Queensland Outback Part 4

Barcaldine - home to Australian Workers Heritage Centre

Once in town, look for the windmill for the
town's information center.

From Longreach heading east this time , we dropped by Barcaldine for a morning tour. It was surprisingly chilly that morning (like winter made a u-turn) but i needed to have a look at the Tree of Knowledge so i tried to ignore the chill. I saw it 2 days ago and I was curious as to what the structure was all about and certainly it does not look like a tree. Well that's because the structure actually houses the tree - the dead tree that is. The original tree was poisoned in 2006 but you can still see it under the cube structure.

The Tree of Knowledge

"The site of the 150-year-old, 10-metre Ghost Gum tree located in the centre of Barcaldine in Central West Queensland is a symbol of an important time in Australia's political development. It was used as the meeting place for shearers during their unsuccessful strike of 1891. During that strike, as well as the maritime strike of 1890, a crucial and historical connection was forged between unions and what was to become the Australian Labor Party. In April 2006 the Tree of Knowledge was poisoned and did not recover."

the tree before it was poisoned

the preserved dead tree

Barcaldine is situated at the junction of the Capricorn and Matilda (Landsborough) Highways. It is use as a base from which to explore the Central West of Queensland. The extensive range of accommodation and shopping facilities make Barcaldine a relaxing place to stay, recover and explore history.

The town is also home to the Australian Workers Heritage Centre. It is a national project commemorating the events which changed the course of the nation's working history. Set in over five acres of landscaped gardens, it is also home to the Wanpa-rda Matilda Outback Education Centre - a unique residential facility for schools and community groups. The centre has thousands of exhibits to honour all Australian working men and women - railway workers, miners, teachers and many others.