| WINTON - QUEENSLAND - 4735 | ||||
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Population: 1,250, Height above sea level: , Latitude: -22.3500 Longitude: 143.1000 Location: 1,350km north west of Brisbane Highway: Landsborough Hwy Nearest Major Town: Longreach. 177km south east Nearest Airport: Winton Touring Area: Outback |
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 4WD touring around Winton - Courtesy of Tourism Queensland | |
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Originally named Pelican Waterhole it was first settled in 1875 and is best known as the place
where A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson wrote the words of 'Waltzing Matilda' regarded as the unofficial
national anthem of Australia. The poem relates to the Combo Waterhole near Kynuna Station. There
is now a reserve beside the road at the waterhole 160km north west of Winton along the Landsborough
Highway. Paterson wrote the words while staying at Dagworth Station, north west of Winton, and the
first performance of it is believed to have been at the North Gregory Hotel on the 6th of April 1895.
Winton holds the annual 'Bronze Swagman Award' for bush poetry and is considered to be the home of
Australian poetry. A 'Waltzing Matilda Festival' is held each June. (The term 'To Waltz Matilda' is attributed to the movement of Swagmen across the country. 'Matilda' was a nickname for the swag they carried with their few posessions and to 'waltz' relates to the erratic route between station homesteads looking for work or handouts. Thus, to waltz Matilda meant to take an ambling course carrying a swag.) Winton is also the home of QANTAS and the first registered office of the airline was here in 1920. PLACES OF INTEREST: ACCOMMODATION & SERVICES: 
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© Copyright Peter W. Wilkins