South West Queensland is a remote region in the Australian state of
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
which covers .
The region lies to the south of
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 ...
and west of the
Darling Downs
The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland. The name was generall ...
and includes the
Maranoa district and parts of the
Channel Country
The Channel Country is a region of outback Australia mostly in the state of Queensland but also in parts of South Australia, Northern Territory and New South Wales. The name comes from the numerous intertwined rivulets that cross the region, ...
. The area is noted for its cattle grazing, cotton farming, opal mining and oil and gas deposits.
At the federal level the whole region is encompassed by the
Division of Maranoa
The Division of Maranoa is an Australian electoral division in Queensland.
Maranoa extends across the Southern Outback and is socially conservative. In the 2016 and 2019 federal elections, Pauline Hanson's One Nation finished ahead of Labor ...
. Local Government areas included in the region are
Maranoa Region
Maranoa Region is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia. The town of Roma is the administrative headquarters of the region.
History
The Gunggari language region of South West Queensland includes the landscape within the ...
,
Shire of Balonne
The Shire of Balonne is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia, over from the state capital, Brisbane. It covers an area of , and has existed as a local government entity since 1879. It is headquartered in its main town, S ...
,
Shire of Paroo
The Shire of Paroo is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia. The administrative centre is the town of Cunnamulla. The Paroo Shire covers an area of . In the , the Shire had a population of 1,679.
The region incorporates t ...
,
Shire of Murweh
The Shire of Murweh is a local government area in the Maranoa district, which is part of South West Queensland, Australia. The administrative centre and largest town in the shire is Charleville. In June 2018, the Shire of Murweh had a populati ...
,
Shire of Bulloo
The Shire of Bulloo ( ) is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia.
On 17 April 2020 the Queensland Government reorganised the nine localities in the Shire, resulting in six localities by making the following changes:
*Thar ...
and the
Shire of Quilpie
The Shire of Quilpie is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia. It covers an area of , and its administrative centre is the town of Quilpie.
The dominant industry is grazing. Opal fields are also worked within the shire.
...
. South West Queensland has a population of 26,489.
The region is serviced by the
ABC Western Queensland
ABC Western Queensland is an ABC Local Radio station based in Longreach broadcasting to the Central West, South West and Gulf regions of Queensland. It covers a wide area stretching as far as the towns of Charleville, Winton and Birdsville ...
radio station.
History
Indigenous
Aboriginal society traded objects based on need and to promote social cohesion. The South West region of Queensland was the primary source of the traded plant
Duboisia hopwoodii
''Duboisia hopwoodii'' is a shrub native to the arid interior region of Australia. Common names include pituri, pitchuri thornapple or pitcheri.
Description
The species has an erect habit, usually growing to between 1 and 3 metres in height, wit ...
,
from which a traditional
chewing tobacco
Chewing tobacco is a type of smokeless tobacco product that is placed between the cheek and lower gum to draw out its flavor. Some users chew it, others do not. It consists of coarsely chopped aged tobacco that is flavored and often sweetened; ...
was made.
Kamilaroi
The Gamilaraay, also known as Gomeroi, Kamilaroi, Kamillaroi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose lands extend from New South Wales to southern Queensland. They form one of the four largest Indigenous nations in Aust ...
(also known as Gamilaroi, Gamilaraay, Comilroy) 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 ...
of South-West Queensland. It is closely related to Yuwaalaraay and Yuwaalayaay. The Kamilaroi language region includes the local government area of the
Shire of Balonne
The Shire of Balonne is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia, over from the state capital, Brisbane. It covers an area of , and has existed as a local government entity since 1879. It is headquartered in its main town, S ...
, including the towns of
Dirranbandi
Dirranbandi is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. The locality is on the border of Queensland with New South Wales. In the , Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people.
Geography
Dirranbandi is on the ...
,
Thallon,
Talwood and
Bungunya as well as the border towns of
Mungindi
Mungindi is a town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality on the border of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, Australia. The town is within Moree Plains Shire in New South Wales. Within Queensland, the locality is split between the ...
and
Boomi extending to
Moree,
Tamworth and
Coonabarabran in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.
Yuwaalaraay (also known as ''Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi'') is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalaraay country. The Yuwaalaraay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the
Shire of Balonne
The Shire of Balonne is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia, over from the state capital, Brisbane. It covers an area of , and has existed as a local government entity since 1879. It is headquartered in its main town, S ...
, including the town of
Dirranbandi
Dirranbandi is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. The locality is on the border of Queensland with New South Wales. In the , Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people.
