Aramac
Lake Dunn
Lake Dunn, more commonly known as “The Lake” is a freshwater lake 68kms northeast of Aramac. Lake Dunn’s Aboriginal name is pajingo bola, meaning “Big Fella Waterhole” and is 3.21kms long and 1.6kms wide. It was named after James Dunn, who was a head stockman at Mt Cornish Station, and discovered it when he tracked a mob of cattle there.
Lake Dunn is a birdwatchers paradise and is home to over 80 different species of birds. It is also an excellent fishing spot for Golden Perch (yellowbelly) and Black Bream.
Lake Dunn is perfect for swimming, water-skiing, windsurfing and sailing and is an ideal camping and picnic spot. Other facilities include waterfront holiday huts, tennis courts, an airstrip, camping ground with power, toilets and hot and cold showers.
Enjoy a pleasant drive over the Aramac Range through the desert country with it’s red sand, spinifex grass and wild heather, which flowers in the spring, to the peace and tranquility of Lake Dunn. Watch the sun go down over the Lake and enjoy the serenity as evening falls. Follow the signs to “The Lake” not Lake Dunn as this is also the name of a nearby property.
FOR CABIN HIRE: Contact Marj and Bernie Dickson
Phone: 07 4651 0565
Cabins sleep five persons and have a refrigerator and electric kettle. Bring your own crockery, cutlery, bedding and food. Barbecues are available.
Cabins $25.00 per night
Power is $5.00 per day
(Please book ahead if possible)
Lake Galilee
Lake Galilee is a salt water lake, situated 93kms northeast of Aramac and is approximately 40kms long. It is a wildlife sanctuary where birds nest on the islands. It is possible to walk over to these islands to see the birds nesting - ‘You too, can walk on Lake Galilee.’
This lake can dry up quickly and vistors should check in Aramac before planning a visit. There are no camping facilities at Lake Galilee.
For further information please call (07) 4651 0565
Click Here to View 'The Lakes' Brochure
Grey Rock
Gray Rock, situated on a spur of the Great Dividing Range approximately 35km east of Aramac, was a logical choice for the establishment of a hotel, better known as Wayside Pub where the Cobb and Co coaches would call for the night en-route from Clermont to Aramac before the railway line was completed.
The railway, snaking from Rockhampton, reached Jericho on 2 June 1885 and Barcaldine on 7 June 1886.
Horsetailers Gorge
Horsetailers’ Gorge was used by drovers to camp at night. The horsetailer’s used to drive their horses into the gorge so they would not stray at night.
The horsetailer’s job was to look after the horses and put them into the best patch of feed and make sure they got into camp soon after daylight each morning. Each man would catch a horse and saddle it up ready for the day.
Click Here to view the 'Gray Rock and Horsetailers Gorge' Brochure
For more information contact:
Barcaldine Regional Council - Aramac Office
PO Box 65 35 Gordon Street
Aramac QLD 4726
Phone: 07 4651 3311
Fax: 07 4651 3156
Email: admin_office@barcaldinerc.qld.gov.au
Aramac Memorial Park
The Park was opened in 1949. The names of the men and women who enlisted in the second World War (1939-1945) are engraved on the entrance gates. Located within the park is a 25 metre swimming pool which was opened in 1952 together with an amenities block. The bowling green and tennis courts are located adjacent to the swimming pool, and the new Harry Redford Community Centre will complement this facility
Soldiers’ Memorial
This monument was erected in 1924 and is engraved with the names of men and women from Aramac Shire who enlisted in the 1914-1918 World War.
Aramac Tramway Museum
A bold step was taken by the Aramac Shire Council in 1909 when it decided to borrow £66,500 to build a tramway from Barcaldine to Aramac. In 1911, with the loan secured and planning complete, the Council moved to appoint Mr. George Phillips, Civil Engineer “with full powers to carry out the construction of the tramline”.
The Tramway was officially opened on 5 July, 1913 amid great rejoicing by the shire’s residents. From 1913 until its closure in 1975, the tramway fulfilled its intended role as an all-weather link with the main central western railway.
The first train carried 150 passengers who paid a return fare of 4 shillings. There were 5 sidings on the tramline for the convenience of pastoralists in the immediate vicinity. The line measured forty-one miles from the locomotive shed in Aramac to the Lagoon Creek in Barcaldine. There were 7,216 pairs of rails, 101,024 sleepers and 404,096 dog spikes. The approximate weight of the rails was 2,706 tonnes.
With the completion of an all-weather road from Aramac to Barcaldine in 1975, and the removal of State Government subsidy funds together with the high cost of maintenance, wages and the lack of sufficient revenue from the gradual decline of goods and livestock for transport, the Council consequently sold all the line and most of the rolling stock to the Australian Sugar Producers’ Association Limited. The tramway ceased operations on 31 December, 1975.
Many people in the shire had either travelled or worked on the tramway during its life and were sorry to see its closure. Some relics of the tramway, including the RM 28 Rail motor, are preserved in the Tramway Museum.
For 62 years the tramway had been the lifeline of Aramac and Muttaburra and a vital link to the rest of the State, particularly in time of extreme wet seasons when black soil roads were inaccessible.
In the years of its operation, the tramway had a proud record of the carriage of passengers and goods and the transport of wool and livestock without suffering a major mishap.
The Council owned three steam locomotives in the years in which it operated the tramway. In 1963 the council purchased a XQGR RM rail motor dubbed “Aunt Emma” by the locals. The RM 28 rail motor was made in the Ipswich Railway Workshops.
When the Tramway closed it was the last privately owned line in Queensland.
Opening Hours
9.00am — 4.00pm
ADMISSIONS BY DONATIONS
Captain Starlight’s Folly
Come and see the replica of the white bull in the main street of Aramac and be reminded of Captain Starlight (Harry Redford) who has become a local legend.
Patrick McCarthy, in his book ‘The Man Who Was Starlight’, has proven that Redford's name was actually Henry Readford. But whether he was ‘Redford’ or ‘Readford’, he had become known as Captain Starlight – a fictitious name from Rolfe Boldrewood’s Australian classic “Robbery Under Arms”.
Captain Starlight became part of outback folklore when in 1870, in the company of two others, he set out from Bowen Downs (located in Aramac Shire) with 1,000 head of stolen cattle.
The cattle were overlanded through largely unexplored country, travelling along the Barcoo River and Cooper Creek, and the Strezlecki Track into South Australia.
The mob included a white bull which was to prove something of a problem to Redford. He sold it at Hill Hill Station in South Australia, so that he could purchase supplies from the station store. The bull was later shipped back to Queensland as evidence against Redford at his trial.
Not long after his return to east, Redford faced charges of stealing, the trial being held in Roma, Queensland. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty thus ending one of the most daring escapades in recorded history.