If you’ve every fancied coming a-Waltzing Matilda, there may be no better place than the small Queensland town of Winton.
As you probably know, Waltzing Matilda is one of the most famous pieces of music in Australia. Telling the story of a transient worker who is caught by the police after stealing a sheep, it’s taken on legendary status and is often described as the country’s “unofficial national anthem”.
What’s lesser known is that Banjo Paterson wrote the song in 1895 while he was staying at a sheep station near Winton. And it was in town that the song is said to have been first publicly performed, at the North Gregory Hotel (more on that soon).
This little claim to fame is of enormous pride in Winton and there’s a whole museum dedicated to the song. The famous 1800-kilometre driving route up the middle of Queensland was even called the Matilda Way because Winton is about halfway.
But exploring the story of the song is not the only reason to visit Winton.
For a small town in the vast Queensland Outback with a population of less than 1000 people, there are lots of things to do in Winton. There’s the region’s dinosaur history, the town’s other heritage, some quirky attractions, opal mining, and nearby natural wonders.
Whether you’re on a long drive like the Matilda Way or you’re just visiting towns like Longreach in this part of Queensland, Winton’s attractions are worth a day or two. You’ll need some time to get out to those further from town, but you’ll also want an evening to hang out at the pub where the Waltzing Matilda legend all began.
Main sights
As I said, don’t let the size of the town fool you. The best things to do in Winton operate on a surprisingly grand scale and there are two main attractions you definitely shouldn’t miss.
Waltzing Matilda Centre
Let’s start with the Waltzing Matilda Centre, the museum I mentioned that’s dedicated to Banjo Paterson’s famous song.
What you’ll find here today is a large modern institution that opened in 2018 after the original one burnt down in a fire. The building itself is interesting, with features like a modern facade of rusted steel mimicking dry riverbeds. But it’s the exhibitions that are the most interesting feature.
Inside the main building is a large exhibition that tells the story of Waltzing Matilda and its themes of loyalty and mateship.
“This was Banjo Paterson’s trick,” a voice booms from the speakers as I’m reading an information panel. “The song is the ghost of Australia and a hundred years on, we still hear it as loud as ever.”
But then the exhibition relates it to other aspects of Outback life like farming and mining. There are videos and impressive multimedia productions, but ultimately it’s the stories of the people that give the exhibition heart.
In the outside section of the museum, there’s lots to see about the heritage of the region, with old vehicles (including a train!), agricultural equipment, old houses, and more.
Australian Age of Dinosaurs
The other biggest thing that Winton is known for is dinosaurs! This whole region of Queensland is rich with dinosaur fossils but about 24 kilometres out of town, the Australian Age of Dinosaurs attraction has some of the best.
It was founded in 2002 by local sheep farmers who had stumbled across a giant fossil. Since then, it’s grown into a major operation with three different areas to visit, each of which will have a guide to explain everything to you.
The first thing to see at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs is the Collection Room, which has specimens that have been found in the region, including the six-metre-long star attraction named Banjo, the most complete meat-eating dinosaur ever found in Australia.
The second area to visit is the Fossil Preparation Laboratory, where you can see palaeontologists and volunteers working on finds, painstakingly removing the rock from around just a single sauropod bone, for example.
And the third area is called Dinosaur Canyon, where a guide will talk you through a 54-metre-long bit of ancient ground that has fossilised dinosaur footprints from different species. “That’s why this site is so important,” the guide Montana explains when I visit. “We get to see some of the social behaviour of these massive animals!”
TIP: There’s a separate dinosaur site called the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument. Although you can buy a combined ticket, it’s about 130 kilometres away. I’ve got more info about it later in this article.
There’s lots to see and you’ll easily spend half a day to cover it all, including waiting for your time slot for each section. You can drive out and do it yourself, or there’s this convenient tour from Winton that includes the transfer and all the tickets.
Heritage
The town of Winton was officially gazetted in 1879 and while fires have claimed many of its original timber structures, the remaining buildings offer a clear timeline of outback prosperity.
North Gregory Hotel
If there’s one heritage building you visit (although you’ll likely see more), make it the North Gregory Hotel on the main Elderslie Street.
It claims to be the site of the first public performance of Waltzing Matilda back in 1895… although the nearby town of Kynuna also claims it (“It’s a fun little fight between two towns… but we’ve only got six people, so Winton isn’t scared of us,” the barman at Kynuna tells me).
The current brick structure of the hotel is actually the fourth iteration, built in 1955, after fire destroyed it multiple times. But there’s still lots of heritage and it’s full of memorabilia.
TIP: You can also stay at the North Gregory Hotel, which is a really convenient option.
Most importantly, the large beer garden out back hosts daily performances by a bush poet called Gregory North (really!) for the four peak tourist months in the middle of the year, where he talks about the town and Banjo Paterson.
Royal Open Air Theatre
Next door to the North Gregory Hotel is the Royal Open Air Theatre, an incredible authentic experience that is well worth fitting into your visit.
