Park is closed
Ranger Base (Diamantina Homestead)
Step back in time to the cattle-breeding years of the late 1800s when you visit the information centre.
Accessible by
- 4WD
- Photo credit: © Queensland Government
- Photo credit: Maxime Coquard © Tourism and Events Queensland
- Photo credit: © Courtesy of Outback Pics, Longreach
- Photo credit: © courtesy of Outback Pics, Longreach
- Photo credit: © courtesy of Outback Pics, Longreach
Park your vehicle and follow the gravel path into the unstaffed information centre in the old store building, once part of the homestead of the Diamantina Lakes cattle station. Learn from displays how the land once carried up to 12,000 head of cattle, requiring sometimes 20 stockmen at a time to brand, draft, tag, dehorn and castrate the herd. These hard-yakka blokes would rough it, camping with nothing but their swags for weeks at a time.
From the information centre, look over to the homestead. Today, our Park Rangers live in the main homestead and head-stockman cottages, while researchers, volunteers and visiting staff use the ringers' quarters and kitchen. These buildings are not accessible to the public.
Getting there and getting around
The Ranger Base (Diamantina Homestead) is in Diamantina National Park, 306km south-west of Winton.
- The buildings are 38km from the park boundary on the road from Winton; 37km from the park boundary on the road from Boulia and Bedourie; and 35km from the park boundary on the road from Windorah.
- The unstaffed information centre is housed in the old store building. All other buildings are not accessible to the public.
For more details see getting there and getting around.
Wheelchair access
There are no wheelchair-accessible facilities.
Before you visit
Opening hours
Ranger Base (Diamantina Homestead) is open seven days a week.
Check park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions.
Visiting safely
For more safety information see Visiting Diamantina safely.
- Diamantina National Park closed due to flood damage 12 March to 29 April 2024