Winton, Queensland

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Winton
Queensland

Main street of Winton
Coordinates 22°23′29″S 143°02′17″E / 22.3913°S 143.0381°E / -22.3913; 143.0381Coordinates: 22°23′29″S 143°02′17″E / 22.3913°S 143.0381°E / -22.3913; 143.0381
Population 954 (2011 census)[1]
Postcode(s) 4735
Location
LGA(s) Winton Shire
State electorate(s) Mount Isa
Federal Division(s) Maranoa
Mean max temp[2] Mean min temp[2] Annual rainfall[2]
32.1 °C
90 °F		 16.6 °C
62 °F		 414.7 mm
16.3 in

Winton is a town in Central West Queensland, Australia, 177 kilometres (110 mi) northwest of Longreach. The main industries of the area are sheep and cattle raising. The town was named by postmaster Robert Allen, in 1876 after his place of birth Winton, Dorset.[3] At the 2011 census, Winton had a population of 954.[1]

Qantas

Winton was one of the founding towns of the Australian airline Qantas. The first board meeting was held at the Winton Club on 10 February 1921.

Waltzing Matilda

Winton is intimately involved in the story of the popular Australian folk song, "Waltzing Matilda", which had its first performance in the North Gregory Hotel in the town. The Waltzing Matilda Centre opened in 1998 and is the first museum dedicated to a song.[4] The song was written by 'Banjo' Paterson whilst holidaying at a local property, Dagworth Station. The North Gregory Hotel has been ravaged by fire three times.

In 2012, to remind Australians of the song's significance, Winton organised the inaugural Waltzing Matilda Day to be held on 6 April, the anniversary of its first performance.[5][6]

Dinosaurs

The area surrounding the town has yielded a number of dinosaur fossils, including 'Elliot', a sauropod. In 2009, three dinosaur genera, Australovenator, Wintonotitan and Diamantinasaurus, were discovered near the town. Australovenator wintonensis, the type specimen of that genus, is named after the town. The town also lent its name to the Winton Formation.

Royal Theatre

The historic Royal Theatre is one of the few remaining open air picture theatres in Australia and home to the World's Largest Deckchair which was originally constructed in Victoria by the Freemasons Taskforce in 2002 and donated to Winton and the Royal Theatre by the members of that taskforce in April 2005.

Facilities

Winton's visitor centre is located in the Waltzing Matilda Centre. The town has a range of museums including the heritage listed former Corfield and Fitzmaurice emporium as well as the heritage truck and machinery museum. Winton has a range of facilities available to the public; these include a public library, showground, racecourse, golf, bowls, skate park and swimming facilities.[7] Winton Airport is located about 5.6 km northeast of Winton.

Climate

Winton has a constantly hot climate with summer temperatures ranging from 23 °C to 38 °C while temperatures in the 'winter' season range from 9 °C to 25 °C. Temperatures above 30 °C can be experienced throughout the year, and temperatures above 40 °C can be recorded in every month from October to March. Rainfall is concentrated in summer and the yearly average is 414.7 mm (16.3 in). Extremes have ranged from 46.8 °C (116.2 °F) to -1.7 °C (28.9 °F)

Climate data for Winton (Winton Post Office 1884-2012)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 45.6
(114.1)		 45.0
(113)		 43.3
(109.9)		 39.6
(103.3)		 36.8
(98.2)		 33.9
(93)		 34.6
(94.3)		 37.2
(99)		 40.2
(104.4)		 45.0
(113)		 45.4
(113.7)		 46.8
(116.2)		 46.8
(116.2)
Average high °C (°F) 37.5
(99.5)		 36.2
(97.2)		 35.0
(95)		 32.1
(89.8)		 27.8
(82)		 24.6
(76.3)		 24.4
(75.9)		 26.9
(80.4)		 31.0
(87.8)		 34.7
(94.5)		 37.0
(98.6)		 38.2
(100.8)		 32.1
(89.8)
Average low °C (°F) 23.5
(74.3)		 22.9
(73.2)		 21.0
(69.8)		 17.2
(63)		 12.9
(55.2)		 9.4
(48.9)		 8.2
(46.8)		 9.5
(49.1)		 13.4
(56.1)		 17.8
(64)		 20.9
(69.6)		 22.8
(73)		 16.6
(61.9)
Record low °C (°F) 12.8
(55)		 11.7
(53.1)		 10.9
(51.6)		 7.8
(46)		 1.7
(35.1)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 −1.7
(28.9)		 −1.1
(30)		 1.1
(34)		 5.6
(42.1)		 7.5
(45.5)		 13.9
(57)		 −1.7
(28.9)
Rainfall mm (inches) 83.2
(3.276)		 87.0
(3.425)		 53.8
(2.118)		 22.3
(0.878)		 20.2
(0.795)		 18.2
(0.717)		 14.7
(0.579)		 6.5
(0.256)		 9.0
(0.354)		 18.1
(0.713)		 31.8
(1.252)		 49.9
(1.965)		 414.7
(16.328)
Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2mm) 6.9 6.5 4.3 2.2 2.0 1.9 1.5 1.2 1.6 2.8 3.9 5.3 40.1
Source: Bureau of Meteorology[8]

Great Artesian Basin

Winton is situated on the Great Artesian Basin. The water supply bursts to the surface at 83C degrees and is then channeled through cooling ponds before being distributed to the town. Sulphur gas gives the water an 'eggy' smell.

