Charleville - Places to See

The Royal Flying Doctor Service

The Southern Queensland base of the Royal Flying Doctor Service is located on the Old Cunnamulla Road to the east of town. It is open for inspection from 8.00 am - 4.00 pm daily.

While most other Flying Doctor bases tend to show videos on the workings of the service the Charleville office is proud of the fact that visitors are taken through a working operation. There is no charge, although donations are appreciated. For more information check out:http://www.flyingdoctor.org.au/About-Us/Our-Bases/OB-QS/Charleville-Base/

The School of Distance Education
Voluntary contributions are also appreciated next door at the School of Distance Education (previously known as the School of the Air). It is open from 8.30 am - 3.30 pm and the principal recommends a morning visit as that is when classes are held with the youngest pupils. There is a viewing area beside the studio where visitors can listen in on the lessons. The school includes students from as far afield as Fraser Island in the east to Hungerford in the south-west. An excellent information book outlining its functions and educational techniques is available. For more information check out: http://charlevisde.eq.edu.au/wcmss/

Historical House
The town's 'Historical House', located in Alfred Street at the northern end of town, is particularly interesting. It was built in 1881 as the local branch of the Queensland National Bank with the teller's area, the safe and the manager's office at the front and accommodation for the manager's family, including the maid's quarters, at the back. The historical society have preserved the original functions and filled each room with appropriate pieces of furniture and memorabilia. A book on the shire's history, entitled Murweh Shire: 100 Years of Local Government 1880-1980, is available.

Steiger Gun
To the south of town (on the western side of the road, in front of the scout hall) is the Steiger Gun. This bizarre piece of Western Queensland history is captioned: 'Steiger Vortex Rainmaker Gun. One of ten guns used by the Queensland Government Meteorologist Prof. Clement Wragge at Charleville, September 26 1902.' It was a vain attempt to induce a deluge and thus break the drought which had been going on since 1896. Wragge's novel approach was to send blasts of air into the atmosphere. He persuaded the authorities in Brisbane to build Steiger guns which he duly placed around Charleville. They were all filled with gunpowder and ignited. Nothing happened. That night Wragge addressed a group of local citizens in Aeschimann's Hall in Charleville and, so rumour has it, was greeted with considerable scepticism and derision. He left town the next day.

Fauna Display
The Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service office on Park St has a bird aviary and fauna display, including several species of endangered wallabies and bilbies. It is open on weekdays from 8.30 am - 4.30 pm.