Ayr, Queensland

Ayr is a town and locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia.GeographyAyr is located 88km south of Townsville on the Bruce Highway and 12km away from the (smaller) town of Home Hill. It is 112km north of Bowen and 290km north of Mackay. Ayr is located near the delta of the Burdekin River. It is within the Burdekin Shire, which produces the most sugar cane per square kilometre in Australia utilising underground water supplies and water from the Burdekin Dam to irrigate crops when rains fail.Alva beach, a popular area for fishing and swimming, is located 16km east of Ayr.Ayr has a population of approximately 8,000.HistoryAyr is believed to be named after the Scottish town of Ayr, the birthplace of Queensland Premier Sir Thomas McIlwraith.Ayr Post Office opened on 25 August 1883.The Ayr War Memorial Arch is the entrance to the Memorial Park and commemorates those who served in World War I. It was dedicated in November 1925 by the shire chairman, Councillor Barsby.