Hughenden, Queensland
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| Hughenden Queensland |
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| Population: | 1,395 (2001 census) | ||||||
| Postcode: | 4821 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 324.0 m | ||||||
| Location: | |||||||
| LGA: | Flinders Shire | ||||||
| State District: | Charters Towers | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Kennedy | ||||||
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Hughenden, is a town in Queensland, Australia situated on the banks of the Flinders River. It was named after Hughenden Manor, the home of former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli.
Hughenden is located on the Flinders Highway, 376 kilometres west of Townsville and 1400 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, the state capital. The region around Hughenden is a major centre for the grazing of sheep and cattle. the main feed is annual grasses known as Flinders grass, which grow rapidly on the (by Australian standards) fertile grey or brown cracking clay soils after rain between November and March. However, because the rainfall is extremely erratic - at Hughenden itself it has ranged from 126 millimetres (5 inches) in 1926 to 1,051 millimetres (41 inches) in 1950 - droughts and floods are normal and stock number fluctuate greatly.
The runoff from the Flinders River is much too erratic to provide a sustainable supply for any crop-growing via irrigation.
Apart from agricultural business, Hughenden also boasts the Muttaburrasaurus, a dinosaur, whose bones were discovered in the region. The town is home to the Hughenden Dinosaur Festival, which attracts tourists and includes entertainment and other events.
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