A cache to commemorate the first European explorer of the region.
The first recorded Europeans to enter Iningai (Barcaldine) country were the explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell and his companions, who travelled just west of the junction of the Barcoo and Alice Rivers in September 1846, before returning south to Sydney. On his return to Sydney, Mitchell reported that the district had abundant pastures, but it was almost another twenty years before permanent European settlement of the district began.
(Source: http://is.gd/Kb9Txp)
Since that time, the area has now been transformed into the major cattle producing region in Queensland. Keep an eye out for cattle (especially the triple-trailer road trains) as you pass on your way through the Barcaldine Region.
Series Notes: Barcaldine lies at the crossroads of major transport routes north-south and east-west; on the major transport routes from Townsville to Adelaide and Rockhampton to Darwin. Road Trains, some of considerable length, travel these roads 24/7. Caravans galore mostly during daytime hours, highlight the significance of the tourist trade to the area.
Along each of these routes is a series of caches highlighting the centrality of Barcaldine as an access hub in Central Western Queensland.
The Eastern Series of twelve caches commences some 22 or so klms from Barcaldine on the Capricorn Highway from Rockhampton. It ends at a rest stop on the outskirts of the town. All caches of this series, except one, are on the left (western) side of the highway, so there is no need to cross the highway in search of a cache. Roadside parking is available at all caches, even for caravans.
If you are travelling out of Barcaldine, please reverse the direction of some aspects in these descriptions. Not all points will be visible when travelling east, as they will be on the opposite side of the road facing away from the direction of travel.