Go past the historic facade on the main street, through the little museum of Winton cinema history near the box office, and you’ll find yourself outdoors again. This is where all the chairs are set up and you can sit and watch a movie.
There’s something so glorious about having the bright stars above you during the screening, with the occasional screech of a bird. It’s mainly classic movies that are shown here (with a John Wayne film most Sundays) but there are also new releases occasionally.
Don’t forget to bring some warm clothes because the temperature can drop at night.
Corfield and Fitzmaurice building
On the other side of the North Gregory Hotel is the Corfield and Fitzmaurice Building. Built in 1916, it’s one of the few surviving commercial structures from Winton’s early days.
Originally it was set up as a sapling and tarpaulin store and then became a general store that operated until the late 1980s.
Now, you can go in and see the interiors and some of the historic aspects, like the ‘cash railway’, the flying fox system that used to whiz payments from the shop floor up to the cashier’s office.
Although part of the building is again used as a shop, the rest of it is a small museum that has some interesting exhibits about the town’s history and a bit more about dinosaurs.
More heritage sites
Beyond the major pubs and museums, Winton has a scattering of smaller heritage buildings that are worth noting as you walk around the town grid.
For instance, the town was the original birthplace of Qantas – and although the airline quickly moved its headquarters to Longreach, you can still find the old Qantas building and a memorial cairn on the main street.
Wander the streets and you’ll also find the Winton Hotel and, nearby, the Winton Cemetery has a few grave stories to tell. The town’s churches are also interesting, some built in the typical Queenslander style on stumps to allow air to cool the building.
Most of the heritage, though, is on the main Elderslie Street. You can pop into the visitor information centre at the Waltzing Matilda Centre to ask about any specific buildings.
More around town
Away from the history and heritage, Winton has developed an eccentric local culture. The town leans into its isolation with a collection of self-described oddball attractions and creative outlets.
Outback Regional Art Gallery
When the local council rebuilt the Waltzing Matilda Centre, they made the smart decision to incorporate the Outback Regional Art Gallery into the complex. It’s a dedicated climate-controlled space that’s perfect for protecting and showcasing important artworks.
The gallery hosts a rotating schedule of exhibitions, so you could get any type of show (when I visited, it was all about music photography). But the main drawcard is the collection from the annual John Villiers Outback Art Prize.
Access to the gallery is included in your general admission ticket to the Waltzing Matilda Centre. I suggest allocating an extra 30 minutes to your visit to have a proper look at it.
The Musical Fence
One of the quirkiest things to do in Winton is make some music at the Musical Fence.
On the outskirts of town, it’s essentially a giant string instrument made of wire fencing connected to overhead acoustic resonators. Hitting the wire with a stick produces a deep, twanging vibration that echoes surprisingly far.
There’s also a makeshift drum kit built out of old metal rubbish bins and car parts. So, essentially, it’s a big creative playground for adults!
It’s completely free to visit and is open 24 hours a day. There are usually a few metal bars lying around to hit the fence with, and don’t be afraid to jam with strangers, like I did!
More quirky art
Just off the main drag, you will find Arno’s Wall, a 70-metre-long, two-metre-high fence with junk like rusted lawnmowers and porcelain dolls stuck in the concrete.. It was constructed over 30 years by Arno Grotjahn, a German immigrant and former opal miner.
I guess it’s art… but that’s in the eye of the beholder. It’s certainly quirky and worth a look, seeing as its just a few minutes walk from sights you’ll be seeing anyway.
Nearby is Crackup Corner, an equally oddball space run by a local performance troupe called the Crackup Sisters. You can only visit it when they open it up (they’re often touring elsewhere) but it’s worth it. There are weird art pieces, games, performances and lots of fun.
Opal shops
Winton is the gateway to the Queensland boulder opal fields, and the town’s retail sector relies heavily on selling these stones to tourists.
You can visit the most famous mining area, Opalton, but it’s about 120 kilometres away (more on that soon). So, instead, a lot of people prefer to just buy the finished product in town.
There are several dedicated opal shops clustered along Elderslie Street, and I would recommend Evert Opals as a good starting point.
It’s also worth noting that Winton’s boulder opal is different from the light opals found in South Australia. The veins of colour run through a dark ironstone matrix, so you’ll get quite intense colours and sometimes there’ll still be stone at the back.
Nature
The environment around Winton is harsh, flat, and largely unforgiving. But there is also incredible beauty in that! The geological formations and the sparse waterways support a specific ecosystem that you can explore..
Lark Quarry Conservation Park
I know I’ve already talked about the Australian Age of Dinosaurs, but there’s another big dinosaur attraction near Winton. It’s called the Dinosaur Stampede National Monument and it’s part of the Lark Quarry Conservation Park.
About 110 kilometres from Winton, it’s a huge rock face containing over 3,000 muddy footprints that were left 95 million years ago. Some experts think it was causes by a stampede of animals running from a large predator, while others think it may just have been a busy river crossing.
