The only place of any size on the way to Longreach is BARCALDINE , 300km from Emerald, an unassuming grid of quiet streets belying an important niche in Australian history. It was near here during the 1885 drought that geologists first tapped Queensland's artesian water, revolutionizing Outback development. The town further secured its place in history during the 1891 shearing strike which, though a failure itself, ultimately led to the formation of the Labor Party . On the highway, outside the station which became the focus of the dispute, is a granite monument - sculpted to resemble the tips of a pair of shears - to shearers arrested during the strike. Right next to it, the sagging silver trunk of the Tree of Knowledge struggles gamely to improve on its 160 years. Sadly, this ghost gum, where shearers rallied a century ago, looks to be on the way out.

The Australian Workers' Heritage Museum (Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-5pm; $7) is unmissable underneath a yellow and blue marquee on Ash Street. With an expanding collection of displays concentrating on the history of the workers' movement after the shearers' strike, as well as videos, artefacts and plenty of sepia-tinted photos covering themes including Outback women and Aboriginal stockmen, the museum rounds out Longreach's Stockman's Hall of Fame. On the highway in the old Shakespear Hotel , the information centre (Mon-Fri 8.30am-4.30pm; tel 07/4651 1724) will direct you to other attractions such as the self-styled Mad Mick's Funny Farm (open most mornings April-Sept or by arrangement on 07/4651 1172; adults $7.70, children $4.40), which has been restored to its turn-of-the-twentieth-century condition and is inhabited by friendly, hand-reared animals; admission includes a ride in a Ford Model-T and tea and damper.

Banks and other services are mostly on Box Street, which runs south off the highway. Accommodation options include the Ironbark Inn (tel 07/4651 2311; $70-90), Barcaldine Motel (tel 07/4651 1244; $50-70) and Homestead Van Park (tel 07/4651 1308), all on Box Street. Across the road from the Tree of Knowledge, the shaded verandahs of the Artesian Hotel provide a reminder of the value of a reliable watering hole, and you can also get a drink and a meal at the adjacent Commercial or Union hotels.