is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Bidjara people. The Bidjara language region includes the local government areas of the Shire of Murweh, particularly the towns of Charleville, Augathella and Blackall as well as the properties of Nive Downs and Mount Tabor. Gungabula is an Australian Aboriginal language of the headwaters of the Dawson River in Central Queensland. The language region includes areas within the local government area of Maranoa Region, particularly the towns of Charleville, Augathella and Blackall and as well as the Carnarvon Range. Gunya is an Australian Aboriginal language spoken by the Gunya people. The Gunya language region includes the landscape within the local government boundaries of the Paroo Shire Council, taking in Cunnamulla and extending north towards Augathella, east towards Bollon and west towards Thargomindah. The town, built up gradually over what was Kunja tribal territory, came into being initially as a resting place for bullock teams lying at the convergence of three bullock tracks from Morven, Tambo, and Charleville. Originally called Burenda it was renamed Ellangowan and when gazetted in 1883 called Augathella. This is apparently an Indigenous Australian word meaning "camp on a waterhole", referring the Warrego River. A service centre sprang up to service their needs and the needs of the burgeoning grazing industry. Burenda Post Office opened on 1 September 1869. It was renamed Ellangowan in 1877 and Augathella in 1883. Augathella is the destination of cattle drovers in the Australian folk songBrisbane Ladies. This song is alternately called "Augathella Station". The 1956 filmSmiley was based on Moore Raymond's novel of the same name, which was set in a fictionalised version of Augathella. The Augathella Library opened in 2000. At the 2006 census, Augathella had a population of 395.
The town's service centre was bypassed by the new Matilda Highway during the 1980s. Some new businesses have slowly encroached back onto the highway frontage. There is a growing arts centre in the town, public library, public swimming pool, a bowls club and there is an annual rodeo. Augathella has some polocrosse teams. Today, grazing is still the predominant industry of the area. The town is situated on the Warrego River. Since 2011 the entrance the town has been marked by 4.5m steel and copper giant sculpture of a meat ant - in a reference to its former junior football team, named the "Mighty Meat Ants".
