Muttaburra is the closest town to the geographical centre of the state, making it officially the heart of Queensland. Take your photo at the Centre of Queensland Monument next to the Dr Arratta Museum and read about its history on the brick timeline and the pipe rainfall for Muttaburra spanning over 100 years. Travel Muttaburra’s Heritage Trail to uncover some of its history and see the natural attractions of the area. The trail features a cemetery with graves dating back to 1878, the Union Camp where shearers set up a campsite during the great shearers’ strike in 1891 and Union Hole where the striking shearers drew their water.
About 6km from town, the Broadwater is a popular spot for skiing, birdwatching and bushwalking. Quite a few self-sufficient visitors camp here for a couple of days or even longer. It’s a safe spot where you can soak in the peacefulness of being off the beaten track. There are no amenities, so be prepared for bush camping. If you don’t like roughing it, there’s accommodation in town—a motel and a hotel.
Also make the time to go in search of agates on the Longreach Road and see if you can find a few gidgee stones to collect. If fossicking isn’t your thing and you prefer the kind of exercise that requires chasing after a small ball, tee off at the nine-hole golf course and enjoy the experience of playing on its sand greens.
Collect your supplies from the Muttaburra Shop and Fuel. Try the famous Muttaburra burgers. You can buy diesel and unleaded fuel, groceries, fruit and vegetables, burgers, sandwiches, hot chips, cappuccino coffee and homemade biscuits/cakes. There is also a range of handy small hardware such as brooms, buckets and hoses. The shop is open 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday and from 9.00am to 2.00pm on weekends.
The local post office has banking facilities and also serves as an information centre and gift shop. The post office is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9am to 5pm (closed between 1-2pm), and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am to 1pm.
Also in town is the primary health centre and the aquatic centre, with a 25m pool, heated artesian spa and a little skatepark, open all year round. Check with the library for opening hours. A 24-hour laundromat is located next to the post office.
Learn about the Muttaburrasaurus langdoni, found by a local grazier in 1963 and one of the most complete fossilised dinosaur skeletons discovered in Australia. See the replica and read the story about how it was found near Muttaburra at the Muttaburrasaurus Interpretation Centre located across the road from the shop.
History of that era and that of a much more recent time can be found at the Dr Arratta Memorial Museum.
Originally the town’s hospital, it combines a hospital display and a general museum section. The original hospital, built in 1884, was one of the first buildings to be established after the town of Muttaburra was gazetted in 1878. The hospital complex was replaced on the same site in 1957 with the current building, and was functional until 1971 when doctors were no longer sent to Muttaburra.
The Cassamatis Store, the general store in town from 1918 to 1978, has been restored and is now also a museum.
In tourist season, May to September, the museums have a tour guide with opening hours Monday to Friday from 10.00am starting at Cassimatis Store & Cottage and concluding by 12.30pm at the Dr Arratta Museum. Weekends are volunteers.
To organise a tour of the museums in the summer months, ask at the library, Post Office or Muttaburra Shop & Fuel if any guides are available. The library is open from 9.00am to noon and from 1.00pm to 4.00pm on weekdays. Drop in or call during those times on 07 4651 5654.
Marvel at the ingenuity of scrap metal artist Andrew Whitehead as you enjoy the ‘Shearer and Sheep’ artwork at the Longreach entrance to town. Also see Barb the Dinosaur. Kilometres of barbed wire fencing that was no longer needed has been upcycled by Milynda Rogers to create an amazing wire sculpture located just opposite the rest area. Other sculptures gracing the town, with many made by Milynda Rogers, include brolgas, a plane, horse and dray, Indigenous people, a dinosaur foot and a yellowbelly crafted from shearers’ combs and cutters. A new walking track around town will showcase some of the new sculptures, including the winners from the sculpture competition in 2024.
For a warm welcome, stay in the centre of Muttaburra at the Muttaburra Motel. The motel is perfectly located for dinner, being right next to the Exchange Hotel, and it’s a very short walk to the Muttaburra Shop if you are after a great lunch in town. Directly opposite is the Intrepretation Centre, so you don’t have far to go to greet the local Muttaburrasaurus.
The Exchange Hotel serves the coldest beer in town, along with great pub meals that are very reasonably priced. Dinner is available from 6pm seven days a week. Raffles are held every Friday night. There is free, unpowered camping at the back of the pub as well as free use of the amenities.
The annual Muttaburra Races, held on 9 August 2025, are a community event not to be missed. Enjoy the gastronomic delights prepared by a local club and party into the night. Entry to the races is free and there is free camping at the race track on the race weekend. Everyone in this small town gets involved – and you can too. Experience true country community spirit at the Muttaburra Races.
Other events in the area are the Tower Hill Picnic Races, just 40km from Muttaburra, on 25-26 April. There is also free camping available all weekend.
The Muttaburra Stock Show will be held on the first Saturday of June.
Barcaldine Tourist Information Centre
Phone (within Australia) 4651 1724
