LIFESTYLE in DAJARRA

Location

Dajarra is located 150 kilometres south of Mount Isa and approximately 1950 kilometres NorthWest of Brisbane.

Population

Taken from recent count approximately 200 people, of whom a large percentage is aboriginal.

General Description of Town

Dajarra was once the biggest trucking centre in the world but is now a quiet little outback post situated on the Diamantina Developmental Road between Boulia and Mount Isa.
 
The older people of the area who remember Dajarra's heyday, say that the area trucked more cattle than Texas USA. Drovers would bring cattle from as far away as Western Australia to put them on the train at Dajarra. Back then, Dajarra was the end of the line.
 
The last train came to Dajarra in 1988 and the railway line has since been removed. The railway station and the ruins of the holding yards still remain as a reminder of those days.
 
Dajarra has a rich aboriginal heritage and is home to aboriginal tribes from around the Diamantina River, the Gulf and the Northern Territory. The old culture is upheld here. The aboriginal language is taught at the school by a couple of elders and one local elder shows the children how to make boomerangs, what wood to use and what timber is best for didgeridoos. They still know where to find the bush foods and the "bush lollies" on the gidyea trees after rain, berries, wild oranges at Christmas time and wild bananas on the road to Mount Isa.

Town Facilities

The town offers a variety of facilities including a Roadhouse selling fuel, tyres, meals and drinks. It is open 13 hours per day. The modern Dajarra Hotel offers cold drinks, country meals, poker machines as well as a pool table and jukebox. A general store offers everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to hardware items. There is a library in the town, which offers access to the Internet for travellers and locals alike.
 
EFTPOS facilities are provided by most of the town businesses.
 
Schooling is offered in the form of a Pre-school to Year 7 State School. Churches represented in town are the Catholic Church and the Australian Inland Mission.
 
Emergency services are also situated in the town. These include a nursing post, ambulance, rural fire brigade, SES, police station and regular visits by both medical practitioners and dentists.

Tourist Attractions:

The old Post Office is now a rustic, historic museum. The old railway station and the ruins of the holding yards are worth a visit to really appreciate the magnitude of what it would have been like in its heyday. Many tourists are also fascinated by the Black Mountain Aboriginal Paintings and Carvings situated a short distance from the town centre.

Events

The main event on the Dajarra Calendar is the Bushman's Rodeo, which is held in September each year.

Accommodation

The town offers a number of accommodation choices ranging from air-conditioned rooms at the Roadhouse to those of the Dajarra Hotel.

Visitor Information Centre

Visitor information is available from the businesses in Dajarra and the locals are always only too happy to have a yarn with visitors and tell them where to find the local attractions.

Lifestyle