Cunnamulla

Cunnamulla (Aboriginal meaning "long stretch of water") is a small town that lies on the Warrego River in South West Queensland, Australia, 206 km south of Charleville, and approximately 750 km west of the state capital, Brisbane.

Cunnamulla is situated at the intersection of the Mitchell Highway and the Balonne Highway. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 1,217.

Cunnamulla is the administrative centre for the Paroo Shire, which also includes the townships of Wyandra, Yowah and Eulo, and covers an area of 47617 km2. Major industries of the area are wool, pig and kangaroo hunting, and the hospitality industry.

Cunnamulla's indigenous community suffers from a high level of domestic violence according to a report of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Task Force on Violence.

History
The area's first European explorer was Thomas Mitchell who passed through the region in 1846. A settlement arose here because there was a reliable waterhole where two major stock routes intersected. The town itself came into being in the late 19th century as a coach stop for Cobb and Co coaches. A town survey was conducted in 1868, the same year a courthouse was built. A railway to the town was completed in 1899.

It has also been stated that the very first interstate game of Rugby League (between New South Wales and Queensland) was played between Cunnamulla and Bourke.

Flooding
The town has experienced major flooding in 1990, 1997, 2010 and 2012. The 1990 flood set a record for the Warrego River at 10.15 metres. In 2008, the Australian Defence Force was deployed to assist in flood preparations. An 11 m high levee protects the town.

Heritage listings
Cunnamulla has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
 * John Street: Cunnamulla War Memorial Fountain
 * Civic Centre, Louise Street: Paroo Shire Honour Board
 * Stockyard Street: The Robbers Tree

Facilities
Cunnamulla has a Magistrates court, public library, public swimming pool, showground, racecourse, two museums and a tourist information centre. The town has two caravan parks, one at the Warrego Riverside and the other within the town boundaries.

Cultural references
Cunnamulla was the subject of a 2000 documentary film of the same name by Dennis O'Rourke, in which he followed several members of the community as they went about their daily lives. The film earned $132,485 at the Australian box office.

Cunnamulla is the main setting for Henry Lawson's short story "The Hypnotised Township" from his anthology The Rising of the Court, and Other Sketches in Prose and Verse. The song "The Cunnamulla Fella", written by Stan Coster and sung by Slim Dusty, is commemorated by a statue in the town centre.