Tibooburra, New South Wales

Tibooburra (pronounced /ˈtɪbəbʌrə/ or /ˈtɪpəbʌrə/) is a town in the far northwest of New South Wales, Australia, located 1,187 kilometres (738 mi) from the state capital, Sydney. It is most frequently visited by tourists on their way to national parks in the area. At the 2011 census, Tibooburra had a population of 262. Although facilities in Tibooburra are quite limited, fuel, meals and a range of accommodation options are available. All significant support services (medical, dental, hospital, retail, mechanical, commercial) are based in Broken Hill.

New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service have a Tourist Information Centre in the township. There is also a Police Station. There is an airstrip about 6 km. east of the village.

History

Explorer Charles Sturt was one of the first Europeans to visit the area in 1844. He spent six months trapped by drought at Depot Glen, south of Tibooburra. He then tried to travel north west and was defeated by the desert. Burke and Wills also went through the area in 1861 on the journey north towards the Gulf of Carpentaria. It was the search for Burke and Wills that led to the opening up of the country for the pastoral industry.