Birdsville Hotel

Birdsville Qld 4482 (Pop 110)

Birdsville is an isolated but famous Outback settlement located 1 688 km west of Brisbane. It sits at the edge of the Simpson Desert and at the northern end of the notorious Birdsville Track.  Settlement began in 1870s and the township was originally called Diamantina to honour the Qld Governor’s wife. The name was changed to reflect the enormous numbers of birds in the area including seagulls. A major cattle route was established in 1880s and became known as the Birdsville Track. Cattle remain one of the economy’s mainstays today together with tourism. Birdsville Cup Racing Carnival (Sept) began in 1882 and is hugely popular.

Tourist Attractions & Info:
Historic Birdsville, Adelaide St includes the old Australian Inland Mission Hospital (1882) and Birdsville Hotel (1884) now National Trust-listed. Birdsville Working Museum, McDonald St interesting agricultural displays and Australiana artifacts. Artesian Bore, Graham St at a depth of 1 219 m the water is almost at boiling point. A geothermal power plant sits at the rear of the bore. Blue Poles Gallery, Graham St features local art.

Nearby:
Simpson Desert NP (65 km west) Qld’s largest protected area covering 1 012 000 ha of arid outback gibber flats and saltpans. Some of sand dunes reach 90 m in height and extend 200 km - the largest is called Big Red (35 km west). Poeppels Corner is where two states and a territory meet. Birdlife here is prolific. Waddi Trees & Dingo Cave Lookout (14 km north).

Accommodation:
Birdsville has a hotel/motel and caravan park. Visitor Information Centre: Wirrari Centre, Billabong Blvd. Tel (07) 4656 3300.