Barcaldine, Queensland

Barcaldine
Queensland

Barcaldine, 1962

Barcaldine

Coordinates

23°34′0″S 145°17′0″E / 23.56667°S 145.28333°ECoordinates: 23°34′0″S 145°17′0″E / 23.56667°S 145.28333°E

Population

1,316 (2011 census: town)
1,655 (2011 census: locality)

Postcode(s)

4725

Elevation

266.9 m (876 ft)

Location

1,073 km (667 mi) from Brisbane
520 km (323 mi) from Rockhampton
107 km (66 mi) from Longreach

Mean max temp	Mean min temp	Annual rainfall
30.0 °C ^{86 °F}	16.2 °C ^{61 °F}	497.7 mm ^{19.6 in}

Localities around Barcaldine:
Saltern Creek	Ingberry	Ingberry
Tara Station	Barcaldine	Grant
Barcaldine Downs	Patrick	Narbethong

Barcaldine (/bɑːrˈkɔːldᵻn/, locally [baːˈkoːldən]) is a small town and locality in the Barcaldine Region in Central West Queensland, Australia. Barcaldine played a major role in the Australian labour movement. In the 2011 census, the town of Barcaldine had a population of 1,316 people, while the locality had a population of 1,655 people.

Barcaldine is approximately 520 kilometres (320 mi) by road west of the city of Rockhampton. The town is situated on Lagoon Creek, which flows into the Alice River approximately five kilometres south of the Barcaldine. This is the administrative centre of the Barcaldine Region. Major industries are sheep and beef cattle rearing.

The streets in Barcaldine are named after different types of trees.

The town takes its name from a sheep station called Barcaldine Downs, which was established in 1863 by Donald Cameron, whose family property in Ayrshire, Scotland, which was named for Barcaldine, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

Barcaldine Post Office opened on 13 November 1886.

Barcaldine State School opened on 4 July 1887.

Barcaldine played a significant role in the Australian labour movement and the birth of the Australian Labor Party. In 1891, it was one of the focal points of the 1891 Australian shearers' strike, with the Eureka Flag flying over the strike camp. The landmark Tree of Knowledge, under which the strikers met, stood outside the railway station. In 2006, persons unknown poisoned the tree with the herbicide Roundup, which led to its demise.

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