So all LR dealers in Queensland are on the coast with the exception of Toowoomba (a Ford dealer by the way) which is a whole 80 miles and 1 1/2 hours drive inland!!!!!

When Leyland Truck and Bus were the distributors we had dealers in all major towns and cities, even in places as small and remote as Quilpie, Thargomindah, Dirrinbandi, Winton, Cloncurry.

The inland was then LR's major private sector customer base.

and then computers came along......

And there's no one left in the country to buy them anyway.....

According to Nugent (1998), NSW population movements between 1991 and 1996 reveal complex intrastate demographic trends: the continuing domination by Sydney of the State's population, a pattern of inland migration to the coast and interstate, and very low growth or decline among inland regions. On one hand, 88% of coastal centres experienced population increase, with coastal towns having an average growth rate over the period of 16% compared to 5.7% for all rural centres. On the other, inland regions' average annual growth between 1991 and 1996 was a low 0.03% (0.63% from 1986-1991), and the population of most inland areas fell. Non-coastal centres grew at a significantly lower rate than the rest of the State. While towns with populations of 10,000 to 20,000 grew strongly, as did towns with 500 to 2,000 people, towns of 3,000 to 10,000 people recorded the lowest growth and lost population.

From Here: Rural Australia and the need for reform

Regards,
Tote

__________________
Go home, your igloo is on fire....

In Western Queensland much of the population decline was linked to the dramatic decline in the sheep industries. Wool was selling for less than, or little better than the cost of production for a long period. Some districts now have 10% of the sheep numbers that they had in the 50's-60's. Several prolonged droughts since the 60's did not help. Many large and famous stations no longer raise sheep at all. Most have gone totally to cattle. Less labour required, fewer and cheaper fences, etc. Elderslie at Winton raised fine Merino for 125 years up until 2004. Now all cattle there where once they regularly shore 250,000 and ran 15,000 cattle as well. Lerida shore up to 300,000 at its best, Dagworth 250,000, Wellshot up to 400,000. Corfield district shore over 3,000,000 once and in 2007 only 325,000. Cattle selling for $1000 and up made the decisions for the landholders.