Welford National Park

Welford is a national park in Central West Queensland, Australia, 991 km west of Brisbane. It is located 30km to the South-east of Jundah. The park was established in 1994 to protect the biodiversity of the Mulga Lands, Mitchell Grass Downs and Channel Country bioregions.[1] The southern border is marked by the Barcoo River.[1]

Welford National Park
Queensland
Welford National Park is located in Queensland
Welford National Park
Welford National Park
Nearest town or cityJundah
Coordinates25°03′31″S 143°26′02″E
Established1994
Area1,240 km2 (478.8 sq mi)
Managing authoritiesQueensland Parks and Wildlife Service
WebsiteWelford National Park
See alsoProtected areas of Queensland

The name of the park comes from the original owner of the grazing station, Richard Welford, who established the property around 1870 and called it Walton, but it was changed to Welford Downs after his death.[2]

Richard Welford and his stationhand were killed in 1872 by an Aboriginal man known as Kangaroo or Jiu-Jiu who had deserted from the Native Police. Subsequent punitive expeditions were conducted by Native Police detachments and local pastoralists such as Charles Lumley Hill which resulted in many of the local Aboriginal population being shot at Welford's station, along the Barcoo River and in the Cheviot Range around what is now Hell Hole Gorge National Park.[3][4][5][6]

Welford Homestead, 2005

The rare yellow-footed rock-wallaby is found in the park as are aboriginal stone arrangements and water wells.[2] Welford Homestead is heritage-listed homestead built in the early 1880s.[7]

Camping with a permit is allowed at one site along the Barcoo River.[8]

Recreational activities are centered on the permanent waterholes along the Barcoo where visitors can enjoy fishing, canoeing and kayaking.[8] There are also three tourist drives that cover the river, sand dune and mulga escarpment ecosystems found in the park and totalling more than 100 kilometres.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Welford National Park Management Plan 2011" (PDF). Department of Environment and Science. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland) (2002). Heritage Trails of the Queensland Outback. State of Queensland. p. 165. ISBN 0-7345-1040-3.
  3. "Old Barcoo Days". The World's News. No. 245. New South Wales, Australia. 25 August 1906. p. 10. Retrieved 3 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Death of Mr. Lumley Hill". The Beaudesert Times. Vol. 2, no. 56. Queensland, Australia. 5 November 1909. p. 3. Retrieved 3 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. Rayment, Bertie James (1970). My Towri. Jundah: Tabra Press.
  6. "THE EARLY DAYS". Morning Bulletin. No. 18020. Queensland, Australia. 28 October 1922. p. 11. Retrieved 3 June 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Welford Homestead (entry 600023)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  8. "Things to do - Welford National Park". Department of Environment and Science. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.


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