Bedourie, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bedourie Queensland
Bedourie Community Centre, 2016
Bedourie Location in Queensland
Population	150 (2021 census)
• Density	0.00415/km2 (0.0107/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4829
Elevation	90 m (295 ft)
Area	36,186.5 km2 (13,971.7 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	217 km (135 mi) S of Boulia 506 km (314 mi) S of Mount Isa 1,668 km (1,036 mi) WNW of Brisbane
LGA(s)	Shire of Diamantina
County	Eurinye County, Queensland
Parish	Bedourie
State electorate(s)	Gregory
Federal Division(s)	Maranoa
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 32.0 °C 90 °F 16.7 °C 62 °F 201.3 mm 7.9 in
Localities around Bedourie: Northern Territory Sturt Amaroo Wills Northern Territory Bedourie Diamantina Lakes Northern Territory Birdsville Farrars Creek

Bedourie is a town and a locality in the Shire of Diamantina, Queensland, Australia. It is on the border with the Northern Territory. In the 2021 census, the locality of Bedourie had a population of 150 people.

Geography

Bedourier is located in the Channel Country of Central West Queensland, Australia, lying on Eyre Creek. It is located 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) west of the state capital, Brisbane, and 200 kilometres (120 mi) 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

Bedourie Post Office opened around July 1903 (receiving offices known as Bidouri, Bedouri and Bedourie had been open since 1887).

The Dianmantina Shire Council moved its headquarters from Birdsville to Bedourie in 1953.

At the 2006 census, Bedourie and the surrounding area had a population of 142. Twenty years earlier the town had 60 residents.

Demographics

In the 1986 census, the town of Bedourie had a population of 60 people.

In the 2006 census, the locality of Bedourie and the surrounding area had a population of 142 people.

In the 2016 census, the locality of Bedourie had a population of 122 people.

In the 2021 census, the locality of Bedourie had a population of 150 people.

Heritage listings

Bedourie Pisé House, with Royal Hotel in background, 2016

There are a number of heritage-listed sites in Bedourie, including:

• Kidman's Tree of Knowledge at Glengyle Station (24°47′06″S 139°35′33″E / 24.785°S 139.5925°E / -24.785; 139.5925 (Kidman's Tree of Knowledge))
• Bedourie Pisé House, 5 Herbert Street (24°21′42″S 139°28′13″E / 24.3618°S 139.4703°E / -24.3618; 139.4703 (Bedourie Pise House))

Education

Bedourie State School, 2022

Bedourie State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 3 Timor Street (24°21′37″S 139°28′17″E / 24.3603°S 139.4713°E / -24.3603; 139.4713 (Bedourie State School)). In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 8 students with 2 teachers and 3 non-teaching staff (1 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 7 students with 2 teachers and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).

There are no secondary schools in Bedourie or nearby. The options are distance education and boarding school.

Amenities

Royal Hotel, 2016

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.

Simpson Desert Oasis Roadhouse, 2016

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.

Total Solar Eclipses

Bedourie will have the rare experience of being located within the path of totality of two total solar eclipses, only nine years apart. The first will occur on 22 July 2028 and the second on 13 July 2037.

Climate

Bedourie experiences a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh); with very hot summers and very mild winters, albeit with cool nights. Due to its inland location, there is strong seasonal temperature variation, with average maxima vary from 22.7 °C (72.9 °F) in June & July to 39.5 °C (103.1 °F) in January. Average annual rainfall is very low: 203.1 mm (8.00 in), occurring within 16.3 rainfall days, primarily in the summer. Precipitation is highly erratic: evidenced by the 319.1 mm (12.56 in) of rain falling on the 6th of March 2011. The town is very sunny: averaging 186.4 clear days and only 48.6 cloudy days annually. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 0.9 °C (33.6 °F) on the 8th of July 2014 to 47.6 °C (117.7 °F) on the 24th of December 2019.