Winton, Queensland

Winton Queensland
Main street of Winton
Winton
Population:	980
Postcode:	4735
Coordinates:	22°23′29″S 143°02′17″E
Location:	441 km (274 mi) from Mount Isa 1153 km (716 mi) from Brisbane 1317 km (818 mi) from Alice Springs
LGA:	Winton Shire
State District:	Mount Isa
Federal Division:	Maranoa

Winton is a town in Central West Queensland, Australia, located 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. At the 2006 census, Winton had a population of 980.

Winton
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     81   38 23     88   36 23     55   35 21     22   32 17     21   28 13     18   25 9     15   24 8     6   27 9     9   31 13     19   35 18     31   37 21     51   38 23 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.2   100 73     3.5   97 73     2.2   95 70     0.9   90 63     0.8   82 55     0.7   77 48     0.6   75 46     0.2   81 48     0.4   88 55     0.7   95 64     1.2   99 70     2   100 73 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

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. 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.

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.

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

Bi-annually, Winton hosts a week-long outback festival in the main street featuring an iron man race, live bands, competitions and more.

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.

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.

Timeline

• 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
• 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"

See also

• Winton Airport

External links

• Experience Winton
• The Waltzing Matilda Centre
• Lark Quarry
• University of Queensland: Queensland Places: Winton