081 km

MELBOURNE TO KARUMBA

TOWNSVILLE TO TENNANT CREEK

This route leads from Victoria to the Gulf of Carpentaria along the backbone of the Queensland Outback. A remarkable journey from Melbourne, traversing three states and ending in the savannah country of Karumba.

A pioneering journey linking the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef with the Outback, across the breadth of Queensland. From the dazzling reef to the ochre tinged Outback, this Way leads you past incredible sights both modern and ancient, natural and manmade.

Adventure Way

Warrego Way

2,410 km

1,578 km

BRISBANE TO ADELAIDE

BRISBANE TO BIRDSVILLE

Retrace the tracks of Cobb & Co, the first people movers of the Outback from Brisbane to Outback Queensland before the South Australian border to Innamincka and following the Strzelecki track through the Flinders Ranges.

Travel west to a world of adventure and mystery. This Way leads to the Sunshine state’s capital, Brisbane through the fertile Lockyer Valley over the Great Dividing Range, across the Darling Downs and onto the outback metropolises of Charleville and Birdsville.

Savannah Way

Capricorn Way

580 km

3,925 km

ROCKHAMPTON TO BARCALDINE

CAIRNS TO BROOME

Travel along the Capricorn Way for a journey of discovery from the Reef to the Outback through the heart of Queensland.

Linking Cairns in Tropical North Queensland with the historic pearling town of Broome in Western Australia, via the natural wonders of Katherine in the Northern Territory; the drive takes in five World Heritage areas on a journey through the top end of Australia.

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Bamaga

Great Queensland Drives

Weipa

Cape York Peninsula Coen

LEGEND Adventure Way Australia’s Country Way

Cooktown

Capricorn Way

Lakeland

Great Inland Way

Port Douglas Palm Cove Leichhardt Way G Cairns Kuranda R E Mareeba Matilda Way A Atherton To Broome Karumba T Innot Hot Springs Innisfail Overlander’s Way Mt Garnet Ravenshoe Burketown Mt Surprise Tully Pacific Coast Way Normanton Georgetown Hinchinbrook Croydon Savannah Way Island y a Sav a nn ah W Ingham Lawn Hill Gorge/ Warrego Way Forsayth Magnetic Island Boodjamulla Greenvale Townsville E Burke and Wills E To Tennant Creek Junction F Whitsunday Find your accredited Visitor Camooweal Charters Towers Islands Bowen Information Centre as you drive in Queensland Airlie Beach Julia Creek Richmond Prairie Mount Isa O v e r l a d n e r ’ s Way Hughenden Mackay Cloncurry Kynuna Sarina McKinlay Belyando Crossing Dajarra Corfield Middleton Winton Muttaburra Aramac Rubyvale Clermont Capella Yeppoon Sapphire Barcaldine Boulia Blackwater Rockhampton Jericho Anakie Longreach Alpha Ilfracombe Ca Great Keppel Island pri corn Way Emerald Mt Morgan Gladstone M Springsure Isisford a Bedourie Willows Biloela t il Lady Elliott Island Rolleston d Gemfields Stonehenge A Blackall Jundah Bundaberg Carnarvon Yaraka Theodore Tambo Gorge Fraser Island Hervey Bay Betoota Augathella Windorah Maryborough Gayndah Injune Birdsville Adavale Charleville Wa rreg o Way Gympie Eromanga Quilpie Roma Kingaroy Morven Mitchell Cooladdi Miles Surat Dalby Sunshine Coast Dig Tree Adventure Wyandra Wa Moonie Innamincka y St George Cunnamulla Brisbane Toowoomba Noccundra Gold Coast Bollon Thargomindah Eulo Warwick Goondiwindi Dirranbandi Stanthorpe Hebel Mungindi Barringun Tenterfield Lightning Moree y Ridge Glen Innes Hw Walgett Grafton Bourke Narrabri Armidale Cobar Coonamble W Coonabarabran Barrier Hwy Gulargambone Coffs Harbour Ne Broken Hill Gilgandra Tamworth Nyngan Port Port Macquarie Mudgee Augusta Dubbo Scone Chillagoe

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This map is for promotional use only, there are many more roads connecting Queensland’s great destinations – for gazetted road names and accurate details please refer to a quality touring map.

This map only highlights Great Queensland Drives and does not include any regional routes or local drives.

For more information on these routes and driving holidays please visit queensland.com/drive

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Image courtesy of the Qantas Founders Museum

Your Link to the Queensland Outback.

Flights from Brisbane to Barcaldine, Blackall and Longreach are operated in partnership with the Queensland State Government Book now at qantas.com QantasLink flights operated by Eastern Australia Airlines Pty Ltd ABN 77 001 599 024 and Sunstate Airlines (Qld) Pty Ltd ABN 82 009 734 703 as QantasLink. Licence No. 407. CMM22164QAN