Julia Creek, Queensland

A small service centre on the road between Townsville and My Isa. The main industries in the area around Julia Creek are beef and wool production.
Location: 632 km west of Townsville; 411 m above sea level.
Origin of name: the creek beside which the town is located was originally named Scorpion but, in 1870, it was changed to Julia Creek in after the niece of pastoralist Donald Macintyre of Dalgonally pastoral run.
Brief history: Julia Creek was the first European settlement in north western Qld. Donald Macintyre arrived in the area in 1862 and established the property 'Dalgonally' about 70 km north of the present town. With the arrival of the railway in 1908 the town became the railhead for north western Queensland.
Natural features: Julia Creek.
Built features: Gannon's Hotel (The town achieved some small level of fame in Neville Shute's 'A Town Like Alice' when the hero Joe Harman overlands 1400 cattle from the Gulf to Julia Creek. He stays at the fictional Post Office Hotel which was based on Gannon's Hotel, which is over the road from the Post Office).
Heritage features: Macintyre Museum; Eddington Arms Hotel; (1908, 22 km west, Gilliat)