In 1881, a Native Police camp known as the Eyre's Creek barracks was established on the site by Sub-Inspector Robert Barrington Sharpe. Operations were conducted from the barracks until it was decommissioned in 1889. Sharpe shot himself in the head in 1886 and was replaced by Sub-Inspector Robert Kyle Little who shot numerous Indigenous people on at least one punitive expedition. Little later died from heat exhaustion just before the barracks closed.[15][16][17]
In February 1887, 2 square miles (5.2 km2) were reserved as the site for a town.[18]
The Royal Hotel was constructed and opened in 1886 by Hylock & Co. with a thatched roof (later replaced with corrugated iron) and the locality was renamed Bedourie.[19][20]
Bedourie Post Office opened around July 1903 (receiving offices known as Bidouri, Bedouri and Bedourie had been open since 1887).[21]
The Diamantina Shire Council moved its headquarters from Birdsville to Bedourie in 1953.
Bedourie State School opened on 16 May 1960.[22] The current school building opened in 1967.[23]
At the 2006 census, Bedourie and the surrounding area had a population of 142.[24] Twenty years earlier the town had 60 residents.[6]
The Bedourie Public Library had a major refurbishment in 2009.[25]
In the 2016 census, Bedourie had a population of 122 people.[1]
Heritage listings
Bedourie Pisé House, with Royal Hotel in background, 2016
There are a number of heritage-listed sites in Bedourie, including:
Bedourie State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 3 Timor Street (24°21′37″S139°28′17″E / 24.3603°S 139.4713°E / -24.3603; 139.4713 (Bedourie State School)).[28][29] In 2017, the school had an enrolment of 8 students with 2 teachers and 3 non-teaching staff (1 full-time equivalent).[30][31] In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 7 students with 2 teachers and 5 non-teaching staff (2 full-time equivalent).[32]
There are no secondary schools in Bedourie or nearby.[4] The options are distance education and boarding school.[23]
Amenities
Royal Hotel, 2016
Bedourie has an aquatic centre, museum, outback golf course, visitor information centre, and a racetrack.[5]
The Simpson Desert Roadhouse provides petrol and automotive services, accommodation, general supplies, accommodation, restaurant and bar.[19]
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.[35][36]
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.
Bedourie experiences a hot desert climate (Köppen:BWh, Trewartha:BWhl); with very hot summers with occasional rains; warm to hot, dry springs and autumns; and mild, dry winters.
Climate data for Bedourie, Queensland, Australia (1932-present normals and extremes); 91 m AMSL
^Richards, Jonathan (2008). The Secret War. St Lucia: UQP. ISBN9780702236396.
^Farwell, George (1971). Land of Mirage: The Story of Men, Cattle and Camels on the Birdsville Track. Rigby. ISBN9780851791340.
^"QUEENSLAND TELEGRAMS". The Capricornian. Vol. 12, no. 7. Queensland, Australia. 13 February 1886. p. 4. Retrieved 12 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
