Barcaldine

History

Barcaldine lay on the traditional tribal lands of the Iningai. Iningai (also known as Yiningay, Muttaburra, Tateburra, Yinangay, Yinangi) is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Iningai people. The Iningai language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Longreach Region and Barcaldine Region, particularly the towns of Longreach, Barcaldine, Muttaburra and Aramac as well as the properties of Bowen Downs and catchments of Cornish Creek and Alice River. The first European to enter the area was Frederick Walker, the former commandant of the Native Police, who in 1861 led an expedition through what is now Barcaldine searching for the explorers Burke and Wills. The town takes its name from a sheep station called Barcaldine Downs, which was established in 1863 by Donald Charles Cameron, whose family property in Ayrshire, Scotland, was named after Barcaldine, Argyll, Scotland. Cameron had been a sugar plantation owner and slaveholder in Berbice, British Guiana. The local Aboriginal people were not allowed onto Barcaldine Downs and blackbirded South Sea Islander labour was utilised in the 1860s and 1870s. The first town lots were sold in 1885 and within a year several buildings were under construction. By the end of 1886 the town had been surveyed. The Central Western railway line to Barcaldine opened on 8 November 1886. Barcaldine Post Office opened on 13 November 1886. The artesian water at Barcaldine is full of minerals. A bore had been constructed in 1887, but was unsuitable for the water needs of the steam locomotives and so the water was let run to waste. By 1891, a local doctor observed that water contained soda and potash which he believed would have health benefits. In 1907, a swimming pool using the artesian water…

Geography

Barcaldine is in Central West Queensland, approximately by road west of the city of Rockhampton, north of Charleville. The town is situated on Lagoon Creek, which flows into the Alice River approximately five kilometres south of the Barcaldine. Major industries are sheep and beef cattle rearing. The streets in Barcaldine are named after different types of trees.

Most-observed species

• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  184
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  172
• Crested Pigeon

  Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck, 1822) · Aves
  167
• Black Kite

  Milvus migrans (Boddaert, 1783) · Aves
  140
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  137
• Australian Magpie

  Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  131
• Yellow-throated Miner

  Manorina flavigula (Gould, 1840) · Aves
  125
• White-plumed Honeyeater

  Ptilotula penicillata (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  121