Destinations

Longreach.

The suitability for settlement in the Longreach area was greatly enhanced by the Mitchell Grass Plains and the proximity to The Thomson River.It was in 1860 when William Landsborough set eyes on the area and decided to take up a pastoral lease of 2,000 sq. miles called Bowen Downs. The station developed into a property with a substantial holding of 350.000 sheep and 35,000 head of cattle. The cattle count reduced in 1870 somewhat when cattle duffer Henry Readford and his cohorts decided to relieve the station of some 1,000 or so cattle.

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Transport.

The Legend of Captain Starlight had begun. To this day, the hill where one of the party kept watch for station hands is called Starlights Lookout. By 1887, allotments were being sold in the area for residential and commercial purposes and plans were being put forward to make Longreach the inland terminus for the rail link from Rockhampton. Completion of this project in 1892 increased the influx of new settlers, and the population at the present time, of this remote outpost is over 4,000.

Dining.

Cruising.

Longreach is the largest town in Central Queensland and lies approx. 675 klms. West of Rockhampton.Situated on the Thomson River it is the centre of large wool and beef industries.Originally the town was first made famous for being the place where the first Qantas Commercial Flight took off from in 1921.Shortly after this, in 1926, it became the first place in Australia to have an aircraft manufacturing plant. Later still, in 1959, the town was host to the operation of the Worlds first Flying Doctor Service. More recently, a visit from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in 1988, heralded the opening of The Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame. The Longreach Airport is the home for the Qantas Museum where you can actually climb aboard a Jumbo and step into the cockpit .The Powerhouse Museum is another place to visit ,as is Banjo's Outback Theatre and the Longreach Arts and Cultural Centre. A dinner cruise operated by Billabong Boat Tours is another great experience.

Museum.

Day Tour.

Hall of Fame.

Local Website.