THE PAST comes in many guises and can bring a town to life before your eyes.

Discover the stories of businesses in Charleville ranging from banks to hotels. Find out the background behind the present railway station. Uncover the reason that a Cobb and Co coach factory was built in Charleville when there were already factories in coastal areas. Learn how St Mary’s school and convent were the first of their kind in the far southwest, plus read potted histories about Charleville’s town hall, post office, council chambers, police station and courthouse.

All this can be part of a walk around town if you’re armed with a Charleville Heritage Trail leaflet.

To discover history a little further afield, grab the car keys and a leaflet on the heritage driving trail and set off. On this trail, you will come across the rock pool created from a quarry used during the building of the aerodrome and the ruins of the meatworks and woolscour. Learn the story of why the Albert Park Brewery didn’t last and visit the Ross and Keith Smith Landing Memorial which commemorates their visit to Charleville after their successful flight from England to Australia in 1919 in a Vickers Vimy bomber.

Take a break and do some fishing at Ward River or dip your toes in the water at Gowrie Crossing, which was the site for the first Charleville township and is still a popular swimming spot with locals.
Back in town and heading out on the Mitchell Highway, see the Vortex “rainmaker” guns then travel on to the airport to view the Qantas plaque, commemorating the company’s first regular Queensland air service from Charleville to Cloncurry.

The last stop is Bakers Bend. The explorers Kennedy and Landsborough were the first Europeans to set foot in this area.

When you’ve enjoyed what the heritage walk has to offer, you might like a change of scenery. Go to the tourist information centre and pick up a booklet to take the Outback Native Timber Walk, which starts and finishes right next door to the centre. The walk is short and surrounds the lake which is part of the Graham Andrews Parklands.

Your stroll will take about half an hour, and you’ll see about 18 species of native trees (marked with plaques) and learn the aboriginal uses of the trees, their botanical and common names.

While you’re there, you will probably see a variety of birds including galahs, ducks, geese and even sulphur-crested cockatoos and red rumped parrots.