Geography
Dirranbandi is on the ...
as well as the border town of
Hebel extending to
Walgett
Walgett is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers and the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways. In 2016, Walgett had a population of 2,145.
In the 2 ...
and
Collarenebri
Collarenebri is a town in north western New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Walgett Shire Local Government Area and is situated on the Barwon River approximately northeast of Walgett and south west of Mungindi on the Gwydir Highway. ...
in
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
.'
Yuwaalayaay (also known as ''Yuwalyai, Euahlayi, Yuwaaliyaay, Gamilaraay, Kamilaroi, Yuwaaliyaayi'') is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken on Yuwaalayaay country. It is closely related to the
Gamilaraay
The Gamilaraay, also known as Gomeroi, Kamilaroi, Kamillaroi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose lands extend from New South Wales to southern Queensland. They form one of the four largest Indigenous nations in Aust ...
and
Yuwaalaraay languages. The Yuwaalayaay language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the
Shire of Balonne
The Shire of Balonne is a local government area in South West Queensland, Australia, over from the state capital, Brisbane. It covers an area of , and has existed as a local government entity since 1879. It is headquartered in its main town, S ...
, including the town of
Dirranbandi
Dirranbandi is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. The locality is on the border of Queensland with New South Wales. In the , Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people.
Geography
Dirranbandi is on the ...
as well as the border town of
Goodooga
Goodooga is a town in the Australian state of New South Wales in Brewarrina Shire on the eastern bank of the Bokhara River. It is near Brewarrina and Lightning Ridge, its closest neighbour. The town lies south of the Queensland border, and th ...
extending to
Walgett
Walgett is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia, and the seat of Walgett Shire. It is near the junctions of the Barwon and Namoi Rivers and the Kamilaroi and Castlereagh Highways. In 2016, Walgett had a population of 2,145.
In the 2 ...
and the
Narran Lakes
The Narran Wetlands, also known as the Narran Lakes, contained within the Narran Lake Nature Reserve, comprise a series of protected ephemeral lakes and swamps fed by the Narran River in the north-west of New South Wales, Australia. The reser ...
in New South Wales.'
European
Eastern parts of the region around the upper reaches of the Warrego River were explored by
Thomas Mitchell in 1845.
It wasn't until after
William Landsborough
William Landsborough (21 February 1825 – 16 March 1886) was an explorer of Australia and notably he was the first explorer to complete a North-to-South crossing of Australia. He was a member of the Queensland Legislative Council.
Early ...
explored the area during his 1862 expedition that settlers began to take up pastoral runs.
In 1860,
Robert O'Hara Burke
Robert O'Hara Burke (6 May 1821c. 28 June 1861) was an Irish soldier and police officer who achieved fame as an Australian explorer. He was the leader of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition, which was the first expedition to cross Australi ...
and
William John Wills
William John Wills (5 January 1834 – ) was a British surveyor who also trained as a surgeon. Wills achieved fame as the second-in-command of the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition, which was the first expedition to cross Australia from ...
began an
expedition from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria to explore large areas of inland Australia which remained completely unknown to the European settlers. A pivotal meeting place or depôt camp used by the expedition was located at Bullah Bullah Waterhole on
Cooper Creek
The Cooper Creek (formerly Cooper's Creek) is a river in the Australian states of Queensland and South Australia. It was the site of the death of the explorers Burke and Wills in 1861. It is sometimes known as the Barcoo River from one of its t ...
. After failing to reach the northern coastline due to the mangrove swamps of the
Flinders River
The Flinders River is the longest river in Queensland, Australia, at approximately . It was named in honour of the explorer Matthew Flinders. The catchment is sparsely populated and mostly undeveloped. The Flinders rises on the western slopes ...
delta the party of four set off for the return journey short on supplies. Charles Gray died on the way leaving three of the party who eventually managed to return to Cooper Creek on 21 April 1861, only to find the other half of the party had just left for
Menindee
Menindee (frequently but erroneously spelled "Menindie"
) is a small town in the far west of New South Wales, Australia, in Central Darling Shire, on the banks of the Darling River, with a sign-posted population of 980 and a population of 551. ...
nine hours earlier. A tree at the camp was used to depict three blazes and mark the location of a food cache.
It also became the resting place for Burke who died of malnourishment after they ran low on supplies amid controversial and tragic circumstances. Wills also died from weakness and malnourishment downstream at Breerily Waterhole.
John King was the sole survivor of the party that trekked north to the gulf. The expedition's journals and maps inspired pastoralists and opened up of vast tracts of Queensland to pastoral settlement.
Western parts of the region receive an average of 150 mm annual rainfall.
Further east around St. George, receives an average of 500 mm per year.