The fossilised footprints are now enclosed inside a massive solar-powered shelter to protect the fragile rock. It’s really impressive to see the tracks and imagine what caused them, but the presentation is all a little dated and simple compared to what you find at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs.
You can head out there on one of these guided tours that organise everything for you:
If you’re driving yourself, check the condition of the road in advance because much of it is unsealed.
Bladensburg National Park
Just 17 kilometres from town is the main national park that people visit from Winton, Bladensburg National Park.
It’s really big, covering about 85,000 hectares, and was once a massive sheep station before being converted into a protected area of flat grassland, river flats, and flat-topped mesas known locally as ‘jump-ups’.
The main route through the park takes you past the old station homestead and out to Skull Hole, a rocky waterhole that holds water long after the rivers dry up. There’s Indigenous heritage to learn about and you’ll likely spot red kangaroos and emus.
A good way to visit Bladensburg National Park is along the Route of the River Gum, a 72km return drive. You can pick up the brochure at Winton’s visitor centre.
Fishing and birdwatching
You wouldn’t immediately associate the dusty plains of Winton with fishing and birdwatching, but the water catchment area here provides a few permanent waterholes.
Pelican Waterhole is one of the more reliable spots because when the rains do come, the channel country floods, transforming the dry dirt into a massive wetland. If you have the patience, you can spot brolgas, spinifex pigeons, and massive flocks of budgerigars around the water sources. Some dedicated birdwatchers come specifically looking for the elusive Rusty Grasswren.
Fishing is mostly restricted to catching yellow belly and black bream. You can do that near town at the Long Waterhole or Mistake Creek. Much further out of town are a couple of other options: Conn Waterhole or Old Cork Station Historic Homestead (where you can camp).
Day trips
While you’re in Winton, you can use it as a hub to explore some of the nearby towns and attractions. You’re likely on a road trip, so you may go through some of these places anyway, but check them out if not.
Opalton
About 120 kilometres from Winton via a rough dirt track, Opalton is one of Queensland’s largest boulder opal fields.
In the late 1880s, the area was swarming with over 600 prospectors trying to strike it rich. Today, the permanent population hovers around 59 people, mostly miners living in makeshift tin shacks and caravans.
Visiting Opalton is a harsh look at the reality of modern fossicking. The landscape is scarred with open-cut pits and there’s no town centre, just a bush nursing clinic and a dirt airstrip.
You can try your hand at finding something in the public fossicking area, and you might get a chance to chat to some of the locals at the one shop where the mail is delivered weekly. Ultimately, though, you’re really coming here to see how little is here!
Walkabout Creek Hotel
If you drive about 200 kilometres north-west of Winton along the Landsborough Highway, you will hit the tiny speck of a town called McKinlay.
The main reason you would come here (other than to drive through to Cloncurry or Mt Isa) is to visit the Walkabout Creek Hotel, a pub built in 1900 as the Federal Hotel. It became famous because it was used as the main filming location for the outback bar scenes in the famous 1986 movie Crocodile Dundee.
The pub fully leans into its cinematic fame. The walls are covered in faded newspaper clippings, movie posters, and props from the shoot. You can even see the original truck from the film.
But remember, it’s still a working pub and you can grab a drink or a meal here (which is why the truckers often stop) so it’s worth stopping if you’re driving through.
Rangelands Rifts
The ‘jump-up’ country around Winton is completely inaccessible without permission, as it sits on privately owned cattle stations. The only way to see the Rangelands Rifts is by booking a guided three-hour trip with a local operator.
The tour takes you onto a working property to explore a series of deep, narrow chasms that have been carved into the rock by thousands of years of wind and water erosion.
Walking through the rifts is an intense but fascinating experience. The water has eroded the softer rock at the bottom, creating a wide path beneath a narrow crack of sky. After climbing out of the chasms, the guide sets up drinks and snacks on the edge of the mesa.
From the air
To truly understand the scale of this part of Queensland, you need to get off the ground. One way you can do this is with a scenic helicopter flight.
With the popular sunset flight, you’ll take off in a small chopper and fly low as the fading light casts long shadows across the deeply eroded gullies.
It’s so different to seeing it from the ground and you’ll get a really interesting perspective of some of the other main attractions in Winton from up here. While it’s not cheap, it’s such a special experience that you may never have the chance to do again.
Longreach
And finally, about 180 kilometres from Winton, Longreach is the major commercial centre for the region and you’ll likely pass through it if you’re on a drive trip to Winton. (But I’m mentioning it here, just in case.)
There are lots of things to do in Longreach and it’s worth a couple of nights. The two highlights are probably the Qantas Founders Museum, which has a decommissioned Boeing 747 parked on the tarmac, and the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame. Both are massive, modern facilities with great exhibitions.
But you’ll also find Longreach has some lovely sunset experience and river cruises, along with a decent range of restaurants in town. If you’re spending a decent length of time in the Queensland Outback, you may appreciate a few nights here just for the change from the little towns.
