The name Barringun derives from an early settlement on the Warrego River, which can be seen on an 1887 map as being just south of the New South Wales border. It is possibly an Aboriginal word meaning fish die in the water. The name Wooroorooka appears to have come from a pastoral run which was owned by Mr Dangar in 1865 but was purchased in 1866 by James Tyson, who also purchased other runs in the area: Rottenrow, Gordonsheet and Teckulman. In June 1884 the Queensland Government sold approximately 100 town lots in Wooroorooka. In 1885, discussions were being held between the New South Wales and Queensland colonial parliaments about a rabbit-proof fence to prevent the spread of the pest. From 1885 when the railway was constructed to Bourke in New South Wales, farmers in south-western Queensland began to send their wool to markets via Bourke rather than the Charleville, then the terminus of the Western railway line in Queensland, as the New South Wales Government offered more competitive rail freight rates than the Queensland Government. Queensland Railway CommissionerJames Thallon responded by negotiating with the Carrier's Union which carried goods to the Charleville railhead to make the cost of transporting the goods via Charleville more attractive. However, strikes by the carriers in support of the 1891 Australian shearers' strike meant that goods continued to be travel via New South Wales, further encouraged by new lower freight rates in New South Wales announced in June 1893. The Queensland Government responded the following month by introducing the Railway Border Tax Act which taxed wool and sheepskins crossing the border into New South Wales to make it too expensive to freight the wool via New South Wales. However, this could only be a temporary measure as the anticipated Federation of Australia was expected to introduce free trade between the states of Australia removing the ability to tax goods at the border crossing. Therefore, on 3 December 1895, the Queensland Parliament approved the construction of the extension of the Western railway line from Charleville to Cunnamulla. The line to Cunnamulla was opened on 10 October 1898. A magistrate court operated in Wooroorooka from 12 June 1891 to 11 May 1944. Until the Federation of Australia in January 1901, Wooroorooka served as the Colony of Queensland border customs office, and across the border, Barringun was the Colony of New South Wales border customs office. At this time, Wooroorooka had one customs officer, three police officers, a school teacher, and a post master. The Wooroorooka customs house, a cottage raised up on stumps, became the Border fence ranger's residence. Wooroorooka had a police station. Barringun existed to support the surrounding pastoral property needs, and the shearing season provided important employment. The local creek was able to support the town even during periods of low rainfall. Recreational activities including fishing on the Maranoa River and cricket with the nearby Belalie Station. The 1930s continued the town's interest in sports including horse races. A rail line from Bourke to Barringun was proposed in the late 1920s to the 1940s, to eventually connect with Cunnamulla for freight. The Queensland Government opposed the New South Wales initiative as it would draw trade away from the south-west Queensland area. The road to the New South Wales border from Cunnamulla was sealed in bitumen by 1952. The road was considered part of the 'death knell' to the rail line proposal. The Barringun–Bourke section of the Mitchell Highway was expected to be bitumen sealed by 1971. Some properties in the area included Rostella, Winrae, Tinnenburra, Thurulgoona, Owengowan, and Amenda. In the, Barringun had a population of 7 people.
Heritage listing
Barringun has a heritage-listed site on the East Bank, Warrego River at the border with New South Wales. The Zero Obelisk marks the beginning of the first official survey of the border between the two colonies.
Education
There are no schools in Barringun. The nearest primary and secondary schools are in Cunnamulla, approximately away. Distance education and boarding schools are the alternatives.
Writings
The former town was the subject of a 1917 eight-verse poem of the same name by Scottish-Australian poet and bush balladeer Will H. Ogilvie. Working on the Belalie property, to the south near Enngonia, in the early 1890s Ogilvie was familiar with the New South Wales–Queensland border area. The poem Comrades, from his anthology The Australian, and other verses, also made reference to Barringun: Ogilvie also wrote a short story about the mail run to the town entitled His Majesty's mail.
