Longreach

Longreach is a town in Central West Queensland, Australia approximately 700km from the coast, west of Rockhampton. The town is named after the "long reach" of the Thomson River on which it is situated. The town was gazetted in 1887, and the railway reached the town in 1892, causing the population to grow. It is the administrative centre of the Longreach Regional Council, which was established in 2008 as a merger of the former Longreach, Ilfracombe, and Isisford shires.The town is on the Tropic of Capricorn. At the 2011 Australian Census Longreach recorded a population of 3,137. The main industries of the area are cattle, sheep, and, more recently, tourism.A number of Queensland towns have their streets named to a theme. In Longreach, the streets are named after species of birds, with the streets running east-west named after water birds and those running north-south after land birds. The main business street is called Eagle Street. Other streets honour Hudson Fysh, an Australian aviation pioneer, and Sir James Walker, a farmer and long-serving mayor of the former Longreach Shire Council.Notable Australians to have been born or lived in Longreach include former Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce, iconic Purple Hearts and Coloured Balls guitarist Lobby Loyde, comedian Carl Barron and rugby league footballer Matthew Scott.