First impressions of Winton was of a typical small far western Qld country community centre but I soon found that it was there was a richness of interesting aspects that belied the towns tiny size. Lying at the junction of the Lansborough Hwy that leads to Cloncurry far to the NW and the Kennedy Development Rd that will soon take us deeper into desolation and eventually to Boulia and the end of the bitumen,
Winton sits on the Great Artesian Basin from which the town's water supply bursts to the surface at 83C degrees before being channelled through cooling ponds prior to distribution for use. It does not end there, Australia's dinosaur trail also begins here, on the edge of the Diamantina Catchment ( that feeds lake Eyre) and in fact a number of dinosaur fossils, including 'Elliot', a sauropod. In 2009, three dinosaur genera, Australovenator, Wintonotitan and Diamantinasaurus, were discovered near the town.
But wait there is more! Not only was Winton the birthplace of Qantas in 1920 ( the company's first flight took place from here in 1921) it is probably best known as the home of "Waltzing Matilda". It is the place where Banjo Paterson wrote our favourite song in 1895, while visiting nearby Dagworth Station.The music for the song was arranged by Christina Macpherson, the sister of the station manager who was visiting at the same time. Legend has it that the first public performance of "Waltzing Matilda" occurred at the Lord Gregory Hotel on the 6th April, 1895.
As if that was not enough, finally there is "Arno's Wall", a structure 2 metres high and seventy metres long constructed from concrete and rock in which Arno has embedded a myriad of items that includes, complete motorbikes, boat propellers, parts of old machinery. vintage typewriters and old lawnmowers among many others.
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| This bloke was about 4 cm long |
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