Outback Festival

The biennial Outback Festival is held each odd calendar year in September. The festival is held over five days draws. The event was billed in the '100 Things To Do in Australia Before You Die' list from Australian Traveller magazine and is one of 19 Queensland events and attractions to make this epic list coming in at no. 81. The final 100 was culled from an original list of 800.

The Outback Festival has been recognized since 1991 winning many Outback Queensland Tourism accolades including the recent 2012 Winner of the Outback Queensland Tourism Awards for Festivals and Events and finalist at the Queensland Regional Achievement and Community Awards.[citation needed] The Festival being one of three chosen from over 90 Queensland organizations for the Community of Year Award. Featured events include the Quilton Australian Dunny Derby. The Outback Century Cycle Challenge is also held over this event period - attracting competitors from all over Australia for their one chance in every two years of mastering the outback course.

Arno's Wall

Arno's wall is a strange mixture of art and architecture. Cemented contents of the wall include rusted lawnmower parts, boat propellers, vintage typewriters and sewing machines and even a couple of complete motorbikes. A photograph of the wall by Gordon Undy is in the National Library of Australia digital collection [9]

The Proposition

The 2005 film The Proposition was filmed entirely in Winton and the surrounding area.

Vickers Viscount accident

External images
Photograph of memorial in Winton, plus 3 photographs of the crash site and 10 of the aircraft
Main article: Ansett-ANA Flight 149

On 22 September 1966, Ansett-ANA Flight 149, a Vickers Viscount aircraft crashed on Nadjayamba Station 12 miles (19 km) west of Winton, killing all 24 people on board. On the fortieth anniversary of the accident a memorial was unveiled in the main street of Winton.[10]

Timeline

At the races in Winton, Queensland, ca.1890
  • 1848 Ludwig Leichhardt explores region
  • 1858 Augustus Gregory searches for Leichhardt
  • 1861 Landsborough searches for Burke and Wills
  • 1866 First European settlers
  • 1876 First hotel/store built
  • 1879 Town gazetted
  • 1880 First doctor arrives, Cobb and Co services begin, Police station established
  • 1881 First bank opens
  • 1882 First school opens
  • 1885 First newspaper
  • 1888 Opal discovered
  • 1891 Great Shearers' Strike
  • 1894 Second shearers' strike
  • 1895 First public performance of "Waltzing Matilda"
  • 1899 First train arrives
  • 1900 Worst drought
  • 1906 Record floods
  • 1909 Telephone connected
  • 1911 Open-air picture theatre opens
  • 1920 Qantas formed
  • 1928 Bert Hinkler visits
  • 1942 Lyndon B. Johnson, later to become US President, was on board The Swoose which made a forced landing at Carisbrooke Station[11]
  • 1946 North Gregory Hotel destroyed by fire for 3rd time
  • 1958 World Rodeo Championships
  • 1962 Dinosaur Trackways discovered at the site now known as Lark Quarry Conservation Park
  • 1966 Crash of Ansett-ANA Flight 149, a Vickers Viscount aircraft, on Nadjayamba Station, west of Winton
  • 1972 First Outback Festival
  • 1989 Winton to Cloncurry Highway sealed
  • 1995 Waltzing Matilda Centenary
  • 1996 The Agitator newspaper appears
  • 1998 Waltzing Matilda Centre opens
  • 1999 "Elliot", the largest dinosaur find in Australia was discovered by a local grazier
  • 2002 Lark Quarry building opened in August.
  • 2004 Lark Quarry receives National Heritage Listing.
  • 2009 Three new dinosaurs discovered: "Banjo", "Matilda", "Clancy"

Heritage listings

Winton has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:

  • 63 Elderslie Street: Corfield & Fitzmaurice Store[12]
  • Winton-Boulia Road: Elderslie Homestead[13]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Winton (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 30 November 2012. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Winton Post Office", Bureau of Meteorology
  3. ↑ Reader, Jane (19 June 2007). "Pop down (under) to Winton…". Bournemouth Daily Echo. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 19 June 2007. "a book which reveals the town in western Queensland was named after our very own Winton by the postmaster, Robert Allen, in 1876" 
  4. ↑ Waltzing Matilda centre
  5. ↑ Arthur, Chrissy (6 April 2012). "Outback town holds first Waltzing Matilda Day". ABC News. 
  6. ↑ "Waltzing Matilda Day". Waltzing Matilda Centre, Winton. 
  7. ↑ "Winton". Centre for the Government of Queensland. Retrieved 18 January 2011. 
  8. ↑ "Winton Post Office". Climate statistics for Australian locations. Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 8 April 2013. 
  9. ↑ Undy, Gordon (1994 - 1996), Part of Collection of photographs documenting aspects of Queensland's mining country, 1994-1996 Arno and his wall, Winton, National Library of Australia, retrieved 16 Feb 2013 
  10. ↑ Vickers Viscount crash Retrieved 25 August 2011
  11. ↑ "Boy's Own adventures nearly killed Lyndon Johnson" by Cameron Stewart, The Australian (12 November 2011)
  12. ↑ "Corfield & Fitzmaurice Store (entry 15740)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 2013-07-16. 
  13. ↑ "Elderslie Homestead (entry 15741)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 2013-07-16. 

External links

Media related to Winton, Queensland at Wikimedia Commons

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