EuLo
TOWN BOOK
THE LAND OF PLENTY OF TIME & WAIT A WHILE
Eulo Town Map
Welcome to Eulo
The ‘Heart of the Mulgalands’, the ‘Montville of the Outback’ – just a couple of the descriptions of Eulo, a small community on the banks of the Paroo River.
Folks here are proud of their small town and this is evident when you visit. Famous not only for the infamous ‘Eulo Queen’ and the hotel named after her, but also for the artesian mud baths and abundant local produce, products, opal and craft which can all be purchased in the town with the old fashioned ‘we care’ attitude.
You won’t be short of something to do – have a wander through the Old Post Office (now the Eulo Queen Opal Centre) to look at the wide selection of opals and artwork there. Then cross the street to find yourself a whip, belt or handbag from Tom and Helen’s ‘Paroo Patch’. Follow the heritage trail around Eulo, stop in at Linda George Jewellery to view some opals, and read history boards and find out why there is an old air raid shelter in the town. You might like to just relax, fish and birdwatch on the Paroo River.
Drive 7 km west of Eulo and explore the Artesian Mud Springs. This phenomenon is a natural release valve for the Great Artesian Basin.
One of the highlights for any visit to Eulo is a stop at the Artesian Mud Baths, soak in warm artesian water impregnated with active clays formed over 1000’s of years. Then pat on a milky grey mud pack and let your skin soak in the goodness from this mineral-rich mud.
When your stay in Eulo has ended, why not head to the Alroy Camping Grounds on the banks of Yowah Creek for a true, outback camping experience with artesian bathing or stay in their newly renovated shearers quarters.
Step back in time: The original Eulo Store which burnt down in July 2011.
Heritage
Eulo owes its existence to the fact it was situated near a good waterhole on the Paroo River and was on the direct route of travel to the West.
WHERE DID THE NAME ‘EULO’ COME FROM?
The stories vary. One theory is that it was named after a woman from a European country – her name was pronounced ‘Eulo’ although the spelling was different.
Another theory is that the name has Aboriginal connotations, along with the towns of Eucla and Eudlo. The definition of the word differs however.
Some theories say it means a dry place/creek/river. An opposing theory claims it means wet springs.
The township was originally built closer to the river but when floods almost wiped out the entire town, it was moved to higher ground where it now stands.
‘Eulo is situated on the east bank of the Paroo River and was originally a portion of the Tilbooroo Run. It contains the necessary elements of all new bush townships including hotel, store, saddler, butcher, smithy, and – to finish up – we have a “Heathen Chinese” gardener.’
‘QUEENSLANDER’ NEWSPAPER JUNE 6, 1881
The Eulo Queen
Isabel, a legend, shrouded in mystery and conjecture.
The only remaining hotel in Eulo is named for her.
She is believed to have been born on Mauritius, Isle of France, about 1850. An extremely cultured woman, who spoke French and German fluently, she was also very shrewd when it came to business dealings. She married three times and is believed to have had a daughter who died at a young age.
After the death of her first husband, Mr. Macintosh, she married Richard Robinson and established herself as a prominent resident of Eulo at the turn of the century.
Mrs. Robinson, simply known locally as Maggie, was a colourful character, with a taste for good jewellery (including Yowah opals) and an authoritative presence, from which she earned her nickname. She acquired the Royal Mail Hotel in 1889 and the
Empire Hotel by 1900, together with a butcher’s shop and a store.
She lost her licences because of shady dealings and flouting the Liquor Act, but simply put up employees as dummy licensees and continued trading. In 1912 she bought the Metropolitan Hotel.
The Great War heralded the collapse of her empire with continued run-ins with the law and her two remaining hostels burning down. She also lost her third and most beloved husband, Herbert Gray, when he was killed in action.
She left Eulo in 1922, after attempting suicide, an alcoholic with a broken spirit. Isabel Richardson/ Macintosh/Robinson/Gray died in 1929 in a mental home in Toowoomba aged 79.
Isabel Gray (1850 – 1929), hotelier and storekeeper, daughter of James Richardson and Priscilla Wright.
Portrait of the Eulo Queen by artist Hugh Sawrey (1923 – 1999).
Bullock Teams
John Terrence Geppert was the last bullock driver to operate out of Eulo. He sold his bullock team of 22 in 1948.
