Longreach
A major administrative, pastoral and tourism centre situated on the banks of the Thomson River in Queensland's central west district.
Occupying some 23,545km2 in area, Longreach Shire is one of Queensland's most prosperous wool and beef regions.
Longreach is located:
- 1181km north west of Brisbane
- 1767km south west of Cairns
- 1854km east of Alice Springs
- 687km west of Rockhampton
- 176km south east of Winton
- 30km west of Ilfracombe
Population
- Longreach - 4300
- Shire of Longreach - 4500
Economy
Tourism and the pastoral industry are the main regional industries.
Climate
The climate of the region is semi-arid.
Winter (June to August):
- Little or no rainfall with mild conditions
- Average temperatures are maximum 24°C, minimum 8°C
- Humidity levels are low, averaging between 25% - 45% in July
Summer (December to February):
- Drought conditions can occur in summer
- Average temperatures are maximum 37°C, minimum 23°C
- Humidity levels average between 60% - 80%
Current weather forecast for Longreach.
Environment
The following information is provided courtesy of Tropical Savannah CRC.
Longreach is located in the biogeographic region known as the Mitchell Grasslands.
The Mitchell Grasslands are the most extensive tussock grasslands of Australia, stretching almost uniformly over more than 300,000km2 from south eastern Queensland to the mid-north of the Northern Territory, with smaller scattered patches extending further west to the East Kimberley and south to northern South Australia.
They form one of the most distinctive environments of northern Australia, characterised by a general lack of tree and shrub cover, cracking clay soils and extensive cover of relatively short grasses. These features dictate many of the characteristics of the fauna. The relatively simple environment ensures that vertebrate species richness is generally remarkably low, with an absence of most arboreal birds, and relatively little turnover in species composition across the entire area.
Fauna
The following information is provided courtesy of Tropical Savannah CRC.
Notwithstanding this general impoverishment of the fauna, there are some highly distinctive features of the wildlife of the Mitchell Grasslands. Several of the region's animals have an extraordinary boom-bust population cycle, with periods of 'plagues' followed by years of very low density. The most notable of these are the long-haired rats, and birds, including flock bronzewings and letter-winged kites. These population fluctuations appear to be related to rainfall patterns, but even so their causes are only very sketchily known.
The flock bronzewing suffered a long period of decline over much of this century, and until recent decades was considered to be heading towards extinction. However numbers appear to have built up in many areas and flocks of hundreds or even thousands are still reported and are one of the most striking features of this grassland region.
The cracking clay soils support a distinctive ground fauna, notable for a very high diversity of large elapid snakes, several endemic reptile species (such as the very large Spencer's monitor, the speckled brown snake and Ingram's brown snake), very high densities of the several grassland birds (such as the singing bushlark, brown songlark, and several quail) and the smallest marsupials (long-tailed planigale), and the localised occurrence of the endangered dasyurid mammal, the Julia Creek dunnart.
Most of this fauna shelters within the cracking soil over the course of the dry season. The rains of the wet season waterlog the soils and close these cracks. The wet season heralds high densities of some burrowing frogs; depressions in the otherwise generally typically flat terrain are filled with water. Some of these depressions can form very extensive swamps, typically fringed by bluebush. In many years these are nationally and internationally significant for breeding waterbirds, such as pelicans, ibis, herons, terns and ducks.
The grasslands themselves are also a major summering ground for some migrant birds, such as the little curlew and oriental pratincole, whose movements are intercontinental.
History
The Iningai, Malintji and Kunngkari peoples are the traditional Aboriginal people of Longreach Shire.
- 1847 - The Thomson River named by explorer Edward Kennedy.
- 1860 - William Landsborough and Nat Buchanan explored the region for suitable grazing land.
- 1887 - Township of Longreach gazetted; named after the 'long reach' of the Thomson River that passes near the town.
- 1922 - Qantas' first operational base established.
- WWII - Longreach was used as U.S. Flying Fortress bomber base.
- 1959 - World's first Flying Surgeon Service began.
Things To See And Do
- Take a tour with local Savannah Guide, Alan Smith of Outback Aussie Tours.
- Gain an insight into the history of the region: visit the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Outback Museum. Stockman's Hall of Fame
- Join an on-air lesson at the Longreach School of Distance Education.
- Discover the history of power at the Power House Museum.
- Take a drive out to Starlight's Lookout 45km north of town.
- Visit Lochern National Park, 120km south west of Longreach. Excellent birdwatching and bush camping.
Services
The following services are available in Longreach:
- 3 Service stations (petrol, diesel and LPG)
- 2 chemists, doctor surgery
- Commonwealth, National, ANZ, and Westpac banks and a Suncorp Agency
- Supermarkets, bakery, butchery etc.
- 9 hotel/motels, 3 caravan parks
- Public Internet access is available at the public library, 96A Eagle Street.
Access
- Air: Qantas services to and from Brisbane/Barcaldine/Blackall and Winton/Townsville
- Train: Queensland Rail's 'The Spirit of the Outback' passenger rail service completes two trips from Brisbane to Longreach on Tuesdays and Fridays (arriving next day), returning on Thursdays and Sundays.
- Queensland Rail - Phone: 13 22 32 (within Australia) or 07 4036 9350 (Cairns) or 07 4745 1391 (Normanton). Fax: 07 4036 9216 (Cairns) or 07 4745 1222 (Normanton). tnqres@qr.com.au
- Bus: McCaffertys provide daily services from Brisbane and Mt. Isa, and services to Rockhampton three times a week.
- Self Drive: The shire has 1,945km of declared roads, 350km of which are sealed. Check road conditions before travelling- call the RACQ's 24 hour information service on 1300 130 595 or check online.
Further Information
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