| LONGREACH - QUEENSLAND - 4730 | ||||
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Population: 4,400, Height above sea level: 180m Latitude: 23.2700 Longitude: 144.1500 Location: 1,260km north west of Brisbane Highway: Capricorn Hwy Nearest Major Town: Longreach Nearest Airport: Longreach Touring Area: Outback |
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 Stockmans Hall of Fame - Courtesy of Tourism Queensland | |
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In remote western Queensland Longreach is home of the Stockman's Hall of Fame, a museum of
memorabilia related to the great and adventurous characters who were instrumental in opening
up the outback. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth 11 in 1988. People like E.J. Eddie Connellan, or John Flynn and Sir Sydney Kidman are included. Located on the Thompson River, Longreach gained fame in 1870 when Harry Redford, also known as Captain Starlight, with 4 cronies, rustled 1,000 head of cattle and drove them 2,400 km. overland through some of Australia's harshest and then unmapped, country to Adelaide where they sold them and he was arrested. QANTAS airways began in nearby Winton, but its first major operations were from Longreach, and the world's first Flying Surgeon Service began here in 1959. There is a replica of the first QANTAS booking office in QANTAS Park in Eagle St, which now houses the Tourist Information Centre. There is a QANTAS Founders Outback Museum at the airport off the Matilda Hwy. Cobb & Co. coach-rides can be had around the town and there are several museums. Longreach is real Outback Australia, and there are reminders of the Australian heritage everywhere. If you are in the Stockman's Hall Of Fame, the picture of Eddie Connellan on the wall with the MacDonnell Ranges in the back ground is one I took of him just before his death specially for this display and a book on Central Australian pioneers and history I wrote back inb the 1980s. PW. PLACES OF INTEREST: ACCOMMODATION & SERVICES: 
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© Copyright Peter W. Wilkins