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Famous Cattle Towns

Longreach, Queensland: Outback Wool, Cattle and the Stockman's Hall of Fame

A railway terminus on the Thomson River that became the capital of the Queensland outback.

How Longreach began on the Thomson River

Longreach is a product of pastoral expansion. The Queensland Places entry on Longreach says explorer Thomas Mitchell surveyed the district in 1846 and Edmund Kennedy followed in 1847. In 1863 the first pastoral lease was taken up by Bowen Downs station, and Aramac became the district center around 1869.

Township lots were sold in 1885 on the Thomson River, initially named Forrest Grove and later Arilahlah. Surveyors judged that a large waterhole on a long reach of the river made a better railway terminus, the town took its name from that reach, and it was gazetted in 1887. The local-government division separated from Aramac in 1900.

The railway and the shearers' strike

The eastern railway from Rockhampton reached Barcaldine in 1886, and the government extended it to the Thomson River. The line opened to Longreach in 1892, which spurred rapid growth. Population rose from about 150 in 1891 to nearly 2,000 by 1903, and by 1896 the town had fourteen hotels and a hospital opened in 1893.

The Queensland Places timeline adds that the 1894 shearers' strike was called at the Longreach terminus, following the 1891 strike based at Barcaldine. The line was extended to Winton in 1927, which reduced Longreach's advantage as a railhead.

What Made It Work

Longreach thrived while it was the end of the line and kept its role as a service center for surrounding stations. Its history also shows how drought and small blocks could undercut a boom.

The record in the sources is mostly about wool, but the town sits in the same pastoral country that carries cattle.

  • Surveyors picked a river reach for the railway terminus rather than the first townsite, which tied the town to the line.
  • The 1892 railway opening drove rapid growth and drew the shearers' union action of 1894 to the terminus.
  • Closer-settlement farms subdivided in the 1890s were often too small, and the 1902 drought was a major setback.
  • Amalgamating blocks and drilling bores helped recovery after the drought.
  • Wool success brought a boom in the 1920s, according to the town's timeline.
  • Wool prices declined after the 1960s, and the population fell from 3,806 in 1961 to 2,971 in 1981.

Qantas and the outback aviation story

The Aussie Towns profile of Longreach says the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services company was set up on 16 November 1920 by Hudson Fysh and Paul McGinness, and that Qantas is an acronym of its name. It reports a first commercial flight on 7 February 1921 in an Avro 504K, from Longreach to Winton in 3 hours and 10 minutes. Local graziers helped fund the company, and a hangar was built in 1921. A workshop built seven DH50 biplanes in 1926.

The Qantas Founders Museum at 1 Hudson Fysh Drive has operated since 1996.

The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame

Stockman and artist Hugh Sawrey registered the name in 1974 and encouraged local contributions. Construction began in 1985 after Felko Bouman won the building design competition, and Queen Elizabeth opened the building in 1988. It cost $12.5 million and sits on the Landsborough Highway. Commonwealth, state and local fundraising helped it start, and it now says it is self-funding.

The same profile notes the name is something of a misnomer, because the exhibits work more like an Australian history timeline with an outback focus. That makes it a useful visit for readers interested in how droving, shearing and station life fit into the larger national story.

Longreach timeline and where to learn more

Other milestones from the town timeline include the 1891 post office, the 1893 state school, the 1916 heritage-listed railway station, reticulated river water in 1938, a base hospital in 1944 and the Longreach Regional Council in 2008. The Iningai people occupied the area before European settlement.

For more on the cattle and sheep country behind towns like this one, see the ranching section of farm.FM and a farm.FM story about outback Queensland cattle.

Timeline

  1. 1846Thomas Mitchell surveys the district
  2. 1863Bowen Downs takes up the first pastoral lease
  3. 1887Longreach gazetted as a town
  4. 1892Railway reaches Longreach
  5. 1894Major shearers' strike called at Longreach
  6. 1920Qantas company formed
  7. 1927Railway extended to Winton
  8. 1988Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame opened

Frequently asked questions

When was Longreach founded?

Township lots were sold in 1885 and the town was gazetted in 1887. The railway from Barcaldine opened to Longreach in 1892, which spurred rapid growth.

What is the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame?

It is a museum at Longreach opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1988 at a cost of $12.5 million. Its exhibits work as an Australian history timeline with an outback focus.

What is Longreach known for?

It is known for outback wool and cattle country, the 1894 shearers' strike, the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and the early days of Qantas.

What is the connection between Longreach and Qantas?

Qantas was set up in 1920 by Hudson Fysh and Paul McGinness. Its first commercial flight left Longreach in February 1921, and the Qantas Founders Museum has operated there since 1996.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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