| Birdsville Queensland |
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 The Birdsville Hotel, adjacent to the apron of Birdsville Airport. |
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  Birdsville
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| Population: | 115 [1] | ||||||
| Established: | 1887 | ||||||
| Postcode: | 4482 | ||||||
| Elevation: | 46.5 m (153 ft) | ||||||
| Location: | |||||||
| LGA: | Diamantina Shire | ||||||
| State District: | Mount Isa | ||||||
| Federal Division: | Maranoa | ||||||
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Birdsville is a small town located in the Channel Country of western Queensland, Australia. The town is located 1590 kilometres west of the state capital, Brisbane, and 720 kilometres south of the city of Mount Isa. Birdsville is situated on the edge of the Simpson Desert, and the climate is very arid. At the 2006 census, Birdsville had a population of 115.[1]
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Proclaimed a town in 1887, Birdsville was located at the border of South Australia and Queensland to collect tolls from the droves of cattle being moved interstate. Birdsville was formerly known as Diamantina Crossing. Later the name Birdsville was adopted believing to be on account of the prolific bird life in the district.
Many of Australia's pioneering European explorers travelled through the Birdsville district well before the town was gazetted. Monuments to acknowledge the feats of Captain Charles Sturt, Burke & Wills, Madigan and others are located throughout the town.
Birdsville supported a population of over 300 at the turn of the century. The town boasted 3 hotels, a cordial factory, blacksmith store, market gardens, police and customs facilities. However following Federation in 1901 the customs depot was closed and the population slowly dwindled to approximately 50 throughout the 1950's. Livestock trade has kept the region alive and in recent times tourism has joined cattle as the major industry in the area.
With Federation in 1901, the tolls were abolished and the town fell into decline.[2]
Birdsville is located by the Diamantina River in the Diamantina Shire, which has a population of 326 persons (Census 2001). The Birdsville Track extends 514 kilometres from Marree in South Australia through the Strzelecki Desert before ending at Birdsville.
In 2007 there was a single hotel, serving canned or bottled beer, and a hospital. When proclaimed the town had three hotels, two stores, a customs house for interstate trade, a police station and a large collection of commercial buildings.[3] Today Birdsville is a popular tourist destination and is most famous for the legendary annual Birdsville Races, which are held in September in aid of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. The tiny town population is swelled to many thousands for the two day event, and hundreds of aircraft often fill the town's 1,700 metres (1,859 yd) airstrip.[4]
Birdsville is also home to an 80 kW Geothermal Power Station, with water being extracted from the Great Artesian Basin (at 98 °C) and used to heat the operating fluid isopentane in a Rankine Cycle engine. The geothermal plant produces around one third of the town's electricity. The water (once cooled) is also the source of the town's drinking water.[5]
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record high °C (°F) | 48.5 (119) |
45.9 (115) |
45.0 (113) |
41.7 (107) |
37.8 (100) |
32.4 (90) |
33.4 (92) |
36.2 (97) |
42.4 (108) |
45.1 (113) |
48.7 (120) |
49.5 (121) |
49.5 (121) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 38.8 (102) |
37.8 (100) |
35.1 (95) |
30.3 (87) |
24.8 (77) |
21.6 (71) |
20.8 (69) |
23.5 (74) |
28.1 (83) |
32.1 (90) |
35.5 (96) |
37.7 (100) |
30.5 (87) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 24.2 (76) |
24.1 (75) |
21.1 (70) |
16.2 (61) |
11.3 (52) |
7.9 (46) |
6.6 (44) |
8.3 (47) |
12.2 (54) |
16.1 (61) |
19.7 (67) |
22.5 (73) |
15.8 (60) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 12.2 (54) |
13.9 (57) |
9.4 (49) |
6.0 (43) |
1.7 (35) |
-1.7 (29) |
-1.7 (29) |
0.4 (33) |
1.5 (35) |
2.8 (37) |
8.5 (47) |
10.9 (52) |
-1.7 (29) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 24.7 (0.97) |
29.0 (1.14) |
16.4 (0.65) |
9.5 (0.37) |
11.8 (0.46) |
10.4 (0.41) |
10.9 (0.43) |
6.4 (0.25) |
5.7 (0.22) |
12.1 (0.48) |
13.5 (0.53) |
16.0 (0.63) |
167.0 (6.57) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 22.6 |
| Source: [6] | |||||||||||||
Birdsville is a remote town in outback Queensland, right on the outskirts of the Simpson Desert.
Despite it's minute size (population 326), Birdsville has its own airport. Flights from:
Birdsville is located Two wheel drive vehicle is usually okay to get to Birsdville track. Check local road conditions, as roads can close to all or just 2 wheel drive vehicles.
There is a single hotel, serving canned or bottled beer.
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