The Shire of Diamantina is a

local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for. The size of an LGA varies by country but it is generally a subdivision of a State (administrative division), state, province, divi ...

Central West Queensland Central West Queensland is a remote region in the Australian state of Queensland which covers 396,650.2 km2. The region lies to the north of South West Queensland and south of the Gulf Country. It has a population of approximately 12,387 peo ...

, bordering

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

and the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...

. Its administrative centre is in the town of Bedourie. Like most places in Queensland with the "Diamantina" name, it was named after Lady

Diamantina Bowen Diamantina, Lady Bowen (; 1832/1833–1893), was a noble from the formerly Venetian Ionian Islands who became the wife of Sir George Bowen, the first Governor of Queensland. Personal life The '' Contessa'' Diamantina di Roma was born in 183 ...

(née Roma), the wife of the first governor of Queensland, Sir

George Bowen Sir George Ferguson Bowen (; 2 November 1821 – 21 February 1899), was an Irish author and colonial administrator whose appointments included postings to the Ionian Islands, Queensland, New Zealand, Victoria, Mauritius and Hong Kong.R. B. Joy ...

. It covers an area of , and is the second largest LGA in the state. The shire was established in 1879. The town of

Birdsville Birdsville is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Diamantina, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Birdsville had a population of 110 people. It is a popular tourist destination with many people using it as a starting point acro ...

is home to the Birdsville Races, a horse race meeting to raise money for the

Royal Flying Doctor Service The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), commonly known as the Flying Doctor, is an air medical service in Australia. It is a non-profit organisation that provides emergency and primary health care services for those living in rural, remote an ...

History

Wangkangurru The Wangkangurru, also written Wongkanguru and Wangkanguru, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Simpson Desert area in the state of South Australia. They also refer to themselves as Nharla. Country Norman Tindale estimated their tribal sw ...

(''also known as ''Arabana/Wangkangurru, Wangganguru, Wanggangurru, Wongkangurru)'' is an

Australian Aboriginal language The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...

spoken on Wangkangurru country. It is closely related to

Arabana language Arabana or Arabuna is an Australian Aboriginal language of the Pama–Nyungan family, spoken by the Wongkanguru and Arabana people. The language is in steep decline, with an estimated 250 speakers according to 2004 NILS, to just 21 speakers ...

. The Wangkangurru language region was traditionally in the South Australian-Queensland border region taking in

and extending south towards Innamincka and

Lake Eyre Lake Eyre ( ), officially known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, is an endorheic lake in east-central Far North South Australia, some north of Adelaide. The shallow lake is the depocentre of the vast endorheic Lake Eyre basin, and contains the ...

, including the local government areas of the Shire of Diamantina as well as the

Outback Communities Authority The Outback Communities Authority (OCA) is a statutory authority in South Australia (SA) created under the ''Outback Communities (Administration and Management) Act 2009''. It has been established to "manage the provision of public services and ...

of South Australia''.'' ''

Yawarrawarrka The Yawarrawarrka (also written Yawarawarka, Jauraworka) were an in Indigenous people of South Australia. Country According to the calculations of Norman Tindale the Yauraworka's tribal lands encompassed some , running north of Cooper Creek to ...

'' (also known as ''Yawarawarka'', ''Yawarawarga'', ''Yawarawarka'', ''Jauraworka'', ''Jawarawarka'') is an Australian Aboriginal language of Far Western Queensland. The traditional language region includes the local government area of the Shire of Diamantina extending into the

towards Innamincka. Karuwali (also known as Garuwali, Dieri) is a language of far western Queensland. The Karuwali language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the

Diamantina Shire Council The Shire of Diamantina is a local government area in Central West Queensland, bordering South Australia and the Northern Territory. Its administrative centre is in the town of Bedourie. Like most places in Queensland with the "Diamantina" nam ...

, including the localities of

Betoota Betoota is a ghost town within the locality of Birdsville, in the Shire of Diamantina, in the Channel Country of Central West Queensland, Australia. The last permanent resident, Sigmund Remienko, died in 2004. Betoota is situated on a gibber pla ...

and

Haddon Corner Haddon Corner is a heritage-listed site in Tanbar, Shire of Barcoo, Queensland, Australia. It is in outback Channel Country at South-West Queensland, on the border corner with South Australia. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register ...

On 11 November 1879, the Diamantina Division was established as one of 74 divisions around Queensland under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879'' with a population of 1153. In October 1880, part of Diamantina Division was separated to create Gregory Division. On 21 June 1883, the boundaries between Diamantina Division and Bulloo Division were adjusted. With the passage of the Local Authorities Act 1902, Diamantina Division became the Shire of Diamantina on 31 March 1903. The seat of the Council moved from Birdsville to Bedourie in 1953. In the 2021 census, Diamantina Shire had 266 people, down from 292 in 2018.

Towns and localities

The Shire of Diamantina includes the following: ; Settlements * Bedourie *

(ghost town) *

; National parks * Astrebla National Park *

Diamantina National Park Diamantina National Park is a national park in the Channel Country of South West Queensland, Australia, west of Brisbane. Like the Diamantina River that flows through it, it is named for Lady Diamantina Bowen, wife of Sir George Bowen, the firs ...

Simpson Desert National Park Munga-Thirri National Park, formerly known as the Simpson Desert National Park, is the largest national park in Queensland, Australia, 1,495 km west of Brisbane, Australia, Brisbane. The park covers an area of in the Simpson Desert surroun ...

; Archaeological sites * Bilpa Morea, associated with the

Burke and Wills expedition The Burke and Wills expedition was organised by the Royal Society of Victoria in Australia in 1860–61. It consisted of 19 men led by Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, with the objective of crossing Australia from Melbourne in the s ...

Amenities

operates public libraries in Bedourie and

Chairmen and mayors

;Chairmen * 1889: William Blair (owner of the

Birdsville Hotel Birdsville Hotel is a heritage-listed hotel at Burt Street, Birdsville, Shire of Diamantina, Queensland, Australia. It was built . It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. The town Birdsville was known as ''Diama ...

) * 1927: Harry Afford ; Mayors * 2008–2012: Robbie Dare (elected unopposed) * 2012–2020: Geoffrey (Geoff) Moreton *2020–present: Robert Martin Dare

Population

References

External links

Diamantina Shire Council

Birdsville Library

University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Diamantina Shire
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diamantina Shire Local government areas of Queensland 1879 establishments in Australia Central West Queensland