Tibooburra
Town
Population 161
Tibooburra is one of the hottest and most isolated towns in New South Wales. Its name means 'heaps of rocks' in the local Aboriginal language and refers to the 450-million-year-old granite tors that surround the town. In a similar tale to the creation of the Blue Mountains' Three Sisters, three brothers were turned to stone after marrying women from another tribe, creating three large rocks (only one remains today). Gold was discovered in 1881 but a poor yield, outbreaks of typhoid and dysentery and a lack of water meant the population explosion did not last.
Visitor Information
National Parks and Wildlife Service, Briscoe St; (08) 8091 3308
Nearby national parks
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Sturt National Park
In the far north-west of the state, in the so-called Corner Country, lies one of Australia’s driest, most remote national parks. Sturt...more -
Mutawintji National Park
There is camping at Homestead Creek with all facilities including gas and/or electric barbecues. No bookings are taken, there is no fuel or...more -
Currawinya National Park
Currawinya National Park, set in rugged mulga country, protects a significant wetland system. There are two large lakes, Numalla and Wyara,...more
Nearby towns
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White Cliffs
White Cliffs is first and foremost an opal town. The first mining lease was granted in 1890, and a boom followed with an influx of 4500...more -
Innamincka
This tiny settlement is built around a hotel and trading post on Cooper Creek. The first European explorer to visit the area was Charles...more
In Town
Pioneer Park: features a replica of the whaleboat Charles Sturt carried with him on his 1844–46 expedition to find an inland sea; Briscoe St. Courthouse Museum: history of the region told with photographs, relics and documents in the restored 1887 courthouse; Briscoe St. Tibooburra Aboriginal Land Council Keeping Place: photographs and Indigenous artefacts on display include a cockatoo-feather headdress; check opening times (08) 8091 3435; Briscoe St. School of the Air: most remote school in NSW servicing students of Tibooburra and the Cameron Corner region. Tours during school terms; Briscoe St. Family Hotel: pub walls have been painted on by artists including Russell Drysdale, Clifton Pugh and Rick Amor; Briscoe St.
Nearby
Sturt National Park Occupying 310 000 hectares of Corner Country – the point where three states meet – is this semi-desert park, which begins on the edge of town. It is noted for its wildlife – wedge-tailed eagles, kangaroos and myriad reptiles. The landscape is diverse, ranging from ephemeral lakes to jump-ups, grassy plains and the rolling dunes of the Strzelecki Desert. Temperatures range from well over 40°C in summer to below 0°C at night in winter. Lake Pinaroo in the west is the site where Charles Sturt once built a fort to protect his party's supplies and sheep. There is an outdoor pastoralist museum and camping and homestead accommodation at Mt Wood, and short walking trails that lead from here and the park's three other campsites. Details from visitor centre.Milparinka The Albert Hotel continues to do business in this small settlement, now almost a ghost town; (08) 8091 3863. Historic buildings include a restored courthouse, the remains of an old police station, a bank, a general store and a post office; 40 km S. Depot Glen Billabong, 14 km NW of Milparinka, is where Charles Sturt was marooned for 6 months in 1845 while searching for an inland sea. One of the worst droughts in Australia's history kept the party there due to diminishing water supplies. The grave of James Poole, Sturt's second-in-command who died of scurvy, is 1 km further east under a grevillea tree. Poole's initials and the year of his death were carved into the tree and can still be seen. Poole's Cairn, commemorating the disastrous expedition, is located at Mt Poole, 7 km N of Depot Glen.Cameron Corner: where Queensland, NSW and SA meet. The Dog Fence, the longest fence in the world, runs through here from Jimbour in Queensland to the Great Australian Bight; 133 km NW.
Campsites around town
Dead Horse Gully Campground 2 km
Dead Horse Gully camping ground, set among enormous granite boulders, is about 2 km north of Tibooburra via the Silver City Hwy. The campground is close enough to pop into town for a dinner at one of the friendly... Find out moreMount Wood Campground 23 km
Mt Wood camping area is on gibber downs, in view of the historic Mt Wood homestead. You can get here by following the Gorge Loop Rd, just off the Tibooburra–Wanaaring Rd, but be aware that this road is unsuitable... Find out moreEvelyn Creek camping areas 35 km
This is a good place to get away from it all, if you’re so inclined. Evelyn Creek is about 1 km east of Milparinka, which is in turn 42 km south of Tibooburra in Corner Country. Turn off Silver City Hwy onto... Find out moreOlive Downs Campground 44 km
Set among mulga trees, this campground has a short walking track and a good lookout over jump-up country. This is a lovely, secluded and serene place with abundant birdlife. Going west along this road, you see some... Find out moreFort Grey Campground 86 km
On the road to Cameron Corner from Tibooburra, on roads that are unsealed and only accessible in dry weather, this campground is near the ephemeral Lake Pinaroo, providing terrific birdwatching when the lake is filled... Find out moreCameron Corner camping area 109 km
An expansive camping area covering about 240 ha, Cameron Corner fees go to the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Firewood and other basic supplies are available at the on-site store. Cameron Corner is where the Queensland,... Find out morePacksaddle Rest Area 130 km
This is a small rest area 177 km north of Broken Hill on the Silver City Hwy, about 500 m north of Packsaddle Roadhouse. You’d really only want to stay here for 1 night as there isn’t much to do –... Find out moreFowlers Gap Rest Area 186 km
This isn’t much to write home about, and it’s not suitable for tents, but it’s a good place to stop overnight if the long drive is making you sleepy. It’s 108 km north of Broken Hill on the Silver... Find out moreWhite Cliffs Opal Pioneer Caravan Park 188 km
You’ll find this caravan park in the opal-mining town of White Cliffs, 95 km north of Wilcannia. The town is popular among tourists for its underground accommodation and businesses, as well as its opals. The... Find out moreWilson River camping area 190 km
This campground is beside the Wilson River, just across the road from the Noccundra Hotel, about 10 km west of Thargomindah. The amenities block with toilet and hot showers is next to the hotel. Campers must be totally... Find out moreWhat's on around town
Gymkhana and Rodeo: Oct.
