Longreach is a town and a

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localities (Australia), in which a locality is a geographic subdivis ...

in the

Longreach Region The Longreach Region is a local government area in Central West Queensland, Australia. Established in 2008, it superseded three previous local government areas that had existed for more than a century. It has an estimated operating budget 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 , establishe ...

, Australia. It is the administrative centre of the

Longreach Longreach is a town and a locality in the Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre of the Longreach Regional Council, which was established in 2008 as a merger of the former Longreach, Ilfracombe, and Isisford ...

Regional Council, which was established in 2008 as a merger of the former

Ilfracombe Ilfracombe ( ) is a seaside resort and civil parish on the North Devon coast, England, with a small harbour surrounded by cliffs. The parish stretches along the coast from the 'Coastguard Cottages' in Hele Bay toward the east and along t ...

, and Isisford shires. Longreach is a well known tourist destination due to its aviation history and importance. In the , the locality of Longreach had a population of 3,124 people.

Geography

Longreach is in

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 ...

, approximately from the coast, west of Rockhampton. The town is on the

Tropic of Capricorn The Tropic of Capricorn (or the Southern Tropic) is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point at the December (or southern) solstice. It is thus the southernmost latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. It also reac ...

in the south-east of the locality. The town is named after the ‘long reach’ of the Thomson River on which it is situated.

Lochern National Park Lochern is a national park in Longreach, Central West Queensland, Australia, 1,047 km west of Brisbane. Eastern parts of the national park are interspersed with numerous channels of the Thomson River. The park is sprawled over an area of 24 ...

is in the south-western part of the locality (formerly in Vergemont). The main industries of the area are cattle, sheep, and, more recently, tourism. The

Landsborough Highway Landsborough Highway is a highway in western Queensland, Australia, running in the northwest–southeast direction from Morven to Cloncurry. The Landsborough Highway runs through vast tracts of land that was once occupied by William Landsborou ...

enters the locality from the south-east (

), passes through the town and then exits to the north-west ( Corfield). The Central Western railway line takes the same route, the town being served by the

Longreach railway station Longreach railway station is the terminus station of the Central Western line, serving the town of Longreach, Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia. It is on the Landsborough Highway. It was built from 1887 to 1917. It was added to the Qu ...

. The Thomson Developmental Road commences at the town and passes through the south-east of the locality (briefly passing through the westernmost part of

) before exiting to the south ( Stonehenge). In Longreach, the streets are named after species of birds, with the streets running east–west named after water birds and those running north–south after land birds. The main business street is called Eagle Street. Other streets honour Hudson Fysh, an Australian aviation pioneer, and Sir James Walker, a farmer and long-serving mayor of the former Longreach Shire Council.

History

Longreach lies within the traditional tribal lands of the Iningai people.

Iningai The Iningai (Yiningayi) were an indigenous Australian people of the present-day Longreach Region in the state of Queensland. Country The Iningai lay to the west of the Great Dividing Range as far as the Forsyth Range, Maneroo Creek, and Longreac ...

(also known as Yiningay, Muttaburra, Tateburra, Yinangay, Yinangi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Iningai people. The Iningai language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the

, particularly the towns of Longreach, Barcaldine,

Muttaburra Muttaburra is an outback town and locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia. Muttaburra was the discovery site of the ''Muttaburrasaurus'', one of Australia's most famous dinosaurs. Geography Muttaburra is in the central west ...

and Aramac as well as the properties of Bowen Downs and catchments of Cornish Creek and Alice River. Kuungkari (also known as Kungkari and Koonkerri) is a language of Western Queensland. The Kuungkari language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of

Longreach Shire Council The Shire of Longreach was a local government area located in central western Queensland, centred on the town of Longreach, from which the shire was administered. It covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1900 until ...

and Blackall-Tambo Shire Council. The town was gazetted in 1887, and its post office opened on 1 October 1891. The Central Western railway line reached the town on 15 February 1892, causing the population to grow. Longreach State School opened on 22 May 1893 with an enrolment of 102 students, and the

Presentation Sisters The Presentation Sisters, officially the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are a religious institute of Roman Catholic women founded in Cork, Ireland, by the Venerable Honora "Nano" Nagle in 1775. The Sisters of the congre ...

founded a primary school in 1900 that became Our Ladies' College. in 1920

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 founde ...

