Things to See and Do

Old Cork Homestead Ruins

The ruins of the homestead at Old Cork are part of Winton’s Pioneer Trail, 126km south-west of Winton. It is a vintage sandstone homestead of one of the original properties in the Winton Shire. The property was settled in the 1870s and was the mail distribution point before Winton was established.

As the homestead was often cut off for several weeks at a time, the administration centre of the property moved at the turn of the 20th Century. However, the families of the workers on the property continued to live there until the 1980s, when it was abandoned. It has since been allowed to deteriorate.

Sadly, little is known about the history of Old Cork as few station books and records remain, removed as the property changed hands.

The ruins of the homestead are a poignant reminder of the pioneering history of Australia.

Quick Links

Waltzing Matilda Centre

Lark Quarry Dinosaur Trackways

Winton Shire Council

Australian Age of Dinosaurs

The Outback Way

Australia's Dinosaur Trail

Dig the Tropic

Matilda Highway

Outback Holidays

Central Western Queensland

Winton Snippets

Palaeontology

Winton, part of Queensland's Dinosaur Country, is a rich collecting area for palaeontologists. During the 1970s, a small number of sauropod dinosaurs were collected north-west and south-west of town and in the 1980s more dinosaur bones were found in Bladensburg National Park. Specimens of sharks, lungfish and dinosaurs have also come to light. Several localities in the Winton region contain well-preserved fossil plants, which have provided information about vegetation during the time of the dinosaurs. Younger fossils, the remains of fresh water crocodiles and giant marsupials less than a million years old, have been found in some dam excavations.
- Dr Alex Cook, Queensland Museum