Flinders Highway, Queensland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Flinders Highway Queensland
Flinders Highway (green on black)
General information
Type	Highway
Length	775 km (482 mi)
Route number(s)	State Highway A6
Former route number	National Route 78
Major junctions
West end	Barkly Highway (National Highway A2), Cloncurry
	Landsborough Highway (National Highway A2), east of Cloncurry Kennedy Developmental Road (State Route 62) Gregory Developmental Road (State Highway A7) Gregory Developmental Road (State Route 63)
East end	Bruce Highway (Queensland Highway A1), Townsville
Location(s)
Major settlements	Julia Creek, Richmond, Hughenden, Charters Towers
Highway system
Highways in Australia National Highway • Freeways in Australia Highways in Queensland

The Flinders Highway is a long road in Queensland, Australia. It stretches from Townsville on the coast all the way west to Cloncurry. This highway is about 775 kilometers (480 miles) long.

It connects to the Barkly Highway at Cloncurry. This means you can keep driving west towards the Northern Territory. The Flinders Highway passes through many small outback towns. You'll see lots of typical outback scenery along the way.

The highway used to be called National Route 78. Now, it's known as A6 as part of Australia's new road numbering system. It's also sometimes called the Overlanders Way. This entire road is an important part of Australia's transport network.

Driving south on the Flinders Highway between Reid River and Mingela.

Another view of the Flinders Highway, heading south between Calcium and Reid River.

How the Flinders Highway is Managed

The Flinders Highway is a "state-controlled" road. This means the government of Queensland is in charge of looking after it. They divide the highway into five main parts:

• From Townsville to Charters Towers.
• From Charters Towers to Hughenden.
• From Hughenden to Richmond.
• From Richmond to Julia Creek.
• From Julia Creek to Cloncurry.

A Journey Through Time: History of the Highway

Approximate distances in kilometers from Townsville to towns along the highway.

Back in 1957, only the first part of the highway, from Townsville to Charters Towers, was properly paved. This means it had a smooth, sealed surface. The rest of the road was just dirt or gravel. Over many years, more and more sections were paved. The very last part was finished in November 1976.

In the 1980s, a big dam called the Ross River Dam was made bigger. This meant that parts of the Flinders Highway and the nearby railway line had to be moved. They were shifted further east. This project was finished by 1986. Because of this change, some old railway stations were closed down.

Making the Highway Better: Recent Upgrades

The Flinders Highway often gets upgrades to make it safer and easier to travel on. These projects help improve the road for everyone.

Stronger Roads and New Lanes

One project made the road surface stronger and repaired parts between Townsville and Torrens Creek. This helps the road last longer. Other projects have added new overtaking lanes between Townsville and Charters Towers. These lanes make it safer for cars to pass slower vehicles.

Wider Roads and Better Drainage

Some parts of the road have been made wider. For example, a section between Julia Creek and Cloncurry was widened and strengthened. This makes it safer for large trucks and other vehicles. Old drainage pipes, called culverts, have also been replaced in some areas. This helps water drain away properly and prevents flooding on the road.

Safer Driving with Wide Centre Lines

A special project added "wide centre lines" to a section between Townsville and Charters Towers. These wider lines in the middle of the road help separate traffic going in opposite directions. This makes the road safer by reducing the chance of head-on crashes. An extra lane was also built at Woodstock to help cars join the highway more smoothly.

Towns Along the Way

The Flinders Highway connects many interesting towns. Each town has its own story.

Charters Towers

Charters Towers is about 133 kilometers (83 miles) southwest of Townsville. It was once a very busy gold mining town. In 1890, it had 30,000 people! People even called it "The World" because it felt like the center of everything. Today, it's a hub for cattle farming, but gold mining is still important. You can see many beautiful old buildings from the gold rush days.

Pentland

Pentland is a small town located between Charters Towers and Hughenden. It's about 140 kilometers (87 miles) from Hughenden and 240 kilometers (149 miles) from Townsville. Pentland has a population of about 250 people.

Hughenden

About 243 kilometers (151 miles) further west is Hughenden. This town is the main center for the Flinders shire. It's in the middle of sheep and cattle farming country.

Richmond

Richmond is 112 kilometers (70 miles) west of Hughenden. It was also a gold rush town in the past. Now, it's a center for farming and grazing.

Julia Creek

Julia Creek is another 147 kilometers (91 miles) west. It's a small settlement that focuses on farming and raising animals.

Cloncurry

Cloncurry is 139 kilometers (86 miles) west of Julia Creek. It used to be a copper mining town. This town is famous for its history with air travel. The first regular Qantas flights started here in 1922. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia also began its important work here in 1928. Today, Cloncurry is a key meeting point for roads and railways. The Flinders Highway ends here.

Important Road Connections

The Flinders Highway connects with many other important roads. These connections help people and goods travel across Queensland.

LGA	Location	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Townsville	Stuart	0	0.0	Bruce Highway (Queensland Highway A1) – north–west – Townsville / south–east – Ayr / Southern Port Road – north–east – Port of Townsville	This is where the Flinders Highway (A6) begins in the east.
		1.9	1.2	Stuart Drive – north – Townsville	The Flinders Highway continues south on Stuart Drive.
Burdekin River		105	65	Macrossan Bridge (This bridge is also part of the Great Northern Railway)
Charters Towers	Charters Towers	122	76	Gregory Highway (State Route 63) – west – Greenvale	Here, the Flinders Highway joins with the Gregory Highway for a short distance.
	Black Jack	130	81	Gregory Highway (State Route A7) – south – Clermont	The Flinders Highway separates from the Gregory Highway here.
Flinders	Torrens Creek	284	176	Torrens Creek Aramac Road (State Route 18) – south – Aramac
	Hughenden	371	231	Hughenden Muttaburra Road (State Route 19) – south – Muttaburra
		373.0	231.8	Kennedy Developmental Road (State Route 62) – west – Winton	The Flinders Highway joins the Kennedy Developmental Road here.
		373.1	231.8	Kennedy Developmental Road (State Route 62) – north – Mount Garnet	The Flinders Highway separates from the Kennedy Developmental Road here.
McKinlay	Julia Creek	637	396	Julia Creek Kynuna Road (State Route 84) – south – Kynuna
		640	400	Wills Developmental Road (State Route 84) – north–west – Burketown
Cloncurry	Cloncurry	759	472	Landsborough Highway (National Route A2) – south–east – Kynuna	The Flinders Highway joins the Landsborough Highway here.
Cloncurry River		775.0	481.6	Ernest Henry Bridge
Cloncurry	Cloncurry	775.2	481.7	Burke Developmental Road (National Route 83) – north – Normanton / Barkly Highway (National Route A2) – west – Mount Isa	This is the western end of the Flinders Highway. It connects to the Landsborough Highway and the Barkly Highway.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Other Connecting Roads

Besides the major highways, the Flinders Highway also connects to several other important state-controlled roads. These roads help people travel to smaller towns and areas.

Julia Creek–Kynuna Road

The Julia Creek–Kynuna Road is a state-controlled road. It runs for 112 kilometers (70 miles). It connects the Flinders Highway in Julia Creek to the Landsborough Highway in Kynuna. This road is important for local travel in the region.