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.
