Theodore (Including Isla Gorge National Park)
Unusual country town with considerable charm.
Theodore must be one of the most luxuriant looking towns beyond the Great Divide. Located 140 m above sea level and 559 km from Brisbane (via the Warrego and Leichhardt Highways) it almost has the appearance of a seaside resort.

Entering the town, the first thing the visitor notices are the palm trees and tropical bushes growing in the broad median strip which runs down The Boulevarde and culminates in a large and gracious roundabout which is edged by a series of attractive, wooden buildings including the local police station. This is no ordinary Queensland country town.

It is more than another service centre. It is a town of considerable elegance and originality. But then any town which started its life as Castle Creek and ended up, by its own choice, being named after one of Australia's most controversial politicians, E. G. 'Red Ted' Theodore (Premier of Queensland 1919-25 and Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister 1929-30), should be different from other places.

Castle Creek grew up as a tiny settlement serving the needs of the large properties in the Dawson Valley. In 1923 many of the larger properties in the area were resumed by the government who planned to develop an elaborate irrigation system and sell smaller blocks of land for more intensive agriculture. A publication known as the 'Little Green Book' was widely circulated. It sang the praises of the region: 'Tens of thousands of acres of glorious land lie in idleness, awaiting the day when agriculture will awake them into fruitful activity. And, as the land is conquered, wealth and population will follow.'

The dream was to create an area where 5000 irrigable farms would produce vast amounts of food for Australia and the rest of the world. And the dream was to create a model garden city in the Dawson Valley wilderness.

The description of the dream was that Theodore would be 'planned on the most modern lines...Traversing the township from north to south is a spacious garden boulevarde, intersected at intervals by avenues which have also been planted with palms and shade trees in such a manner as to led a restful appearance to the scene...in the centre of the town is an oval around which has been erected the residences for the accommodation of members of the Commissioners local staff...the oval is laid out in lawns, in the centre of which stands a picturesque water tower 50 feet high, from which the town water supply is reticulated. The floor of the tower is arranged as a bandstand.' It is worth noting that a new tower supplies the town with treated water and, sadly, the bandstand has long departed.

In 1924 the irrigation project was officially opened. The plan was to build a dam over the Natham Gorge, but the dam was never constructed, and the water in the region was contained behind a number of smaller weirs. The Glebe Weir, about 30 km east of the town, can be seen from the road and is a popular and attractive picnic spot. Theodore was the first irrigation project in Queensland and the government, determined to succeed, had built a settler accommodation house for all new arrivals to the area. The new arrivals moved out to the holdings and gradually the town became the centre of a successful experiment.

Today the town continues to succeed because of the rich black soils of the area and the irrigation which is provided from the Dawson River. Apart from sheep and cattle (the breeds in the local area include Brahman, a Brahman–Hereford cross called Braford, and Santa Gertrudis) the area also produces sorghum, wheat and cotton.

There are a number of interesting buildings in the town. One of the few remnants of the town's original name can be seen on the main street where the Castle Creek Theatre is a dominant feature.

Things to see:  

Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church and residence, located in the main street just before 7th Avenue, are both interesting examples of Queensland vernacular wooden architecture.

Theodore Co-operative Hotel Motel
But of all the town buildings the Theodore Co-operative Hotel Motel, which is literally owned by the townsfolk, must be one of the most unusual experiments in Australia. The profits from the hotel are still used to fund community activities and projects.

Dawson Folk Museum
Just south of the hotel is the Dawson Folk Museum which has a huge and interesting collection of memorabilia from the local area including the old telephone exchange, some fascinating pieces of farm and domestic equipment, and lots of photographs recalling the early history of the town. Contact (07) 4993 1686.

Isla Gorge National Park
Only 30 km south of Theodore, on the Leichhardt Highway, is Isla Gorge National Park. Located on the eastern section of the central Queensland highlands, the main gorge can be conveniently reached on a 1.4 km dirt road which runs off the main Theodore–Taroom road. It is very beautiful and unspoilt with dramatic cliffs, deep sandstone gorges and some interesting examples of Aboriginal hand paintings. There is a campsite near the entrance, an accessible lookout over the gorge, and bushwalks around and through the gorge.

	Tourist Information
	Theodore Tourist and Cultural Association Theodore QLD 4719 Telephone: (07) 4993 1900
	Motels
	Theodore Hotel/Motel The Boulevarde Theodore QLD 4719 Telephone: (07) 4993 1244 Facsimile: (07) 4993 1108 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Theodore Hotel/Motel The Boulevarde Theodore QLD 4719 Telephone: (07) 4993 1244 Facsimile: (07) 4993 1108 Rating: **