was formed making a big start to the little town. St Joseph's Primary School was established in 1925. In 1935 Our Ladies' College expanded to offer secondary education to Year 10, becoming the first secondary school in Central Western Queensland. Cominos Brothers opened a cafe in Eagle Street, the town’s main street in 1911. The cafe was known as Comino Bros. Central Café and American Bar, probably because it had an American-style soda fountain. Longreach Rail Post Office opened by April 1940 and closed in 1962. Longreach State High School opened on 24 January 1966. Evesham State School opened in the former Morella on 23 January 1967. It was mothballed on 31 December 2009 and then permanently closed on 31 December 2010. In 1970, Queen Elizabeth II, The Duke of Edinburgh and Her Royal Highness Princess Anne toured Australia including Queensland. The Queensland tour began on Sunday 12 April when the royal yacht ''Britannia'' entered Moreton Bay at Caloundra, sailing into Newstead Wharf. After several days of engagements in the city of Brisbane, Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh commenced their regional tour flying to Longreach on Wednesday 15 April. The primary purpose for their stopover in Longreach was to visit the first operational base of Queensland’s first airline,

, which became Australia’s Overseas Airline. During the visit they viewed an exhibition of Qantas memorabilia, including a replica of the company’s first aircraft, the AVRO 504K of 1921. The occasion marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of The Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, Limited (Qantas). Qantas Airways celebrated its Centenary in 2020. On 1 January 1986, Our Ladies' College relocated to the St Joseph's site. A pre-school was added in 1992. It returned to being only a primary school (P-6) at the end of 1994. In 2002, the school changed its name to Our Ladies' School. Longreach School of Distance Education (also known as Longreach

School of the Air School of the Air is a generic term for correspondence schools catering for the primary and early secondary education of children in remote and outback Australia where some or all classes were historically conducted by radio, although this is n ...

) opened on 27 January 1987. In early April 2010, Longreach experienced a significant locust plague described by local residents as the worst in three decades. At the , the town of Longreach recorded a population of 3,137. In the , the locality of Longreach had a population of 2,970 people. In January 2019, it was decided to reduce the number of localities within Longreach Region by amalgamating the localities to the north and west of the town of Longreach into the locality of Longreach. The localities amalgamated were: Camoola, Chorregon, Ernestina, Maneroo, Morella, Tocal, and Vergemont. As a consequence of this amalgamation, the Longreach Region has only three localities: Longreach,

and Isisford. In the , the locality of Longreach had a population of 3,124 people.

Heritage listings

Longreach has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: *

Capricorn Highway The Capricorn Highway is located in Central Queensland, Australia, and links the city of Rockhampton with western Queensland. The highway is long, and joins the Landsborough Highway at Barcaldine. Formerly National Route 66, Queensland began ...

* Longreach Ambulance Centre, 111 Ibis Street * Qantas Hangar,

Darr River Downs Darr River Downs is a heritage-listed homestead at Landsborough Highway, Morella, Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1870s circa to 1900s circa. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 27 June 2003. Hist ...

, Landsborough Highway (formerly in Morella): * Former

Longreach Powerhouse Longreach Powerhouse is a heritage-listed former power station and now museum at 12 Swan Street, Longreach, Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built in 1921 by Edward and Martin. It is now known as Longreach Powerhouse Museum. It w ...

, 12 Swan Street

Facilities

Longreach has a visitor information centre, swimming pool, Powerhouse Museum and parks. Shopping facilities in the town include IGA, FoodWorks and Prices Plus. As part of nationwide restructuring, Target Country closed its store on Eagle Street in April 2021. Longreach Regional Council operates the Longreach Library at 106 Eagle Street. The Longreach branch of the

Queensland Country Women's Association The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) is the Queensland chapter of the Country Women's Association in Australia. The association seeks to serve the interests of women and children in rural areas in Australia through a network of loca ...

has its rooms in Duck Street. There is also a branch of the

in the former Morella (now part of Longreach). Until 2021, Longreach had a local cinema. Star Cinema Longreach operated for 33 years before closing due to a combination of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

and the rise in popularity of streaming services. Prior to the construction of the modern Star Cinema in 1988, films were shown at the Roxy Theatre which was rebuilt and reopened in 1953 after a fire destroyed the original premises in 1952 forcing films to be temporarily screened in the shire hall.

