Longreach, situated on the Thomson River, 191m above sea level, is located 1,260km northwest of Brisbane and 676km west of Rockhampton. It is the centre of one of Queensland's most prosperous wool and beef areas. Longreach was named as a discription of the "long reach" of the Tomson River which passes near the town.

The climate for Longreach is much like the the city itself fairly constant, in Summer (Dec to Feb) it averages 37 degrees Celsius max and 23 degrees Celsius min, while rainfall adverages 209mm. Compaired to Winter's (Jun to Aug) 24 degrees Celsius max and 8 degrees Celsius min, with rainfall averages 49mm.

The area around Longreach was first explored by William Landsborough and Nat Buchanan in 1861. Landsborough subsequently gained a lease of approximately 2000 sq. miles of land. In 1863 sheep and cattle were overlanded into the area and the mighty "Bowen Downs" station was established.
Longreach was settled in the 1870's and grew up as a camp for teamsters who carried supplies to the property. It was officially gazetted as a town in 1887 and the following year land lots were sold. By 1892 the railway from Barcaldine and the coast reached the town.
The sucess of wool in the 1920's saw the town boom. Later that year Qantas established a booking office which became the centre of their opperations. The company, known at the time as the "Queensland and Nothern Territory Areial Services Ltd" was set up on the 16th of November 1920. Local graziers funded the airline and in 1921 a hanger was built. It was in this hanger that Australia's first six aircraft were built between 1922 and 1934.

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