The North West Queensland town of Winton has claimed the state’s “Top Tiny Tourism Town” award for the third consecutive year.
With a population of 1,138 people, the outback town was announced the winner at the 2024 Queensland Top Tourism Town Awards ceremony in Brisbane last week.
Winton Shire Council Mayor, Cathy While, said the award is an honour and showcases the region’s vibrant town and active communities.
“With Winton and the region’s unique combination of natural beauty, warm hospitality and cultural experiences, it is no surprise that Queensland’s peak tourism body announced Winton the category winner,” Mayor White said.
Located 1,180km west of Brisbane and 180km northwest of Longreach, Winton is where Banjo Patterson penned and first recited the iconic Waltzing Matilda song and is the birthplace of Qantas.
To be eligible for the ‘Top Tiny Tourism Town” category, towns must have population under 1,500 people.
“Winton is a top tourism destination for travellers winding their way across the Outback, offering an immersive and adventurous holiday location with a host of interesting events and unusual attractions”, Mayor White said.
With its vast open grasslands and unusual geological formations, Winton is an important cattle and sheep raising region.
The Opalton mining fields are located 109km south of Winton and more recently the region has become famous for the discovery of dinosaur fossils.