Hungerford

History

Hungerford was in Badjiri territory. The town is named after Thomas Hungerford who once camped at the site. For a number of years, before a proper survey was conducted the town was thought to be located in New South Wales. In 1892–3, Henry Lawson visited the town and wrote a short story named after it. In the story he wrote: The town is right on the Queensland border, and an inter-provincial rabbit-proof fence -- with rabbits on both sides of it -- runs across the main street. ...Hungerford consists of two houses and a humpy in New South Wales, and five houses in Queensland. Characteristically enough, both the pubs are in Queensland. We got a glass of sour yeast at one and paid six pence for it -- we had asked for English ale. A Cobb & Co coach service to the town was stopped in 1904. The school was reopened one final time in the Bulloo Shire Hall between 30 January and 11 December 1981. In 1919 during the Spanish flu pandemic, Queensland Police were dispatched from Charleville to Hungerford to close the border at Hungerford, to prevent people crossing into Queensland from New South Wales to reduce the spread of the flu. A medical screening process was used to determine if Queensland residents could safely return to the state. During 2020 and 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Queensland Police again closed the border at Achenar Street at Hungerford to prevent movement of people between the two states.

Geography

The locality is split between the Shire of Bulloo (western part) and the Shire of Paroo (eastern part). The town is located in the Shire of Bulloo immediately north of the border between Queensland and New South Wales. The intermittent Paroo River enters the locality from the north-east (Eulo) and flows in a south-westerly direction through the locality, passing immediately west of the border town of Hungerford before crossing into New South Wales as part of the Murray Darling basin. Currawinya National Park is in the north, north-east, centre, and south of the locality, extending north into neighbouring Thargomindah. Apart from this protected area, the land use is predominantly grazing on native vegetation.

Most-observed species

• White-plumed Honeyeater

  Ptilotula penicillata (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  117
• Yellow-throated Miner

  Manorina flavigula (Gould, 1840) · Aves
  108
• Magpie-lark

  Grallina cyanoleuca (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  99
• Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

  Acanthagenys rufogularis Gould, 1838 · Aves
  98
• Willie-wagtail

  Rhipidura leucophrys (Latham, 1802) · Aves
  87
• Australian Ringneck

  Barnardius zonarius (Shaw, 1805) · Aves
  82
• Galah

  Eolophus roseicapilla (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  78
• Little Friarbird

  Philemon citreogularis (Gould, 1837) · Aves
  78

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2010-09-29
  218 km WNW of Bourke, Australia
• M 2.7 — 2004-03-24
  192 km SW of Cunnamulla, Australia
• M 3.2 — 2003-12-18
  186 km SW of Cunnamulla, Australia
• M 3.2 — 2001-11-11
  197 km SW of Cunnamulla, Australia
• M 2.8 — 2001-11-01
  159 km W of Bourke, Australia