Condamine
A small service town more famous for the song 'The Banks of the Condamine' than for any specific attractions.
The tiny town of Condamine is located 34 km from Miles, 201 km from Goondiwindi and 373 km west of Brisbane. Because of its location on a river which has achieved an almost legendary status as a result of poems and short stories, it is a town of mythic rather than actual status.

Most Australians have heard the song 'The Banks of the Condamine' which is sung as a duet between a man eager to go shearing and his beloved Nancy who wants to go with him.

'O hark the dogs are barking, love, I can no longer stay;
The men are all gone mustering, and it is nearly day,
And I must be off by morning light before the sun does shine,
To meet the Roma shearers on the banks of the Condamine.'

to which the sad reply is:

'O Willy, dearest Willy, O let me go with you!
I'll cut off all my auburn fringe, and be a shearer too;
I'll cook and count your tally, love, while ringer-o you shine,

And I'll wash your greasy moleskins on the banks of the Condamine.'

Add to this famous reference the fact that the Condamine River frequently appears in the stories of Steele Rudd, was referred to in a poem by 'Breaker' Morant and was mentioned by Dame Mary Gilmore and it is easy to see why this small town has an importance out of all proportion to its attractions.

In 1827 Allan Cunningham became the first European to pass through the Condamine area. He named the river after the aide-de-camp to Governor Darling whose surname was De la Condamine.

The town grew up as a stopping place for the teams which moved through the area on their way to the larger centres of Roma and Longreach.

Originally known as Bonner Knob, Condamine was surveyed in 1859 and in 1868 a local blacksmith named Samuel William Jones made the town's reputation when he invented the Condamine 'Bullfrog' cowbell which was tied around the necks of cattle and used to locate them when they strayed in the bush. The bell was so successful, according to Dame Mary Gilmore, that it actually made the cattle deaf.

Things to see:  

The Big Bell
The town's only 'tourist attraction' is a large replica of the Bullfrog bell which stands in the park. There is a history of both the town and the bell on its sides.

	Hotels
	Condamine Hotel Wambo St Condamine QLD 4416 Telephone: (07) 4627 7219
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Nelgai Farm Redmarley Rd 16 km west of Condamine Condamine QLD 4416 Telephone: (07) 4627 7124 Facsimile: (07) 4627 7200
	Caravan Parks
	Condamine Caravan Park Market St Condamine QLD 4416 Telephone: (07) 4627 7179