Blackall Aquatic Centre

Blackall, a Central West Queensland town of fewer than 2,000 people on the Barcoo River, was among the first Queensland towns to sink an artesian bore, striking Great Artesian Basin water in 1885 at a temperature of 58°C. That bore still supplies the town today, feeding a dedicated artesian spa bath at the modern Blackall Aquatic Centre alongside a separate, seasonally heated 50-metre lap pool. The mineral water is also bottled locally as soft drinks, a small-town industry built directly on the resource. Beach-style walk-in access and a disabled lift make the spa one of the more accessible bore baths in outback Queensland, and it remains free or low-cost for residents and travellers passing through on the long inland roads between Longreach and Charleville.