DIAMANTINA SHIRE
INCORPORATING THE COMMUNITIES OF BIRDSVILLE, BEDOURIE & BETOOTA
BIRDSVILLE POPULATION 115
QGAP
Your great Outback escape awaits. Explore what lies beyond the famous Birdsville Track and find the frontier town of Birdsville at the end. Deep in the heart of wild and isolated country, stunning Birdsville is situated between the eastern edge of the Simpson Desert, the vast gibber plains of Sturt Stony Desert to the south, and rich Channel Country to the north. See what was once a notorious place through which cattle drovers moved their stock transformed into a thriving modern community where guests can enjoy a cold drink or back a winner at the worldrenowned Birdsville Races, respectively. It’s a treat you won’t get to experience anywhere else.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Big Red Watch the sun set over Big Red, the tallest sand dune in the Simpson Desert. Diamantina River Catch fresh fish for dinner. Inland Mission Hospital Museum Explore the Australian Inland Mission Hospital Museum. Birdsville Billabong Spend an unforgettable day with family and friends at the Birdsville Billabong – where birdlife, fish, yabbies and marsupials abound. Local Artists Unleash your inner art fan and wander through the town of Birdsville, where a number of local artists working in different mediums offer their interpretations of our unique land, lifestyle and people of the Diamantina Shire.
BEDOURIE POPULATION 120
An Oasis in the desert. Bedourie, meaning ‘dust storm’, is a quaint little town with a population of 120 people. Perched on a sand dune and surrounded by Eyre Creek, it is the administrative centre of the huge 95,000 square kilometres of the Diamantina Shire – perfect for a one-of-akind getaway. In the 1880s, Bedourie was a major watering and rest stop for drovers moving cattle from the Northern Territory and northwest Queensland to the customs collection point in Birdsville, 200 kilometres south. For a small community, the town has excellent facilities including a hotel/motel, two caravan parks, a restaurant and tavern, general store, wireless internet, fuel services, police station and a medical clinic. Everything you need is right here.
POINTS OF INTEREST
The Historic Mud Hut This stabilised earth house dates from the 1880s and is believed to be one of the first buildings constructed in Bedourie. Art The new artistic representation of a dust storm that stands on Herbert Street. This structure is in Wangkamardla Country and represents the dust storm and whirly winds, which were a way the spirits travelled. The Vaughan Johnson Lookout Affectionately known as ‘the loo with a view’, it offers a great view of the Channel Country. The Renowned Wetland of Cuttaburra Crossing One of the few permanent waterholes and is therefore a definite stopping point for birdwatchers. Carcoory Ruins Carcoory Homestead Ruins are an example of the rich history of the Diamantina. Sidney Kidman bought the property in 1899. The Diamantina National Park One of the most glorious sights in nature, the Diamantina National Park is a mustvisit destination and was named one
of Australia’s top 10 National Parks by the Worldwide Fund for Nature. Bedourie Camp Oven Borne of necessity under a tree in Bedourie during the 1920s by a tin smith, the Bedourie Camp Oven was constructed for the drovers and cameleers and is well known today throughout Australia.
BETOOTA POPULATION 0 Come alive and ride in the great Australian Outback! Betoota stands on a vast gibber plain, 170 kilometres east of Birdsville. While Betoota is mainly a ghost town, it comes alive twice a year. The annual Horse and Motorbike Gymkhana are held on the first weekend of Queensland Easter school holidays and again during the last weekend in August when this tiny ghost town explodes with all the colour and excitement of the Betoota Races, kicking off the Simpson Desert Racing Carnival. Betoota is 70 metres above sea level and has an annual rainfall of just 300 millimetres. In 1885, the Queensland Government set up a customs post here to collect tolls for stock as they travelled to South Australia. The toll station operated up until Federation in 1901. Betoota was also once a Cobb & Co change station. In the 1880s, three hotels were established here, along with a police station, store and a post office. The last-standing hotel was a favourite spot for tourists until it closed in October 1997. In fact, the publican, Simon Remienko, was the sole resident of Betoota for many years and was once stranded on the Birdsville Track for 18 weeks with his truckload of eight tonnes of beer. Now that’s a lot of beer.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Browns Creek A popular camping area near the Betoota Hotel. Deon’s Lookout The perfect place for travellers to take a break and drink in the spectacular view. The Dreamtime Serpent A work of art representing a series of pathways travelled through country to connect the river systems in the Channel Country of the Diamantina Shire. The Serpent has been created using gravel and gibbers found throughout the shire.