Bulloo Shire is located in south-west Queensland, about 1,000 kilometres west of the Brisbane CBD. Bulloo Shire is bounded by Barcoo Shire and Quilpie Shire in the north, Paroo Shire in the east, the New South Wales border in the south, and the South Australian border in the west.
Bulloo Shire includes the localities of Bullawarra, Bulloo Downs, Cameron Corner, Durham, Dynevor, Eramonga (part), Hungerford (part), Nockatunga (part), Norley, Tanbar (part) and Thargomindah.
Land Use
Bulloo Shire is a predominantly rural area, with a small township at Thargomindah. The Shire encompasses a total land area of about 73,880 square kilometres. Rural land is used largely for sheep and cattle grazing, with oil mining and gas production also being important industries.
Name Origin
Bulloo Shire is named after the Bulloo River, which is thought to be named from an Aboriginal word meaning "slow".
Indigenous Meaning
The original inhabitants of Bulloo Shire were the Kulilli Aboriginal people.
Settlement
European settlement dates from the 1860s, with land used mainly for pastoral purposes. Gradual growth took place during the late 1800s, when several small townships were established. The population increased gradually from the post-war years, rising from about 500 in 1947 to nearly 800 in 1961. The population then declined, falling to under 600 in 1971, and to about 500 in 1981. From the 1980s oil and gas exploration and mining took place in the Jackson Oil Field. The population then increased, rising to nearly 700 in 1986, and then to about 800 in 1991. The population declined gradually from the early 1990s, falling to about 600 in 2006. The population then increased slightly, rising to about 700 in 2011, and then declined again to about 500 in 2016.
Major Features
Major features of Bulloo Shire include Lake Bindegolly National Park, Currawinya National Park, Lake Bindegolly, Lake Numalla, Lake Wyara, the Bulloo River, Noccundra Waterhole, Thargomindah Community Clinic, Thargomindah Golf Club, Noccundra Racecourse, Thargomindah Memorial Park, Thargomindah Sports Oval, Burke and Wills “Dig” Tree, Thargomindah Hydro Power Plant, Ballera Gas Centre and Jackson Oil Field.
