Escape to Charleville, Queensland: 'It makes you realise how big the universe is'

It’s the start of the tourist season in Charleville, and some much-needed rain has finally come to the warm western Queensland town.

About a 750-kilometre drive west of Brisbane, the pastoral hub offers a lot to see. A heritage trail leads visitors to the town’s many historically significant buildings, while the Bilby Centre provides rare encounters with the endangered marsupial. The nearby Charleville Cosmos Centre and Observatory offers a stunning look at the night skies.

It’s also home to a large Royal Flying Doctor Service Base and a major distance education centre, the heritage-listed Hotel Corones – built in the 1920s by Harry “Poppa” Corones, a Greek immigrant who had arrived in the country penniless – as well as a fascinating failed experiment in the form of the Steiger Vortex Rainmaking Guns. 

Population: 3335, as of the 2016 Census.

Who lives here?

David Heinemann, the manager and part-owner of Heinemann’s Country Bakery, moved back to the town a few years ago, having grown up there.

He said Charleville offered a lot for couples looking to settle down and raise their children.

“There are certainly people out there who would really enjoy this kind of lifestyle,” he explained. “Not just older people looking to retire – people with young families.”

“For us, it’s just an easy, simple life, in comparison to the cities,” he said. “We find a lot of people coming back to Charleville; they move away and move back because they miss the place.”

Healthcare services and schools have attracted professionals for work, while some businesses sought employees from further afield. The local meatworks hired Vietnamese workers on 457 visas, many of whom have settled in the area for the long-term.

What happens here?

As local “auntie” Shelly Gaulton points out, there’s a lot around town to keep you busy, noting the stargazing opportunities at the Cosmos Centre are well-worth seeking out.

“When you see it with your own eyes, it’s just gobsmacking,” she said. “It makes you realise how big the universe is.”

“We’ve got a lot of history, and we’ve opened a new cultural centre,” she added. There’s a lot to do with our local artists; that’s a big drawcard.”

Sport is big too, with the golf club proving popular and the local races a favourite event.

“Everyone gets all dressed up, it’s nice to see everyone get out,” she said.

What’s life like here?

Mr Heinemann has found life in Charleville definitely has its advantages.

“Living here is a lot cheaper than living in the city. You don’t have to drive your car; you can walk down the road a block into the town centre,” he said.

“The front of our bakery is a nice gathering for the town,” he added. “Sit out there, drink coffee, and solve all the problems of the world.”

Despite the distance, daily flights to Brisbane make the city accessible in about two hours. “You can get resident fares that are a bit cheaper as well,” Mr Heinemann added.

The manager of the Cosmos Centre, Mike Dalley, moved to Charleville for work but discovered the lifestyle was an antidote to the stress that could come from the frequent travel involved in being a professional astronomer.

“It’s a nice, relaxing, quiet little town,” he said. “It helps me relax and slow down a bit.”

What jobs are here?

Tourism is a big driver of the town’s economy, with winter being the peak season.

“From April to October, we don’t get time to scratch ourselves,” said Ms Gaulton. “We’re pretty busy, and you can’t find a park in the main street!”

While people might have the idea that it’s hard to find work in the country, she said that there was definitely employment on offer in Charleville.

“There are jobs going out here, and we’ll welcome you with open arms,” she said. “There’s the opportunity for people to start a business.”

Mr Heinemann agreed, noting the benefits of the tourist trade. “A lot of the grey nomads come through,” he said. “We jump from one tourist season to the next.”

He also pointed out that Charleville had the NBN, and at least one enterprising local was running a successful online business selling high-quality soaps made from goats milk.

Why move here?

Mr Dalley commented on the value for money of his rental home – and how affordable the town was in general.

“I find my accommodation to be brilliant, actually,” he said. “I nearly fell over backwards when I found out the rent.”

“A tank of fuel will last me a month, and that’s going to the shops, to work, everything. As far as getting around, I know a lot of people here who don’t have cars.”

Ms Gaulton said the town also had several schools, including state and independent options for families.

“We have a lot of services here. We’ve got a beautiful big hospital, nursing home and pathology lab all on the same grounds.”

She said people were very friendly, happy to share the town’s history, and would welcome new arrivals with open arms.

“A lot of towns have a lot of history, but they don’t want to share it,” she said. “Come on down and have a yarn.”

“I love our town. I think we have a beautiful town, a beautiful community.”