Lifelong resident, Joe Freckleton has seen a lot of changes to Camooweal during his 70 odd years. When he was born in the north-west Queensland town, the Northern Territory, and indeed much of western Queensland, was still very much frontier country.

According to stories Joe heard when he was a kid, Camooweal came about because: “In the early days it was all teamsters. The teamsters used to bring the loading in from Burketown and take it over the border into what was then South Australia to the big sheep stations like Avon Downs. They camped on permanent waterholes and there was one in the Georgina right here.

“They decided they needed a store, and as it’s rather thirsty country they decided they’d better have a pub, then they decided, well if you have a pub you commit a few sins so you have to have a church.”

The store that Joe now runs was built in 1901. It was known as the Bond Store because Synnot, Murray and Scholes imported their rum from Jamaica and until it went out of bond, they didn’t have to pay any excise on it. Australian’s love that stuff – keeps them going I think. Then after they started the sugar industry in Queensland they went onto Bundy Rum and OP rum.

“We had a customs house here too because (prior to Federation) everything that went across from Queensland had to have taxes paid to the Queensland Government. The manager of Avon (Downs) used to complain to the Queensland Government about how tough it was out there without them ripping him off but I don’t think that made too much impression.”

Joe can remember when they held weekly dances in the Shire Hall. There was always someone who could play some musical instrument – a piano, a mouth-organ or an accordion. Now we have a dance every blue moon. We used to have a picture show too, but TV killed that and the Country Women’s Association has gone.”

Another significant change that Joe can add to his list is the newly completed $21 million high-level road bridge over the Georgina River, on the town’s western outskirts. This eliminates the last major flood-prone river crossing on the National Highway between Brisbane and Darwin – Camooweal will no longer benefit from the patronage of flood-bound travellers waiting for waters to subside.

Camooweal began life as a major teamster camp serving the outback pastoral industry and is now just another spot on the map, somewhere on a long, long road.