Dajarra, Queensland

Dajarra Queensland
Dajarra
Population:	179[1]
Postcode:	4825
Location:	1889 km (1,174 mi) NW of Brisbane 966 km (600 mi) W of Townsville 142 km (88 mi) S of Mount Isa
LGA:	Shire of Cloncurry
State District:	Mount Isa
Federal Division:	Kennedy

Dajarra is a town in the far north-west of Outback Queensland, Australia, near the border with the Northern Territory. It is about 150 km south of Mount Isa on the Diamantina Developmental Road. At the 2006 census, Dajarra had a population of 179.^[1]

Dajarra once had importance as a railhead for the cattle industry, the railway giving connection to the ports and markets of the east coast of Australia. But the advent of the multi-trailer road trains has made this part of a bygone era.

The older people of the area who remember Dajarra's heyday say that the area trucked more cattle than Texas in the United States of America. Cattle drovers on horseback would bring cattle from as far away as Western Australia to put them on the train at Dajarra.^[2]

More recently, some opportunities for local employment have come with the development of the nearby Phosphate Hill phosphate mine and fertilizer production plant. The mining company has assisted the community in developing a better water supply for the town.

The town has a rich Aboriginal heritage and is home to Aboriginal tribes from around the Diamantina River, the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Northern Territory. An Aboriginal language is taught at the school, along with how to make boomerangs, what wood to use and what timber is best for didgeridoos. They know where to find bush foods and the 'bush lollies' on the gidyea trees after rain, and other traditional foods.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Dajarra (Cloncurry Shire) (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/LocationSearch?collection=Census&period=2006&areacode=SSC35755&producttype=QuickStats&breadcrumb=PL&action=401. Retrieved 2008-01-27. 
2. ^ "Lifestyle in Dajarra". Mount Isa Region Information System. Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce. http://www.mountisa.biz/community/lifestyle_daj.php. Retrieved 2006-05-15. 
3. ^ "Dajarra". Tourism Queensland. http://www.adventureoutback.com.au/dajarra.cfm. Retrieved 2006-05-15. 

Coordinates: 21°41′S 139°30′E / 21.683°S 139.5°E / -21.683; 139.5