The Quilpie Shire has some very intriguing points of interest and history associated with it and we wanted to share with you our top 10 that you may or may not be aware of. Buckle up for some fun facts!
- Was the Adavale Shire until 1930
That’s right, long before Quilpie became a town in 1917, there was Adavale. Adavale was surveyed way back in 1880 and served as the hub of the Adavale Shire right up until 1930.
When Quilpie was proclaimed a town in 1917 due to arrival of the Railway Line, Adavale’s population declined over time and Quilpie’s flourished, bringing about the change to ‘Quilpie Shire’ and Quilpie now being the hub of the area.
2. The End of the Line is here
That’s right, the End of The Railway line (or the start….depending how you look at things) is right here in the Quilpie Shire, in Quilpie in fact.
When the Railway arrived in Quilpie in 1917 the plan was that the line would continue on to Eromanga, however materials to build the line were hard to come by then due to war time sacrifices. Thus making Quilpie ‘The end of the Line’.
When you are in Quilpie make sure you pop in to the Quilpie Rail Museum to learn more about the history of the Rail and also visit the official ‘End of the Line’.
3. The Furthest town from the Sea is here
Some of you may not know this but the Furthest town from the Sea in Australia is located here in the Quilpie Shire; Eromanga.
Eromanga is approx. 108km west of Quilpie on a fully sealed road and wears this claim to fame proudly. You dont believe us?….check out the dinosaur riding the surfboard next to the pub.
It is also a town with a great sense of humour….
4. Largest Dinosaur in Australia lives here
Ok so we may have given it away in number 3 but yes, you read that correctly. The biggest dinosaur to ever roam Australia was stomping around out here. How incredible is that?
If you visit the Eromanga Natural History Museum (ENHM) you can even see the remains of this monstrous dinosaur, or as he is more commonly known, ‘Cooper’. Cooper is a 95-98 million year old Titanosaur that was discovered in the Eromanga area in 2007.
2021 is going to be a fantastic year for Cooper and the team at the ENHM with the opening of stage 2 of the Museum taking place.
For more information visit: www.enhm.com.au
5. The ground is filled with natural resources
How incredible is this. The Quilpie Shire underground is filled with Natural resources such as oil, gas, artesian water and the exquisite boulder opal.
Quilpie Shire is famous for its boulder opals and towns of Eromanga and Toompine flourished in the early years due to the opal mining boom.
Eromanga is big for oil and gas with the town even boasting a mini oil refinery smack bang in the town!
Quilpie town got its first Bore in 1930 and by 1938 (as direct result of the availability of unlimited Artesian Water) the township had the luxury of being completely sewered – one of the first in the Commonwealth to boast this service, how incredible is that.
6. Boasts 3 National Parks
That’s right, not one, not 2 but 3! And boy are they some of the most spectacular in Outback Queensland.
Idalia National Park is right at the top of the Quilpie Shire and its thick Mulga scrub and rocky gorges are a great place to try and spot the elusive yellow-footed rock wallaby.
Mariala National Park is east of Adavale and beautiful country of red soil and ranges and is home to 140 bird species, 26 reptiles, 10 frogs and 27 mammals.
Hell Hole Gorge National Park; we’ve saved the best for last. This park is one of Outback Queensland best kept secrets and it has to be seen to be believed that this is actually the outback!
Deep weathered gorges and unexpected waterholes await you at this hidden oasis, 69km from Adavale.
For more information visit: https://www.visitquilpieshire.com/attraction/adavale/
7. Home to the ‘Pub with no Town’
Just 80km south of Quilpie you will find Toompine; The pub with no town.
Toompine was once a hustling and bustling opal mining town which has everything from a butcher, baker and a candle stick maker (we may have made up that last part), but all that remains these days is the iconic South Western Hotel – or as it is simply referred to by the locals ‘The Toompine Pub’.
A visit to this quirky little establishment is a must!
For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/toompine.pun.9
8. The Bulloo River is a closed Catchment
The Bulloo River flows from the North of the Shire right through Quilpie and further south into New South Wales. It is actually a closed catchment that retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans, but converges instead into lakes or swamps, permanent or seasonal, that equilibrate through evaporation.
It is an internally draining system located between the Queensland Lake Eyre and Murray-Darling Basins, covering an area of approximately 52,000km2.
Another HUGE plus about the Bulloo River Catchment is that it is currently Carp free – which means that you don’t have to worry about them when you are trying to catch a delicious feed of Yellow-belly.
9. Coffee hub of the Outback
Ok well perhaps we are a self-proclaimed coffee hub of the outback but none the less you literally can not throw a stick in the Quilpie Shire without hitting a cup of coffee. Try any one of the cafes, bakeries, pubs etc throughout the Shire, or better yet try them all and find your favourite.
For more information visit: https://www.visitquilpieshire.com/business-directory/
10. Dowling Track starts or ends in Quilpie Shire
The Dowling Track starts in Quilpie and runs south through Toompine, Thargomindah and down into New South Wales, finishing up in Bourke. The track is named after explorer and pastoralist Vincent James Dowling and is a 567km long track.
This Dowling Track is seeing some rejuvenation so be sure to keep an eye out for some new developments.
Well there you have it….we told you there were some exciting facts you didn’t know that you just HAD to know.