Limited access to water in the region restricted early pastoralism.
After
artesian bore water had been discovered and developed the lands were able to support sheep and not just cattle.
A
Cobb & Co
Cobb & Co was the name used by many successful sometimes quite independent Australian coaching businesses. The first was established in 1853 by American Freeman Cobb and his partners. The name Cobb & Co grew to great prominence in the late 19th ...
factory and was built at Charleville in 1893.
During the 1880s coach services expanded into the region. Cobb & Co was Australia's most famous historical coaching firm and once provided passenger and mail services across the country. They produced an eight-passenger coach that gained repute for its strength, stability and the forgiving suspension.
In 1922,
QANTAS
Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded ...
began its first regular flights from Charleville.
Geography
The northern extent of the
Sturt Stony Desert lies within the region around the location known as
Cameron Corner. Part of the
Cooper Basin
The Cooper Basin is a Permian-Triassic sedimentary geological basin in Australia. The basin is located mainly in the southwestern part of Queensland and extends into northeastern South Australia. It is named after the Cooper Creek which is an ...
is located in the region. The basin contains the most significant on-shore petroleum and natural gas deposits in Australia.
Near Roma at Hospital Hill, Australia's first natural gas strike was made.
Oil was found in the region in 1961.
The
Eromanga Basin
The Eromanga Basin is a large Mesozoic sedimentary basin in central and northern Australia. It covers parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia, and New South Wales, and is a major component of the Great Artesian Basin. The E ...
, also located in South West Queensland has been explored and developed for petroleum production.
Commercial quantities of gas were first discovered in 1976 and oil in 1978. The
Tookoonooka crater is a large
impact crater
An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters ...
located in the region, however it is not visible at the surface.
Settlements
Major towns of South West Queensland include
Quilpie
Quilpie ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. In the , Quilpie had a population of 595 people.
The town is the administrative centre of the Quilpie Shire local government area. The town of Toompine ...
,
Charleville Charleville can refer to:
Australia
* Charleville, Queensland, a town in Australia
**Charleville railway station, Queensland
France
* Charleville, Marne, a commune in Marne, France
*Charleville-Mézières, a commune in Ardennes, France
** ...
,
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
,
Thargomindah
Thargomindah (frequently shortened to Thargo) is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Bulloo, Queensland, Australia. The town of Thargomindah is the administrative centre for the Shire of Bulloo. In the , Thargomindah had a population of ...
,
St George and
Cunnamulla
Cunnamulla () is a town and a locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is south of Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane. In the , Cunnamulla had a population of 1,140 people.
Geography
Cunnamulla ...
. . Cunnamulla has the biggest wool-loading station on the Queensland railway network.
Australia's largest cotton farm,
Cubbie Station
Cubbie Station, the largest irrigation property in the southern hemisphere , is located near Dirranbandi, in south west Queensland, Australia. The station comprises and is operated by CS Agriculture, a joint venture between Macquarie Infrastruc ...
near St George, covers 93,000 hectares.
Smaller towns in the region include
Amby,
Injune,
Jackson
Jackson may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name
Places
Australia
* Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region
* Jackson North, Qu ...
,
Mitchell
Mitchell may refer to:
People
*Mitchell (surname)
*Mitchell (given name)
Places Australia
* Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory, a light-industrial estate
* Mitchell, New South Wales, a suburb of Bathurst
* Mitchell, Northern Territo ...
, Muckadilla,
Mungallala,
Surat
Surat is a city in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large seaport. It is now ...
,
Wallumbilla,
Yuleba
Yuleba ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Maranoa Region, in the south-west of Queensland, Australia. In the , Yuleba had a population of 207 people.
Geography
Yuleba is located 327 kilometres (203 mi) east of Charleville, 61 kilometres ( ...
, Alton,
Bollon, Boolba,
Dirranbandi
Dirranbandi is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia. The locality is on the border of Queensland with New South Wales. In the , Dirranbandi had a population of 640 people.
Geography
Dirranbandi is on the ...
,
Hebel,
Mungindi
Mungindi is a town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality on the border of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland, Australia. The town is within Moree Plains Shire in New South Wales. Within Queensland, the locality is split between the ...
,
Nindigully
Nindigully is a rural town within the locality of Thallon in the Shire of Balonne, Queensland, Australia.
Geography
Nindigully is north of the town of Thallon, the main town in the locality.
The Moonie River flows south to north passing th ...
,
Thallon, Coongoola,
Eulo
Eulo is an outback town and locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. In the , Eulo had a population of 95 people. It is known for its opal mining.