In 1936 they were paid a shilling a ton per mile to carry bales of wool from properties to the railway in Cunnamulla.
Eulo Sports Grounds
A lease was given to the trustees of the Eulo Combined Churches Sports Committee in 1973. The first sports day was conducted at the new grounds in 1977. This lease has since been handed over to the Eulo Polocrosse Club.
A plaque was erected near the horse yards built by Mick Schute.
The annual sports day was held in September to raise funds for the Eulo Churches. This event has given way to the annual Motorbike Gymkhana and Enduro which is held over the Easter long weekend.
The grounds are also used by the Eulo Polocrosse Club for their annual carnival in July. Clubs travel from Cunnamulla, Thargomindah, Bollon, Charleville, Quilpie, Augathella, Isisford and some places in New South Wales for serious competition during the day and equally serious partying at night.
Eulo Hall
The hall was built on land donated to the town by local Grazier, P.R. Beresford. The hall was the venue for the first Opal Festival Ball, held in 1968.
The hall is used by art and craft groups, for meetings and Flying Doctor Clinics.
Air-raid Shelter
Tiny Eulo was chosen as a site for a safety shelter during the second World War. There were two reasons for the decision. Eulo was in the direct flight path from Darwin to Melbourne and was also a communication link used to wire information between the major centres.
Made of heavy-gauge corrugated steel curved over a trench, this ‘Anderson Air-raid Shelter’ was built by Hilty Newsham as a government project.
These days, the shelter is a bit rusty and doesn’t sport the sandbags and grass that once hid it from aerial view. When first built, it could hold about 50 people standing up.
The shelter is situated at the side of the Old Eulo Stores. From the front it is only visible as a half-moon shape that could be mistaken for a dog kennel.
Eulo Race Track
The Eulo Race Track was first built in the 1930s. The final race meeting of the Paroo Race Club was held on the 12th October 1957, followed by a ball at the hall.
A couple studying the form guide at the Eulo Races Circa 1920. Photo courtesy of Lyn Barnes
A day at the races: Three local lasses from Eulo in the early 1950s at the Eulo Picnic Races.
Eulo lizard races
Started in 1968, the World Lizard Racing Championships were held in conjunction with the Cunnamulla & Eulo Opal Festival.
Each year, on or about the last week in August, people used to come from all over Australia and overseas to witness these races.
Prior to the races, suitable lizards were auctioned – the record being $1065 paid out by a syndicate in 1983. The World Record for the race is 2.5 seconds, set by ‘Herbie’, a Cunnamulla shingleback, in 1972.
After the day of races all lizards are returned to the exact site from which they were found.
At the side of the race track there is also the famous Destructo Monument which commemorates the death of the famous cockroach, Destructo, who was accidentally trodden on after challenging, and beating, the champion lizard.
eulo lizard lounge
The Eulo Lizard Lounge is a picnic area on the eastern entrance to Eulo. It is designed to represent the frilled neck lizard. Eulo was home of the Cunnamulla & Eulo Lizard Races for 35 years and the lizard had been adopted as the symbol of Eulo. The lounge is made from curved galvanised iron walls representing the lizard’s body and scales with canvas sails overhead, representing the open frill on the neck of the lizard.
Ready, set, go: The barrier is lifted and the lizards are off.
Eulo police cells
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Police documents record the first Police Officer stationed at Eulo in 1876 as Constable Thomas Pettit.
No records could be found of a station building however, and it is possible rented premises were used.
Documentation dated 12th January 1883, from the Under Secretary Edward Deighton, requested tenders for the construction of a police station in the town with a preliminary tender deposit of £15 required, in either bank notes or a bank draft.
The completion of new quarters at Eulo was reported by electric telegraph dated 29th November 1883. A request accompanied it for an additional amount of £150 to erect kitchens and purchase furniture, and this response followed, ‘Police can put up kitchens themselves and old furniture must do.’
‘A Police Station has lately been formed at Eulo on the Paroo River, fifty miles west of Cunnamulla.
I think the residents may be congratulated that it is placed under the charge of Constable Pettit, who recently distinguished himself by the capture of a wouldbe bushranger on the road between Charleville and Roma.
I hear on all hands that police protections was much wanted at Eulo and district and that it was granted, not so much on account of the depredations officially known, as for those which have gone unpunished, owing to the extreme inconvenience and great expense prosecutions at such a great distance from the police and higher courts.’
