Birdsville and the Birdsville Track, Queensland
An Antipodean travel company serving world travellers since 1983
Birdsville and the Birdsville Track, Queensland
On the very western edge of Queensland is . The is 115, regarded as the quintessential Australian , a , though Oodnadatta, Marree, or Coober pedy for example may disagree.
Over 1587 km west of , is close to the border between Queensland, , and the , on the edge of the . Because of the harsh climate, the area was only sparsely populated by Aboriginal people, with the Yarluyandi group living in the area and the Wangkangurru people on the .
For tourists and bodies such as , is the quintessential Australian and with with right marketing the a complete with history to sustain the and the dream complete with on the A for a few days enables local guides engaged by Odyssey to show you , including the of the the one called “BIG RED”, the channel country and the , the local Aboriginal community and the remains of colonial settlement.
The first Europeans to pass through the area were likely the exploration party of Charles Sturt , after whom the Sturt Stony to the south-east of the is named. Sturt was unimpressed with what he found, describing the area as a ‘desperate region’ with ‘no parallel on earth’s surface’. 15 years later, Burke and Wills passed only a few kilometres from the present on their journey to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
In the 1870s and 1880s, large cattle stations were established in the area. In order to cater to the squatters, Robert Frew, opened a store near a permanent lagoon on the river, known as the , in what is today known as channel country, where there were already stores, two pubs, and a customs collection point on the Queensland/ border. The was gazetted as in 1885, but was already known as , thanks to the rich diversity of birdlife found in the area.
Today, has entered the popular imagination as a byword for the Australian and is a for the many. Ironically, through it has begun to attract tourists from around the world, seeking out one of the most isolated towns on the earth and underpinning the . Draws here for and international, include the heritage architecture, including two quintessential pubs, the Royal Hotel and the Hotel; the late 19th century Courthouse; and the Australian Inland Mission Hospital, used as an outpost for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and a . This knows how to create a for the , high on and the international traveler bucket list, far away from .
Every September in for the Australian , plays host to the , known as ‘the Melbourne cup of the ‘. The races were first held in 1882, but became hugely popular in the 1990s, will often attract up to 8000 visitors to the tiny , pushing the to its limit and possibly selling out of the from the
Birdsville is also in close proximity to ‘The Burke and Wills Tree’, a Coolabah tree said to be among the explorers’ final campsites before their demise in the Strzelecki Desert.
The Birdsville Track:
One of the major draws of during the for is the , one of Australia’s great adventures. Passing 517 km to Marree in , it traverses some of the most arid and remote landscapes in Australia.
The route was developed in the 1880s as a shortcut for stockmen. In 1882, a drover called Tom Ford from Lake Nash station in the Northern Territory took 2000 cattle south-west from Birdsville. Covering 2000 kilometres and nine months, Ford successfully reached Marree, and blazed the Birdsville Track. Western Queensland property owners realised that moving cattle through channel country, and down the Birdsville Track to the end of the railway at Marree was a quicker way to reach coastal markets. This route was at least 1000 km shorter than the alternative path to Brisbane.
The road passes through three different deserts, the Sturt Stony Desert, the Strzelecki Desert, and the Tirari Desert. Over time, it rose to fame as one of Australia’s best 4WD routes and now attracts tourists from around the world.
Odyssey Traveller visits as part of our tour of and the . Beginning and ending in the ‘Silver City’ of , , our explores the mining history and artistic legacy of the capital of the , taking in the works of the ‘Brushmen of the Bush’ at the Regional Art Gallery and visiting the moving Lode Miners Memorial and elegant Courthouse. Leaving , we head towards , stopping off at the opal mining town of White Cliff and Menindee Lake on the way. From we head south to Marree on the legendary Trail, before visiting the flora and fauna sanctuary of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, on the northern edge of the Range. Leaving the , we head back to NSW, passing through the ‘corner country’, possibly the most in .
If you’re interested in exploring , why not join an Odyssey ? Our tours are designed especially for mature Australians, who seek to learn about the history and culture of their destinations. We are now offering a number of small group tours, including:
- An odyssey through the of the Kimberley, taking you on a over the of Purnululu and to the of the Mitchell Plateau, where the red dirt meets the .
- An through rural , learning about the history of the in the of and at the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Brewarrina Fish Traps.
- A tour of the Ranges, , taking in ancient art and quintessential in one of the most accessible areas of the .
In addition to our tours, we offer a number of other tours of , including a city tour of Adelaide and surrounds (including the Barossa Valley and Island), the Wildlife of Tasmania, and West Wildflowers.
Articles about Australia published by Odyssey Traveller:
You can read all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature aged and senior travellers.