Diamantina Shire

SUSTAINABLY DEVELOPING THE OUTBACK

Each year a number of events are conducted in the Diamantina Shire, the largest of which is the Birdsville Races.  The Birdsville Races have become an iconic, weeklong event attracting over 6000 people to a town with a usual population of 120. The Diamantina Shire Council is involved in most of the behind-the-scenes activities.  These include roads, water, sewerage, rubbish, airport, food vendor and the camping areas on the town common.  Each of these activities is important to ensure that the Birdsville Races week is successful. Visitors for the races travel via many different routes before arriving in Birdsville.  The Birdsville Track, Strzelecki Track, Simpson Desert Crossing, Birdsville-Mt Isa and the Birdsville-Charleville roads are all extremely busy over the two week period around race time.

The Birdsville airport also comes alive, with almost 200 aircraft, ranging from 50 seaters to small ultralights.  It’s a tremendous sight on Sunday morning to watch these aircraft depart.

A successful Birdsville Race meet contributes significantly to not only the community of Birdsville, but all the towns through which the visitors must pass on their journey to the races.

The races are now providing a wider range of entertainment for all ages.  Not only are visitors interested in activities at the hotel, they can now enjoy cappuccinos at the Caravanserai Café.  Council is proud that new businesses are being established to cater for the visitors to Birdsville as a result of the success of race week.

The Birdsville Races are a fantastic event for the Diamantina Shire and Outback Queensland and its success is of great benefit to an enormous area of Australia