MCYs TRAVEL : AUSTRALIA - THE AMAZING OUTBACK [ HD ]
The history of the Australian Outback stretches back at least 50,000 years. In Aboriginal mythology, the Outback was created by ancient spirits who moved across the land, calling animals, plants, rocks and other landforms into being as they went. These stories belong to the Dreamtime and are part of the Outback's rich cultural history.
When the first English colonists came to Australia in the 1770s they settled on the continent's east coast. By the mid-1880s, the settlers had begun to explore Australia's arid interior, driven partly by a desire to discover what was unknown to them, and partly by a desire to realise the Outback's mineral and agricultural promise.
Australia's Outback history from 1880 onwards is a saga of exploration and development, demonstrating the triumph of a pioneering spirit.
Pastoralists followed in the explorers' footsteps, establishing Outback cattle stations in some cases as large as a European country. Gold, silver and opals provided more good reasons for the hardy and the enterprising to embrace the Outback's wild beauty. These men and women battled relentless heat, flash floods and deprivation. In doing so, they forged a unique identity characterised by a bone-dry sense of humour and an astounding spirit or adventure.
The Outback continues to be shaped by remarkable individuals and ancient cultures. Indigenous populations, along with drovers, swagmen, pastoralists, flying doctors, pioneering men and women, prospectors and shearers have all contributed to an Outback history that's rich, resilient and inspiring.
Uniquely Australian
Visit an historic cattle station. The descendants of the famous Australian pastoral family, the Duracks, can be found at Ray Station, near Quilpie in the far south-western corner of Queensland. The 600-sq km sheep and cattle property was settled in 1874 by Patsy and Sarah Tully (nee Durack), and it remains one of few properties in Australia never to have changed hands since white settlement.
Discover Coober Pedy's unique underground history. Opal prospectors at Coober Pedy came up with a great way to escape the desert heat - not only did they work underground, but they lived there too. These miners converted Coober Pedy's underground caves into fully-equipped homes and hotels, providingall the comforts found above ground. Visitors can sleep underground,as well as explore underground museums, potteries, opal shops, an art gallery and, of course, opal mines.
Explore the Outback's Indigenous history at Mungo National Park in New South Wales. The World Heritage-listed Willandra Lakes Region, with Mungo National Park at its centre, maintains a continuous record of human occupation dating back 40,000 years. Rain and wind have uncovered ancient fireplaces and hearths, as well as artefacts, stone tools and animal bones, providing some of the world's oldest evidence of homo sapiens.
Put yourself in the air with a 'Flying Doctor'. On 17 May 1928, an emergency call for help from the Outback town of Julia Creek was answered by Australia's first flying doctor. This airborne emergency service was started by a Presbyterian minister, Reverend John Flynn, who envisaged Outback Australia protected by 'a mantle of safety'. Visitors to the Broken Hill RFDS base, which is open to the public each day, can explore the Mantle of Safety Museum which showcases over 80 years of remarkable Outback history.
Take a walk along Silverton's Heritage trail. Built in 1880 on the back of the region's mineral wealth, Silverton in Outback New South Wales was once a booming silver-mining town. But the discovery of significantly larger mineral deposits at nearby Broken Hill proved to be Silverton's demise, and the town now stands as a ghostly monument to past dreams. Film-lovers may recognise it from scenes in Mad Max 2, A Town Like Alice, and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
Visit the Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve. The station marks the original site of the first European settlement in Alice Springs and was established in 1872 as part of the Overland Telegraph Line. It is the best preserved of the 12 stations along the line between Adelaide and Darwin. The town of Alice Springs takes its name from the waterhole a short distance to the east of the station buildings.
Country Lifestyle Property for Sale - Toowoomba Region, QLD
MREV Listing ID: 107 - Toowoomba Region, QLD - myrealestatevoice.com.au/107
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6 things to do in Birdsville, Outback Queensland
Bordering the Simpson Desert deep in the heart of the Australian Outback you'll find Queensland's most south-western town, Birdsville.
The usually quiet town with a population of 104 people, is transformed every July and September as Birdsville rolls out its big red dirt carpet to over 10,000 people who flock to the Outback Queensland town for the iconic Big Red Bash and the Birdsville Races.
Birdsville has everything for your true bucket list-worthy Aussie outback experience. Grab a beer from the Birdsville Pub, catch a sunset from the stunning 'Big Red' sand dune, try a famous camel pie from the Birdsville Bakery and stand up paddleboard in the milky Birdsville Billabong.
Want to tick off these 6 things to do in Birdsville? Explore more here:
Mulianna Station, Toompine, Quilpie, Queensland Sept 16-19 2008
A couple of days on Mulianna Station in 2008, near Quilpie Queensland.
Fossicking in Glendon, Southern Queensland Country
Keen Prospectors can learn to strike it rich with Glendon local Ando Anderson teaching the techniques of panning, loaming, navigating and metal detecting.