Western Queensland Road Trip #7 Charleville
The small town of Charleville, established when the first hotel was built in 1865, now has a population of around 3,500 people. Despite its isolated location in outback Queensland, Charleville has a rich history full of intriguing personalities and interesting places.
The building now known as the Charleville Historic House Museum has stood on Alfred Street since 1887. Originally the town’s first bank, it was also a boarding house before being purchased by the local Historical Society in the 1970s.
In the main room, the vault once used by the bank to store money now holds precious documents and records. The museum is full to the brim with dozens of items once used in everyday life, while outside is a collection of vehicles and machines from bygone times.
Two more relics of the past stand proudly at the Graham Andrews Parklands on the Mitchell Highway.
The Steiger Vortex Guns are two of six built in 1902 in Brisbane on the orders of the Government Meteorologist Clement Wragge. He’d heard about the guns being used in Austria to prevent hailstorms in wine growing areas. By firing ammunition into clouds, storms were dispersed. Vibrations in the clouds also caused rain to fall and Clement hoped similar guns might be used to break a long running drought in outback Queensland. He brought his guns to Charleville and, on 26 September 1902, ten shots from each cannon were fired into the sky. Sadly the experiment was a failure – no rain fell in Charleville that day.
The Charleville base of the Royal Flying Doctor Service is located further along the Mitchell Highway at the airport. Founded by the Reverend John Flynn, the Royal Flying Doctor Service has provided medical care to those living in outback Australia since 1928.
At the Visitor Centre, videos explain the history of the service and dramatic recordings bring to life the first hand experiences of patients and their families. Displays of historic medical equipment and radio technology are compared with 21st century methods of health care in the outback.
The hangar used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service dates from 1943. It was built as part of the occupation of Charleville Airport by the United States 45th Air Base Group, 43rd Bombardment Group, 63rd and 65th Bomb Squadrons and the 8th Material Squadron during the Second World War. From 1942 to 1943 more than 3,500 US servicemen lived at the top secret site, which was used to store and maintain American B-17 Bombers. Most of the structures built to cater for the servicemen are long gone, but the foundations of mess halls and shower blocks remain as evidence of the war time activities in this remote posting.
Many of those American servicemen would have enjoyed themselves at the Saturday night dances at the Hotel Corones. Built by Greek migrant Harry Corones in the 1920s, the hotel was famous for its luxurious interiors – marble floors, beautiful furniture and a grand staircase leading to the first floor where the accommodation included ensuite bathrooms, a rare luxury otherwise not seen outside of Brisbane.
An afternoon tour of the hotel tells the story of Harry’s rise from penniless immigrant to successful business man and visionary. Visitors can order a drink at the bar, once the biggest in the southern hemisphere, and climb the silky oak staircase to the rooms where dignitaries including Princess Alexandra, performer Gracie Fields and Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam have stayed. The tour ends in the dining room with an afternoon tea of scones, jam and cream.
A stroll along the Wadyanana Pathway on the banks of the Warrego River soon works off that delicious afternoon tea. Charleville is located on traditional Bidjara lands and the pathway, designed by local Bidjara residents, tells the story of Mundagudda, the Rainbow Serpent.
It’s also a timely reminder that this land was occupied long before that first hotel was built in 1865.
Join Jo for Monday Walks
Clement Wragge should have fired salt into the sky to seed the clouds, but then it was another 50 years before anyone tried that.
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If only he’d known!
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Interesting museums and tours. Especially the one that ended in scones!
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It was a great way to end the hotel tour!
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Great description and photos. These towns are doing it tough, but they all have interesting stories – Charleville more than most. I’ll pleased Corones is still open. A wonderful old building!
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Thank you Rose. The hotel fell on hard times for a while but the current owners are bringing it back to life beautifully.
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A most interesting historical tour Carol – it’s amazing what survives and what doesn’t and I was especially intrigued by the hotel. You just never know what people might think of doing in the middle of nowhere. I remember avidly watching a series about the Flying Doctor service some (yikes) 40 or 50 years ago…….. It was a lifestyle that appealed to me at the time.
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The RFDS provides a wonderful service and the people who work for it must be so dedicated. Are you thinking of the fictional series called “The Flying Doctors” or was it a documentary?
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Oh, it was definitely fiction – but I also recall watching a documentary or two as a result of the fictional series.
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That series was in the 1980s and very popular here too.
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I’m somewhat relieved to read my timeline was so far out 🙂
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I thought that too. You’re not quite as old as you thought. 🙂
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😀
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What a great trip this must have been. Hotel Corones sounds my kinda place! Loved the photos of the old wheelbarrows and sewing machines…and of your walk. At one point I fancied becoming a Flying Doctor – shame I was far too squeamish!!
