About Burke Shire

How to Find Us

The Shire of Burke is in Far North West Queensland on the Gulf of Carpentaria, adjoining the Northern Territory border.

Our two major towns Burketown and Gregory are located on the Savannah Way, one of the world's great transcontinental road journeys for adventure travellers.

Burketown is 2,115km to the north west of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, and 2,100km from Darwin. The Shire lies on the southern coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria and shares a border with the Northern Territory.

The Shire covers 40,127 km², approximately 40 times larger than the area of Brisbane City Council.

Watch the video that gives you a snapshot of experiences in the Burke Shire.

The People

The Shire has a strong rural base and two townships; Burketown and Gregory Downs. There is a resident population of around 550 people in the shire. Communities are diverse with significant indigenous populations from the Gangalidda Garawa and Waanyi traditional owner groups. There are several large cattle stations in the Burke Shire, each with their own fascinating history.

Burketown is the larger township in the Burke Shire with around 170 residents. About a six hour drive from Mount Isa, the town is located on the Albert River, about 40km south of the coast.

Approximately 20 percent of the Shire's population lives in Burketown and Gregory, whilst the remaining 80 percent live on cattle stations or at roadhouses and tourist attractions.

The Wet Season

Burke Shire is considered a remote living environment. Given seasonal influences (the wet season) the townships and properties can experience extended periods of isolation, including road access.

Most roads in the townships are sealed and some have curb and channel (gutters). Burketown itself is very flat and less than a metre above sea level. 

There is road access to Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Normanton and the Northern Territory outside of wet season closures. There is an all weather airport, with regular scheduled services to Mount Isa and Cairns with REX Airlines.

Burketown

Facilities in Burketown include a Visitor Centre, the Burketown Primary Health Clinic, police station, pub, cafe, caravan park and lodge accommodation, library (with free Wi-Fi access Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 4:00pm), Post Office / convenience store and a garage with fuel. The town also has a State School from Prep to Year 6 as well as a kindergarten.  There is a toilet, outdoor gym equipment and playground in the centrally located Morning Glory Park.

Only a short drive from town, the Burketown Don Bowley Wharf Precinct has a three lane boat/barge ramp and pontoon which provides easy and safe access to the Albert River.  A seasonal toilet is located here.  There is also a fishing bridge faciliy with lights, rod holder and seasonal toilet facilities on the Albert River as you head to Leichhardt Falls.

Burketown has grocery supplies provided through two small outlets, but it is common practice for residents to do online and/or telephone orders to grocery stores in Mount Isa or Cloncurry. These 'country orders' are then delivered for a freight fee by transport providers.

A comprehensive list of local businesses and services can be found Burke Business Directory.

Gregory

Gregory (population approximately 50) is a small town located near the beautiful Gregory River, 120km south of Burketown. The hotel motel provides meals and accommodation. The hotel is worth a visit in its own right, as it has a rich history.

Gregory is famous for its horse sports events held during the cooler months, as well as the Gregory Canoe Races. The Gregory Downs Jockey Club and the North West Canoe Club both hold their annual events at Gregory Downs on the May long weekend.

Facilities at Gregory include a small cafe, public toilets, a waste dump point for caravanners, a children’s play ground, medical centre (visited fortnightly by the Royal Flying Doctor Service), tennis courts, community hall, race track and airstrip.  Gregpory has limited groceries available.  

Offering an excellent location for camping, the Gregory River is a popular stop-off point for those travelling towards the Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park and Burketown.  Providing all the benefits of remote, low impact, rustic camping in natural surroundings that are truly beautiful, this is a spot all avid self-sufficient campers should put on their list. Please ensure you take all your rubbish home.  Maximum length of stay is 7 days.
 

Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park and Riversleigh Fossil Fields 

The Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park and the Riversleigh fossil fields World Heritage Site are both located in the Burke Shire.

Century Mine

Century Mine at Lawn Hill operated from 1999 to 2015. During its operational life, Century was Australia's largest zinc mine, employing over 1,000 people from across the Gulf. The mine lease and infrastructure are currently in care and maintenance with rehabilitation the main focus of activity.  In May 2023, Sibanye-Stillwater secured a 100% shareholding in New Century Resources Limited (New Century). New Century is now a subsidiary of the Sibanye-Stillwater Group.

Don't Miss the Morning Glory Cloud

Usually between August and November a rare meteorological phenomenon known as Morning Glory long, tubular clouds, some up to 1000km in length, can be observed in the skies above Burke Shire. The local indigenous name for the cloud is Mabantha.

The Morning Glory clouds attract people from across the globe, including glider pilots who soar above these amazing clouds. The appearance of the clouds is difficult to predict as they are dependent on certain synoptic conditions. When they do appear, it is usually between 6:00am and 9:00am. the tell-tale signs of the arrival of a Morning Glory are northernly winds the previous day as well as heavy overnight dew. The aerial photo above is courtesy of pilot Jordan Westerhuis from Savannah Aviation.

Read articles about the Morning Glory Clouds from news.com and the Burke Shire Facebook page .

Barramundi and a Lot More

Burke Shire is also home to world class Barramundi fishing, an abundance of bird life and well fed crocodiles.

The Gulf of Carpentaria is home to two species of crocodiles, the dangerous Crocodylus porosus (estuarine or saltwater crocodile) and the relatively harmless freshwater variety Crocodylus johnstoni. The latter usually only bites when handled or cornered with the bite, although nasty, rarely fatal.  Visitors should take extreme care and be CROC WISE around any waterways in the Gulf of Carpentaria and obey all warning signs. The fact that you can't see a crocodile doesn't mean it can't see you.

The Burke Shire's remoteness is also an advantage, with residents and visitors saying that they enjoy relaxed, stress and hassle-free lifestyle without the big city' negatives such as pollution, crowds, traffic congestion, serious crime and overcrowding.

Positive aspects of living in Burke Shire also include access to great fishing spots, the ability to 'pop home for lunch' during the working day, long stretches of flat roadways for bike riding, plenty of places for horse or off-road motor bike riding and social sporting fixtures.

The Burke Shire offers a quintessentially Australian experience of the Outback. If you love long drives with big skies, camping experiences and an enormous variety of wildlife and unique characters, then the Burke Shire is where you need to be. 

More about the Burke Shire

To find out more, including key tips for visitors to the Burke Shire, visit our Tourist and Visitor Information page as well as our History page.