Barcaldine Travel Guide
Barcaldine accommodation, Barcaldine activities and attractions, Barcaldine maps, transportation to and around Barcaldine - the ALL NEW Jasons Barcaldine Destination Travel Guide is your complete visitor guide for Barcaldine. Barcaldine is a sleepy town famous for its role in the development of the Australian labour movement. The town was central to the shearers' strike of 1891, which played an important role in the events which led to the formation of the Australian Labor Party. About 1000 men, striking against the use of non-union labour in sheds, formed camps on the outskirts of town. The remains of these camps can still be seen. The symbol of the strike is the 'Tree of Knowledge', located in Oak Street in front of the railway station. Striking shearers held their meetings under this 150-year-old ghost gum. Beside the tree is a monument in the shape of a pair of shears, and in front is a plaque which bears the faces and names of the 13 gaoled strike leaders.
The Australian Worker's Heritage Centre is a national project commemorating not just these events, which changed the course of the nation's working history, but is a tribute to all Australian working men and women. Set in over five acres of landscaped gardens, it is also home to the Wanpa-rda Matilda Outback Education Centre - a unique residential facility for schools and community groups.
Barcaldine township is situated on Lagoon Creek, which flows into the Alice River some 5 kms south of the town. The centre peg of Queensland is located on a property south west of the town.
Geographic Location
Located 1080 km north-west Brisbane and 273 m above sea-level
Population
1700