Birdsville’s an iconic outback town – perhaps the iconic outback town!
Birdsville was enshrined in legend by the Back of Beyond movie (1954) which followed Mailman Tom Kruse and his off-sider Henry Butler on the hazardous Birdsville Track mail run over 500km of sand dune and stony desert from Marree to Birdsville.
Birdsville still has a Henry Butler – the original Henry Butler’s great grandson!
Birdsville began in the late 1870s when a store, pub and police station were built to serve the pastoralists. The settlement was then called ‘Diamantina Crossing’.
1884 saw the very first Birdsville race meet! Birdsville became official the following year, when it was surveyed and laid out.
Now Birdsville has a population of around 100 people. (At Christmas that can go down to 25 as everyone escapes the heat!) The town’s supported by cattle, tourism and the Diamantina Shire Council.
There’s more cool stuff about Birdsville (including interviews with locals) in the Birdsville audio – see the Birdsville Track Audio Tour.