Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Queensland: Why visit?
The Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Queensland, tells the story of Waltzing Matilda, Australia’s unofficial national anthem.
The Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Queensland, boasts that it is the world’s first museum devoted to a song.
If that seems a bit ambitious, then you probably don’t quite understand Waltzing Matilda’s place in the Australian psyche. The grimly dreary Advance Australia Fair might be Australia’s national anthem, but Waltzing Matilda is the unofficial Australian national anthem. It’s much better, too.
The history of Waltzing Matilda
Poet Banjo Patterson wrote the lyrics while staying at Dagworth Station near Winton. The music came from Christina MacPherson, one of the family members who lived on the station. She was attempting to play the Craigielee March, which she’d heard a military band play at the Warrnambool Races. As she was playing it by ear, it didn’t quite come out the same. Patterson decided he’d set lyrics to it.
The bush ballad tells of an itinerant worker, travelling (or waltzing) through the country with his sleeping swag (Matilda). It was written shortly after the Shearers’ Strike. This strike started in Barcaldine, and spread throughout the country. Waltzing Matilda wasn’t necessarily written as a ballad in support of labourers, but has later been adopted as one.
The romanticised vision of the distinctly Australian travelling worker, plus the series of Aussie colloquialisms in the lyrics, made it a song that couldn’t be about anywhere else.
4 Winton experiences that will make your visit better
- Day tour to Carisbrooke Station and the ancient dino footprints of the Dinosaur Stampede.
- Sunset tour to the outback rock channels of Rangelands Station.
- 3/4 day tour to the Dinosaur Stampede and Merton Gorge.
- Half day tour to the Age of Dinosaurs Museum – or make your own way and visit the fossil preparation laboratory.
Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Queensland
The Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton tells how the song was written. And, perhaps more importantly, how it grew into something much bigger than a charming ditty. But the museum has other strings to its bow as well, telling the history of outback Queensland. This includes the Great Shearers’ Strike and the birth of Qantas. Tickets cost $32. See the museum website for more details.
Other attractions nearby include the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum on the drive from Longreach to Winton.
Winton accommodation recommendations
Australian hotel specialist Wotif offers accommodation in Winton for from $138 a night. Search the options here.
But the best bets are…
- For best quality: Winton Outback Motel.
- For best value (and a pool): Boulder Opal Motor Inn.
- For families: Hamilton Retreat.
- For heritage: North Gregory Hotel.
Tours options from Winton include ancient dinosaur footprints, a trip to Merton Gorge, the rock channels of the Rangelands Station and the photogenic mesas of Bladensburg National Park.
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