JANUARY 24, 1880
‘QUEENSLANDER’ NEWSPAPER
Showroom open 10am -3pm daily or Call 0437063660 for an alternative time.
52 Eulo St Eulo
50m off the main road, look for the flags Quality, Unique, Handmade, Opal jewellery, Opal information, Souvenirs, Custom design setting & opal cutting services
htpps://lindageorgejewellery.com.au
All natural healing SKIN SURVIVAL KIT-Everything your skin needs to survive in the Outback
Paroo Patch & Paroo Leather EULO
Handcrafted leather, woolpack & fabric goods & supplies. Tom & Helen P. 07 4655 4849
CHURCH OF ST. FRANCIS
3 churches of eulo
Excerpts from the records and archives centre of The Anglican Church of Australia – Diocese of Brisbane.
DECEMBER 1956 At Eulo, the building of a new church has commenced at about £1100 is in hand to cover the quoted cost of £1580. Money has been lent by various interested people of Eulo to cover the remainder.
On Sunday 15th September 1957, the Archbishop will dedicate the new church of St. Francis of Assisi, Eulo. The occasion will be the culmination of months of hard work and planning. Previously there has been no Anglican Church at Eulo. The building is expected to be free of debt at the time of its dedication.
MAY 1958 At Eulo, the people are gradually adding to the interior appearance and furnishings of the church.
MAY 1964 Eulo are £400 in credit and were able to give £100 to the Cunnamulla Building Fund and to provide a carpet for the church. A Sunday school operates at this centre.
CHURCH OF ST. JOSEPH
Today, all church services in the Eulo Community are held in St. Josephs Church. This church was blessed and opened on 22nd November 1964, replacing an older building that is now privately owned.
eulo state emergency service
The Eulo branch of the State Emergency Service was formed in the late 1970s.
A committed band of local community members are trained to undertake search and rescue operations, fight bushfires and assist during times of floods and disasters in the Eulo district.
Church of St. Joseph
Eulo post office
The Post Office was opened on the 6th September 1872.
Beginning in 1870, a fortnightly mail run was established from Cunnamulla to Thargomindah, passing through Eulo. In 1871, it became a weekly service. By 1884, the mail service was running twice weekly.
In 1878, fortnightly mail services operated between Eulo and Beechal by horse and a weekly service between Eulo and Hungerford.
Telegraph extensions were built from Cunnamulla to Eulo, the work completed by 29th April 1881. The four and a half miles of line took just over four months to complete.
Of the 2503 telegraph messages handled in 1883, only 83 were official, proof that even back then, the locals loved a good gossip.
A manual telephone exchange was opened at the post office in April 1921. In 1969 the total number of subscribers had risen to 29.
The Eulo Post Office closed in 1982 due to the introduction of automatic telephones. The Eulo Store became a Post Office Agency.
Eulo Post Office: Work commenced on the Post and Telegraph Office in Eulo in 1881 and was completed in 1882. The exterior has had few alterations since then.
Eulo state school
A Provisional School was opened in Eulo in 1888. In 1909 it became a State School.
Attendance for the first year was 28 pupils. It rose to 59 in 1913, then varied from anywhere between 22 and 46. It is difficult to find a reason for these changes.
In 1993 enrolments hit an all-time low, with only four students attending. The Department of Education threatened closure of the school unless numbers could be increased considerably – and those numbers maintained.
The Eulo Community rallied and a Student Hostel was built beside the school with accommodation provided for 20 students and a House Mother. This provided an opportunity for children from properties in the district to attend the local school. Although this facility is currently closed, it is hoped it will re-open in the near future.
The original Eulo Provisional School in 1888.
Eulo Student Hostel
Eulo queen opal centre
The Eulo Queen Opal Centre displays Opal from Koroit, Yowah and Blackgate Opal Fields.
Owner Garry Berghofer can show you rough opal, cut opal and unique jewellery priced to suit all budgets. Visitors wanting to find their own gems are encouraged to fossick through the many containers of opal located at the side of the gallery.
