In April 1846 New South Wales Surveyor-General, Sir Thomas Mitchell came upon the Balonne River, crossing and naming it
St George after England’s patron saint.
There was already limited settlement in the area and, by 1864, the St George crossing had become the focal point of the area and enabled travel to places further north and west. Early infrastructure built from 1864 included a post office, hotel, court house, a school and telegraph lines to Surat and Roma. Despite continued growth during these times, the town was unable to attract a railway line.
St George continued to grow and became a significant centre for sheep and wheat enterprises. Construction of a weir at the old Mitchell crossing commenced in 1948 and, with completion of the Beardmore Dam in the 1970’s, irrigation water availability created opportunities for expanding local agricultural projects. A cotton gin was established in 1976.
Today St George is a town of more than 3000 people. By road, St George is about 510 kms west of Brisbane and surrounding coastal regions. St George sits at the junction of several major routes including the Castlereagh, Moonie, Carnarvon Balonne Highways. The only crossing of the Balonne River is the Andrew Nixon Bridge on the Balonne Highway. St George is on the Balonne River which is reputedly an excellent fishing site.
St George offers with a wide range of tourism, accommodation, commercial, agricultural and health services and facilities. As a gateway for access to areas further west and north, St George is a busy stop-over point for trucks, buses, aeroplane services and holiday travellers.
The St George show is held annual during the May Labour Day long weekend in May. The event draws locals and visitors and far-way areas and includes a rodeo competition.
Kamarooka Tourist Park
ABN 16 620 066 113
56 Victoria Street,
St George Queensland 4487
Telephone: 07 4625 3120
Email:info@kamarookatouristpark.com.au