Betoota Is A Ghost Town In Outback Australia
Located On the Gibber Plains Of South West Queensland
Betoota today is essentially a ghost town. There are no facilities for the car travellers, other than a spot for a break and a place to contemplate the pioneering spirit that opened up the south west corner of Queensland.
Enough fuel, water and food must be carried to get through.
Betoota is located on gibber plains and is surrounded by cattle stations.
Location of Betoota
Betoota is:
197 kilometres east of Birdsville
227 kilometres west of Windorah
700km from Charleville
The GPS coordinates for Betoota are:
Latitude: -25.69999
Longitude: 140.75001
Betoota rekindles its past glory on the third weekend in September when the Betoota racecourse is used in the Simpson Desert Racing Carnival.
The town has been surveyed and includes a sub-division, which makes it claim the title as Australia’s smallest town.
History Of Betoota
Betoota was surveyed as a town in 1887. Originally it was established as a toll collection point for cattle travelling the stock route through to New South Wales. However, at Federation in 1901 tolls between the states were abolished.
In Botoota’s heyday the town had three hotels, police station, store and post office. It was also a Cobb & Co stagecoach station.
The existing hotel, the only building still remaining in Betoota, was built in the late 1880s and closed as a hotel in October 1997.
The Betoota Hotel And Simon Remienko
The Betoota Hotel was purchased by Polish immigrant Sigmund (Simon) Remienko in 1957. Also know as Ziggy, he was one of the colourful outback characters of this area of south western Queensland. He ran the hotel, store and petrol stop until he retied in 1997. He died in 2004 and is laid to rest behind the hotel.
There are many stories about Ziggy. Apparently he had a ferocious temper and it was not uncommon for him to come out with a gun to settle a discussion. Another story is that he spent a short time in jail. Originally he worked as a grader driver in Boulia and started a contracting business which enabled him to acquire funds to buy the hotel.
The hotel is built of thick sandstone blocks that have kept the building cool inside when the summer temperature outside can soar to 50 degrees C.
Betoota is now simply a curiosity stop on the road between Windorah and Birdsville. It is a good place to stop and wander around the old hotel, and marvel at the outback courage and strength of old Ziggy and the pioneers that came before him. Their ghosts are now the only inhabitants of what is reputed to be Australia’s smallest town.
Another unique Queensland ghost story is the Ghosts Of Lady Elliot Island.
Betoota Hotel Circa 2007
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