Contact Garry Berghofer
Phone: (07) 4655 0054
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Eulo Flood Truck
The Eulo Flood Truck is located on the northern side of the Old Eulo General Store and is an old Dodge that was donated by local grazier Tim Ecroyd of Besm. The Bulloo Shire Council carried out the modifications so that it is ‘floodworthy’ and gave it to the community of Eulo to ferry passengers, groceries, mail, beer and people across the flooded Paroo.
Eulo queen hotel
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The Eulo Queen Hotel and Caravan Park lies on the tourist trail in the hub of the Paroo Shire.
The main route to all western Queensland tourist attractions runs past the front door.
It is here that you are invited to enjoy true country style hospitality in relaxing and picturesque surrounds. Use the Eulo Queen Hotel as your base while you explore the surrounding areas.
Phone (07) 4655 4867
YOU WILL FIND:
• Cold beer
• Hearty country meals & snacks
• A large friendly air-conditioned bar & dining room
• Air-conditioned ensuite cabins & rooms available
• Modern amenities block
• Huge two acre caravan park and cabins with well kept lawn & shady trees
the diprotodon
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Diprotodon, meaning ‘two forward teeth’, is the largest known marsupial to have ever lived, along with many other members of a group of species collectively known as the ‘Australian megafauna’.
Diprotodons are giant wombat-like marsupials that lived in Australia between 1.6 million and 45,000 years ago and may have been a migratory species, as an analysis of a fossil tooth suggests.
Diprotodon species fossils have been found in sites across mainland Australia, including complete skulls and skeletons, as well as hair and foot impressions. Bones have been discovered in the Eulo area.
paroo river
The Paroo River was discovered by the explorer, Dowling, in 1864 while surveying from New South Wales.
Building of the bridge was begun in 1927 and completed in 1928 under the supervision of Hornibrook.
The Weir beside the bridge was constructed privately in 1987 for irrigation and recreational purposes, to be enjoyed by both locals and visitors to the area.
The flood truck, used to ferry passengers and food supplies across the swollen Paroo River in rare times of rain, was a generous private donation after prolonged, severe flooding in 1990. It began operations in the Summer of 1992–93. The new flood truck was first used in 2017.
alroy station camping grounds
Alroy Station is a working sheep and cattle property in Outback Queensland. The camping grounds are on the banks of Yowah Creek and owners, Mac and Mary Haig, offer a real outback camping experience.
60 km past Eulo as you’re heading to Quilpie, turn off the Adventure Highway and find the haven of the outback! It’s the perfect spot for wildlife and birdwatching, bush walks, yabbying and fishing.
Alroy boasts spectacular night skies, stargazing, peace and quiet, plenty of photography opportunities and wide open spaces!
The bush camping area has open fireplaces, with wood supplied. Camp oven dinner packages available to order. Water taps, kitchen area, a couple of septic toilets and showers available. Or enjoy a soak in an Artesian spa. Waste removal and clean amenities are on site.
ATTRACTIONS
• Large non-powered camp sites
• Clean amenities with disabled access
• Waste removal
• Peace and quiet
• Spectacular night sky
• Wildlife & birdwatching
• Open camp fire with wood supplied
• Camp oven dinners
• Bush walks
• Pet friendly
• Fully renovated guesthouse
• Hot artesian baths
Contact Mac and Mary Phone 0427 992 889
the natural eulo
PADABILLA BORE
Just 16km East of Eulo on Adventure Way, it is not a well known spot for most except avid birdwatchers. It is just off the Adventure Way, accessible to most vehicles but offers no facilities. 150 different species have been sighted including several endangered species. Many parrot species including Bourke’s Parrot, Bluebonnets and Mulga Parrots can be seen here throughout the year.
A flock of galahs drink at a stock trough.
FAUNA
The kangaroo, emu and a large variety of lizards are native to the area.
There is also a huge variety of birds including Burkes Parrot and Halls Babbler. Enthusiasts travel from all over Australia to view these birds.
Due to dams and watering areas built by graziers, the kangaroo population flourishes in the area. They become a nuisance by invading paddocks and damaging fences. They are also dangerous for travellers as they feed alongside the road and move unpredictably when startled by vehicles.
eulo mud springs
These are unique to the area and are the blow holes of the Artesian Basin. In days gone by, loud bangs were heard as the springs blew out.
These days they tend to ooze mud which is quite cold and smooth. The mud springs are located 7 km west of Eulo on the Adventure Way. Approach with caution!