Geography
Eulo is west of Cunnamulla and west of Brisbane.
The town is located ...
, Humeburn, Tuen,
Wyandra
Wyandra is a town and a locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. In the , Wyandra had a population of 99 people.
Geography
The Warrego River flows from north to south through the locality. The Mitchell Highway also passes from n ...
, Yowah,
Bakers Bend
Bakers Bend is a rural locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. In the , Bakers Bend had a population of 28 people.
Geography
The Warrego River meanders from north to south through the locality. The Western railway line from ...
,
Morven, Nive,
Sommariva,
Thargomindah
Thargomindah (frequently shortened to Thargo) is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Bulloo, Queensland, Australia. The town of Thargomindah is the administrative centre for the Shire of Bulloo. In the , Thargomindah had a population of ...
,
Hungerford
Hungerford is a historic market town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, west of Newbury, east of Marlborough, northeast of Salisbury and 60 miles (97 km) west of London. The Kennet and Avon Canal passes through the town alongside the ...
,
Noccundra
Noccundra is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Bulloo in South West Queensland, Australia. The town was previously known as Nocundra. Prior to 2020 the locality was previously known as Nockatunga.
In the , the locality of Nockatunga (no ...
,
Nockatunga,
Adavale
Adavale is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Adavale had a population of 93 people.
Geography
Adavale is in South West Queensland, west of the state capital, Brisbane.
Between ...
, Cheepie,
Eromanga and Toompine.
Cooladdi
Cooladdi is a ghost town and rural locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia.
The town is 88 kilometres (54 mi) west of Charleville on the road to Quilpie, 122 kilometres (75 mi) to the west.
Cooladdi is situated west of the city ...
is a ghost town with a population of just six. Eromanga is home to Australia's Largest Dinosaur, 'Cooper'. Cooper was described in 2021 as new genus and species of Titanosauria, Australotitan cooperensis
Springs
Historical geographical records have suggested changes in the flow of local tertiary sandstone springs have occurred since the 1880s. Blasting was often used to enhance spring flow and consequently causing its destruction as with bores and dams. Only 45% of springs that were historically documented in the south west Queensland records, remain.
Rivers
Waterways coursing through South West Queensland include the
Warrego,
Maranoa,
Merivale,
Balonne and its tributary the
Bokhara River
The Bokhara River, a watercourse that is part of the Barwon catchment within the Murray–Darling basin, is located in the South Downs region of Queensland, flowing downstream into the north–western slopes of New South Wales, Australia. It f ...
,
Culgoa
Culgoa is a town in the Mallee region in the north west of the Australian state of Victoria. The town is approximately from the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2021 census, Culgoa had a population of 86, declining from 101 in 2016.
Primary ...
,
Wilson and Cooper Creek. The Balonne is used for an extensive
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...
network.
The
Bulloo River
The Bulloo River is an isolated drainage system in western Queensland, central Australia. Its floodplain, which extends into northern New South Wales, is an important area for waterbirds when inundated. It comprises most of the Bulloo-Banc ...
system is the only
closed river system in Australia.
[Char Speedy, "The Bulloo River System: life along the Bullo River 1880-1920s", Watson, Ferguson and Co ]
Protected areas
A number of national parks have been declared in the region, including
Alton National Park
Alton is a national park in the Balonne Shire local government area of South West Queensland, Australia.
Geography
Alton National Park is 371 km west of Brisbane and 75 km east of St George, adjacent to Moonie Highway. It covers o ...
,
Chesterton Range National Park,
Culgoa Floodplain National Park
The Culgoa Floodplain National Park is a protected national park that is located in the South West region of Queensland in eastern Australia. The national park is situated at the western extent of in the Shire of Balonne and in the east of ...
,
Currawinya National Park
Currawinya is a national park near Hungerford in South West Queensland, Australia, 828 km west of Brisbane. Part of the mulga lands bioregion this is an area of dry sandy plain with small trees and shrubs. The Paroo River passes through the ...
,
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 ...
,
Idalia National Park
Idalia is a national park in South West Queensland, Australia, 893 km west of Brisbane. Idalia National Park is located near the town of Blackall in the Queensland outback. The park protects 144,000 hectares of mulga lands with conservat ...
,
Lake Bindegolly National Park,
Mariala National Park,
Thrushton National Park and
Tregole National Park.
Bowra Sanctuary is a nature reserve near Cunnamulla which is managed by the
Australian Wildlife Conservancy.