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There were so many old bits and pieces in the museum. I could never be a doctor – I’m not great with bodies. 🙂
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Flat irons galore! Those were the days, Carol 🙂 🙂 Thanks for the scones!
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This collection was huge and there were so many different items. The scones were very tasty. 🙂
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Great post. Especially love the sound and look of Harrys hotel. Looks like it must have been spectacular in its day, really impressive.
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I think it must have been quite luxurious in its heyday, especially in an outback town.
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We used to have an antique sewing machine like that. Interesting post! 🙂
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Was it still in working condition? Old ones like this are not easy to come by any more.
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Ooh unfortunately it has stopped working since 20 years ago but it’s still there on display at my folks home 🙂
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Perhaps all it needs is some TLC from a sewing machine mechanic.
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I loved the Flying Doctors series! One of my Australian dreams 🙂 And we have stayed in a hotel like that with the lovely balconies. Beautiful buildings. But I do think you can have too many flat irons…
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I reckon even one flat iron would be one too many. They would have been hard work, especially in summer.
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Agreed. Never enjoyed ironing anyway!
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True. 🙂 Imagine using one of these to do your long 1900s gown. How tedious.
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So many places to visit when I return to Australia! I’ll use your blogs as my travel guide to my own country. 🙂
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That’s a lovely compliment! Thank you.
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I love a tour that ends in scones with jam and cream! 😀
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Me too! They should all be like that. 🙂
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Fascinating post, Carol. Good for Harry! He really did well for himself. The scones with jam and cream would go down well right about now. 😃
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Harry must have been a man with vision and drive. He achieved a lot in his life time.
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This is a great history lesson. The folks who came before us were focused, tough, had a wealth of common sense, and certainly paved the way for the rest of us to have it a lot easier. It is wonderful that they were able to repurpose the bank, and I truly love those white metal ceilings. It’s funny to think that the small farm I live on dates back to 1840. 🙂
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Tough is the right word for it. When I see photos of pioneer women of the outback wearing those full length dresses in the extreme heat of summer I wonder how they survived. Perhaps they only wore those dresses for photos. I hope so. I wouldn’t have been a happy pioneer. 🙂
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That must have been a really interesting trip down Australia’s memory lane – with so much to see. I particularly like the fact that one tour ended with afternoon tea. 🙂
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Afternoon tea is always very welcome, especially fresh warm scones.
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How beautiful and wonderful place. It is full of old artifacts. To me one interesting object was radio transmitter / receiver! In my youth, my hobby was DXing. DXing means listening and reporting distant radio stations. Many times, I listened from Australia radio stations which were in the future. Was it possible? On new eve I listened when old year changed to new year and I lived in previous year! Easy! LOL. I enjoyed this post very much, because I love museums. Thank you.
Have a nice day!
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I’m so pleased this post brought back some happy memories for you Matti. I think you would enjoy spending a few hours in this museum. It was full to overflowing with all sorts of bits and pieces.
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Informative ✨
Great Writing ❤️
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What a fascinating insight. The RFDS does an amazing job in outback Australia and it’s always interesting hearing about the history. Great tour Carol.
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I really enjoyed this small display about the RFDS, especially reading the stories of people whose lives have been saved because of their service.
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Love the small old towns and the museums. So glad the hotel is still used today. Looks beautiful.
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The hotel has been through good times and not so good times but the current owners are doing a great job.
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The hotel look great. Tour with afternoon tea would be nice. Good place to stay if traveling in remote areas. So glad you found it and shared.
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We stayed in a great caravan park just out of town. Every morning there were kangaroos in the paddock next door.
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I really like places like this – I actually worked in a similar hotel in the “outback” (not quite as far out as this one, so more “bush” than outback lol) and absolutely loved it. In fact if I’m not mistaken, I’m sure a friend of mine worked in Charleville, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the place she worked!
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It might be, although like many Australian towns there are many pubs. Whereabouts did you work?
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Haha yeah, I imagine there is more than one! Not in the place I was in though – I worked in a tiny town called Cracow. It was such an experience!
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Oh, I’ve been to Cracow. You’re right. There’s not much there.
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There are so many interesting stories here, Carol. I love the one about government meteorologist Clement Wragge shooting the guns into the clouds in hopes of inducing rain. Also, about the U.S. servicemen living at that base during WWII. The Hotel Corones looks like so many hotels in our Western towns, many of which I encountered on my last two road trips out West.
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It would have been good if the rain making experiment had worked.
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oh wow, it’s good to remember the past. I love going to museums and getting to know the history of different places. Thanks for giving us a tour through your photos and blog.
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It’s interesting to see all the old photos of the pioneers. Life was very different in the old days. Glad you enjoyed this post.
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Yeah, I find that remembering the people and what their lives were before us are very interesting. It has it’s own beauty where we could possibly not understand. It is a bit intriguing.
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