Education

Longreach State School is a government primary (Early Childhood-6) school for boys and girls at 125 Ibis Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 197 students with 19 teachers (18 full-time equivalent) and 17 non-teaching staff (12 full-time equivalent). Longreach State High School is a government secondary (7-12) school for boys and girls at Jabiru Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 179 students with 24 teachers (22 full-time equivalent) and 16 non-teaching staff (10 full-time equivalent). Longreach School of Distance Education is a government primary and secondary (Early Childhood-10) school for boys and girls at Sir James Walker Drive (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 181 students with 28 teachers (24 full-time equivalent) and 15 non-teaching staff (11 full-time equivalent). Longreach State School Special Education Program is a primary and secondary (Early Childhood-12) special education program at Longreach State School at Kingfisher Street (). Our Lady's Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep-6) school for boys and girls at 85 Eagle Street (). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 91 students with 10 teachers (9 full-time equivalent) and 7 non-teaching staff (4 full-time equivalent).

Media

The ''Longreach Leader'' newspaper is issued weekly. The Longreach area is also served by several locally based radio stations including

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 ...

, and commercial stations 4LG and West FM.

Attractions

Longreach is the home of the

Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame is a museum located in Longreach, Queensland, Australia, which pays tribute to pioneers of the Australian outback. The centre is also dedicated to Australian stockmen who have shown bravery and courage. ...

, which was officially opened in 1988 by Queen Elizabeth II. The purpose of the centre is to showcase the history and the culture of life in rural Australia. Since its opening, over 1 million people have passed through its doors. Qantas Boeing 707 and Boeing 747-200 at Longreach's Qantas Founders Outback Museum

Qantas Boeing 707 and Boeing 747-200 at Longreach's Qantas Founders Outback Museum

Longreach was one of the founding centres for

, the Australian domestic and international airline, the third oldest airline in the world (after

KLM KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally ''Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.'' (literal translation: Royal Aviation Company Plc.), is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amste ...

and

Avianca Avianca S.A. ( acronym in Spanish for ''Aerovias del Continente Americano S.A.'', "Airways of the American Continent") is a Colombian airline. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it was initially registered und ...

), being founded on 16 November 1920 in Winton. One of the airline's original hangars remains in use at the

Longreach Airport Longreach Airport is situated in Longreach, Queensland, Australia. The airport is northeast of the city. The Royal Flying Doctor Service has one of its nine Queensland bases at Longreach Airport. History Longreach has played a major part ...

and is listed on the

Australian National Heritage List The Australian National Heritage List or National Heritage List (NHL) is a heritage register, a list of national heritage places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia, established in 2003. The list includes natural and ...

. The town is now the home of the

Qantas Founders Outback Museum The Qantas Founders Outback Museum is a museum located in Longreach, Queensland, Australia. The museum was opened on 9 June 1996 in the heritage-listed Qantas Hangar, built by Qantas in 1922. Stage 2 of the Qantas Founders Museum was part of a ...

, which includes amongst its displays a decommissioned Qantas

Boeing 747-200 The Boeing 747 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2022. After introducing the 707 in October 1958, Pan Am wanted a jet times its size, t ...

aircraft, registration VH-EBQ, ''The City of Bunbury'', and Qantas's first jet aircraft VH-XBA (formerly VH-EBA), a Boeing 707, ''The City of Canberra''. In recognition of the town's place in company history, as well as a play on the airliner's extended range, all of Qantas's Boeing 747-400s had "Longreach" printed on both sides of the first jetway entry/exit doors. The town is home to the Australian Agricultural College's Longreach Campus, which prepares students for work in the agricultural and pastoral industries. It was known previously as the Longreach Pastoral College. The campus was opened in 1967. Adjacent to the college is the Longreach School of Distance Education, which provides lessons to remote students, formerly by HF radio but now using telephone lines. The agricultural college in Longreach closed December 2019.

Notable residents

Notable residents of Longreach include: * Carl Barron, stand-up comedian, born in Longreach * Lobby Loyde, guitarist in the Purple Hearts and Coloured Balls, born in Longreach * Bruce Saunders, Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, born in Longreach * Matthew Scott (rugby league), Matthew Scott, rugby league footballer, born in Longreach * Edgar Towner, Victoria Cross winner, died in Longreach and was buried in the cemetery there. His grave is a protected place.

Climate

Longreach experiences a semi-arid climate, hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen: ''BSh'', Trewartha climate classification, Trewartha: ''BShl''); with very hot summers with moderate rains; warm to hot springs and autumns with occasional rains; and mild, dry winters.