Things to do in Charleville, Queensland

The best things to do in Charleville, Queensland, include stargazing at the Charleville Cosmos Centre and touring the secret World War II air base. Other Charleville attractions include the Charleville Historic House and Royal Flying Doctor Service Visitor Centre.

Charleville, Queensland, is one of several outback towns with a bigger range of attractions than most visitors might imagine. It’s at the junction of the Warrego Highway and Mitchell Highway in south-western Queensland.

Things to do in Charleville, Queensland: Charleville Historic House

The most conventional Charleville attraction is the Charleville Historic House and Museum. This former bank from the 1880s still has plenty of its original features, including the vault. The museum is history-focused and, as seems to be the law for Australian local history museums, features lots of old machinery.

The Charleville Historic House and Museum, one of the best things to do in Charleville, Queensland. Photo courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland.

What to do in Charleville, Queensland: Charleville Cosmos Centre

Considerably more interesting is the Charleville Cosmos Centre. Visit by day, and there are lots of interactive astronomy gadgets to play with, plus big screen space presentations. At night, however, the Charleville Cosmos Centre takes advantage of outback Queensland’s clear night skies. The observatory experiences allow visitors to learn about the heavens using expensive telescopes.

Something else you might see in the skies above Charleville is a Royal Flying Doctor Service plane. The Royal Flying Doctor Service Charlesville base serves remote communities and outback stations for hundreds of miles around. The RDFS Charleville base also has a Visitor Centre, where you can learn about the history of the Flying Doctors and how the service works today. There’s so much more than just emergency flights.

Things to do in Charleville, Queensland: WWII Secret Base

Nearby is what used to be a top secret World War II air base. 3,500 US Air Force personnel were stationed here on the quiet during the Second World War. These days the base is full of interactive exhibits about wartime romances and classified missions. You can even do a bombing run in a simulation B-17 bomber. Tours of the WWII Secret Base are also available through Experience Charleville.

Also on the list of things to do in Charleville is the Graham Andrews Parklands. This is more than just a generic park, largely due to the Outback Timber Walk. This walk features an extensive collection of outback trees, with signs telling you what you’re looking at. There’s also an adventure playground, a sculpture collection and a fair amount of birdlife.

The best accommodation in Charleville

Of the Charleville accommodation options, these are the best bets…

For heritage and personality: Hotel Corones.
For best value: Charleville Waltzing Matilda Inn.
For central location: Rocks Motel.
For gardens and pool: Mulga Country Motel Inn.

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