Thread: Muttaburra Qld then and now

Depressing how country towns have gone.

Looking at the cars, there are quite a few late Fifties or Sixties models. There are at least two FJ Holdens in the foreground so that makes the pic no earlier than 1953/54.

I think I can see a Ford Custom like my Grandfather owned in the early Sixties. Also there might be some Humbers like the one Dad owned. These point to some in the area being moneyed - possibly graziers?

Same with many small Victorian country towns. Perhaps most are not as far gone as that,.......yet, but in many, 90% & more & sometimes all the shops are closed, so one can imagine that the situation you have shown will eventually occur.
Thanks for the images, Pickles.
(Does anyone have any similar "before & after" images of other locations?)

A bit of trivia I learnt from my boy way back when he was into dinosaurs.Muttaburra is where they discovered a dinosaur,the muttaburrasaurus.
Andrew

In the fifties and sixties, large areas of country Australia were very prosperous "on the sheep's back". Since then the falling wool price and ever increasing mechaniusation has seen most jobs in these areas disappear. The other thing that has happened is that with better roads and communications, the remaining jobs have moved to the larger centres (in this case Longreach).

John

[QUOTE=Pickles2;24701
(Does anyone have any similar "before & after" images of other locations?)[/QUOTE]


Not exactly before and after, but anyone coming from the West may find family history on this site. Especially in the old telephone directories.

Outback Family History | Home

Muttaburra's not dead yet. It is very quiet, though.

Muttaburra - Destination Information - Queensland

We had our lunch in Muttaburra last year on our way south from the Dinosaur Triangle trip. One van in the caravan park and the lady in the shop was inordinately pleased to have a customer when I went in to buy some icecreams. Very quiet would be a fair assessment. Two brolgas walking down the main street were pretty much the highlight as well as the somewhat rusty dinosaur sculpture. Cheers, 130man.

Originally Posted by 130man

We had our lunch in Muttaburra last year on our way south from the Dinosaur Triangle trip. One van in the caravan park and the lady in the shop was inordinately pleased to have a customer when I went in to buy some icecreams. Very quiet would be a fair assessment. Two brolgas walking down the main street were pretty much the highlight as well as the somewhat rusty dinosaur sculpture. Cheers, 130man.

They rely very much on bus tours. Probably the only ones in the area hoping they don't get too much rain.