Bedourie, Queensland


Bedourie is a town and a locality in the Shire of Diamantina, Queensland, Australia. In the, Bedourie had a population of 122 people.

Geography

Bedourie is located in the Channel Country of Central West Queensland, Australia, lying on Eyre Creek. It is located west of the state capital, Brisbane, and north of Birdsville.
Bedourie is the administrative centre of the Diamantina Shire, which also comprises the towns of Birdsville and Betoota.
When the Georgina River experiences severe floods the town can be cut off by road for months at a time.

History

The area around Bedourie is on Karanja land.
In 1886 the Diamantina local government division was established. The Royal Hotel opened in 1886 with a thatched roof.
Bedourie Post Office opened around July 1903.
The Diamantina Shire Council moved its headquarters from Birdsville to Bedourie in 1953.
Bedourie State School opened on 16 May 1960.
At the 2006 census, Bedourie and the surrounding area had a population of 142. Twenty years earlier the town had 60 residents.
The Bedourie Public Library had a major refurbishment in 2009.

Amenities

Bedourie has an aquatic centre, museum, outback golf course, visitor information centre, and a racetrack.
The Royal Hotel was built from adobe bricks in the 1880s.
The Diamantina Shire Council operates the Bedourie Library on 13 Herbert Street.
The Simpson Desert Roadhouse provides petrol and automotive services, accommodation, general supplies, accommodation, restaurant and bar.

Attractions

The Bedourie Camel Races are held annually in July. The event is coordinated by the Bedourie Golf and Leisure Club and is a major tourist event for the region. As well as camel racing, the event hosts pig races, live music and entertainment and a camp oven cook off.

Education

Bedourie State School is a government primary school for boys and girls at Timor Street. In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 8 students with 2 teachers and 3 non-teaching staff.