Winton
Postcode: 4735
Winton is a town in central west Queensland, Australia, located 177 kilometres northwest of Longreach. Shire population at the 2001 Census was 1616. Winton was one of the founding towns of the Australian airline Qantas. Main industries of the area are sheep and cattle.
Named by postmaster, Robert Allen, in 1876 for his place of birth Winton, Dorset.
Area surrounding the town has yielded a number of dinosaur fossils, including ‘Elliot’, a sauropod. Lark Quarry, 115 kilometres southwest of Winton, has preserved evidence of dinosaur stampede.
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 song was written locally on a property beside the famous billabong.
Bi-annually, Winton hosts a week-long outback festival in the main street featuring an iron man race, live bands, competitions and more.
The 2005 film The Proposition was filmed entirely in Winton and the surrounding area.
Aussie bushies reckon you haven’t experienced the true blue Outback until you have crossed the Thomson River on the Landsborough Highway run from Longreach to Winton.