Transport
Major roads in the region include the
Mitchell Highway
Mitchell Highway is an outback state highway located in the Central West Queensland, central and South West Queensland, south western regions of Queensland and the North West Slopes, northern and Central West, New South Wales, central western ...
out of outback New South Wales and the
Balonne Highway
The Balonne Highway, a state highway of Queensland, is the continuation westward of State Route 49 (Moonie Highway) from the town of St George to its termination at Cunnamulla. There are no large settlements between St George and Cunnamulla.
U ...
which travels east from St George to Cunnamulla. The
Warrego Highway
The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 715 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint ...
travels in an east–west direction across the north of the region. The northern tip of the
Castlereagh Highway
Castlereagh Highway is a state highway located in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. The highway's northern terminus is at a junction with Carnarvon Highway, south of , Queensland. Its southern terminus is at a junction with Great West ...
passes through the south east of the region, terminating at St George. Also passing through St George is the
Carnarvon Highway and the
Diamantina Development Road is slowly being upgraded.
The region is serviced by seven airports, including
Dirranbandi Airport,
Roma Airport
Roma Airport is an airport located northwest of Roma, Queensland, Australia. The airport underwent a major redevelopment completed in April 2012, replacing the original A.T. Berry Terminal with a larger, modern facility. Much of the $14 milli ...
,
St George Airport,
Charleville Airport
Charleville Airport is an airport located southwest of Charleville, a town in the state of Queensland in Australia.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service has one of its nine Queensland bases at Charleville Airport.
Airlines and destinations
Reg ...
,
Thargomindah Airport
Thargomindah Airport is an airport near Thargomindah, Queensland, Australia.
Airlines and destinations
Services are operated under contract to the Government of Queensland and will be taken over by Regional Express Airlines from 1 January ...
,
Cunnamulla Airport and
Quilpie Airport
Quilpie Airport is an airport serving Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Quilpie and operated by the Quilpie Shire Council. The airport received $242,666 for security upgrades from the Australian Government in 2006.
Facil ...
. The Western railway line reached
Charleville Charleville can refer to:
Australia
* Charleville, Queensland, a town in Australia
**Charleville railway station, Queensland
France
* Charleville, Marne, a commune in Marne, France
*Charleville-Mézières, a commune in Ardennes, France
** ...
in 1888.
A branch line to
Cunnamulla
Cunnamulla () is a town and a locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is south of Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane. In the , Cunnamulla had a population of 1,140 people.
Geography
Cunnamulla ...
was opened in 1898.
Today,
The Westlander
''The Westlander'' is an Australian passenger train operated by Queensland Rail on the Main and Western lines between Brisbane and the outback town of Charleville.
Background
In the 1888 timetable the train from Brisbane to Roma was officiall ...
passenger train service operates between Brisbane and Charleville. The
South Western railway line passes through
Thallon in the south east corner of the region.
Environment
Bioregions in the area include the
Mulga Lands
The Mulga Lands are an Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation for Australia, interim Australian bioregion of eastern Australia consisting of dry sandy plains with low mulga (habitat), mulga woodlands and shrublands that are dominated by ''Acacia ...
.
Mulga is a shrub or small tree native to arid outback Australia which has developed extensive adaptations to the dry conditions. There is an isolated population of
rufous-crowned emu-wren
The rufous-crowned emu-wren (''Stipiturus ruficeps'') is a species of bird in the Australasian wren family, Maluridae. It is endemic to Australia.
Taxonomy and systematics
The rufous-crowned emu-wren is one of three species of the genus ''Stipi ...
living in
spinifex shrubland which is found in the region. The
Dingo Fence runs through the region and is the world's longest fence.
The region is covered by red, brown and grey clays. Red sands and earths predominate, which is typical of arid Australia.
Opals
Adavale was the location of Australia's first
opal
Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms ...
discovery.
The town of Yowah is built on an opal field which began producing opals in the 1870s.
Opals are also found at
Koroit opal field, Quilpie, Eulo and in northern New South Wales. The geological formation containing opals in South West Queensland is called the
Winton Formation
The Winton Formation is a Cretaceous geological formation in central-western Queensland, Australia. It is late Albian to early Turonian in age. The formation blankets large areas of central-western Queensland. It consists of sedimentary rocks suc ...
.
See also
*
Lake Yamma Yamma
Lake Yamma Yamma is an ephemeral lake on the Cooper Creek system in the arid Channel Country of south-western Queensland, Australia. The lake, which is sometimes called Lake Mackillop, is the largest inland ephemeral lake in Queensland.
Descr ...
*
Regions of Queensland
The Regions of Queensland refer to the geographic areas of the Australian state of Queensland. Due to its large size and decentralised population, the state is often divided into regions for statistical and administrative purposes. Each region ...
References
{{coord, -26.4, 146.25, display=title