The Tree That Became a Legend

We left Blackall and decided to head to Lloyd Jones Weir, 105km away and about 7kms off the highway about 5kms before Barcaldine. This was the first time we saw live Aussie animals on this trip. Lloyd Jones Weir is a lovely donation camp right on the water, but sadly the camp was full. We found one site but it was under trees and we really need sun for the solar panels, and the satellite couldn't get a signal, so we decided to go to Barcaldine East Free Rest area for the night. This is a really large area that goes back into the bush. It is an overnight rest area and has a toilet block. We stayed the night and went into Barcaldine the next day – Monday – to do shopping. We must remember weekends in the bush all the shops are closed!! Barcaldine was established in 1886 as a railway town, but is more famous as the location of the Tree of Knowledge and the history behind it.

The Barcaldine Tree of Knowledge is situated in front of the railway station. The tree is the heart of Barcaldine and played an important part in shaping one of Australia's main political parties. 1891 saw the end to almost 5 years of conflict between the shearers and the station owners. Station owners had lowered the wages of the shearers and in 1887 the station owners had been invited to Blackall to work out a fair solution to the strike. The land owners did not attend! This lead to the formation of the Queensland Shearer's Union, which in turn lead to other unions being formed. In 1889 the station owners met at Barcaldine and formed the Central Queensland Employers' Association, the aim being to prevent strikes. As more shearers went on strike, more strike camps sprung up around central Queensland. We saw first hand on a previous trip the remnants of strike camps not far from Muttaburra. In March 1891 the shearers marched under the Eureka Flag. The shearers often met under the tree at Barcaldine and the tree came to be a symbol of the shearers struggle of surviving for a fair go.

The Ghost Gum was thought to be over 200 years old. It survived two termite infestations, one insect infestation, and the weathering of time, but it was at the hands of man in 2006 that the tree finally died. In 2009 the dead tree was uprooted and sent south to be preserved. This took 12 months and today the tree again stands in the original spot where the shearers met. It forms the centrepiece of memorial to pay homage to the significance of the site.

There is a lot to see in Barcaldine, historic buildings and museums of significance to Australia's history.