Boomi Tourism and Information

National Parks

Further Information

Local councils do have some information about communities located within their boundaries. You can access this information through the Local Council site through the link found on Local Information Section of this site.

The River Country

The Boomi is located up on the border on the New South Wales side of the McIntyre River.

Boomi is a quiet village located approx 90km North West of Moree in NSW and 92km south west of Goondiwindi in QLD and is accessible by a bitumen road.

Boomi is approx. 400km due west of Byron Bay. Travellers making the trek from the east to the west coast or from Bourke to Byron are welcome to call in for a hot spa and a cold beer for lunch or dinner.

The average annual rainfall has been 22 inches (550 mm) but the recordings show that the pattern over the years has not been consistent. The. climate varies from long hot summers, when the temperatures can reach 110 deg (43"C) and storms begin the summer rain often resulting in floods, to the winter months, which produce light rain and only occasionally result in floods. Cold nights in winter can go down to OC causing frequent frosts, but the days are pleasant on the whole. Spring and autumn are short.

The feature of the area is its flatness, referred to as the "black soil plains", but really it has a mixture with grey/brown loam, interspersed with sand ridges.

It is a flood-prone region with the McIntyre River falling one foot per mile between Goondiwindi and Mungindi, as it flows in a south-westerly direction. A flood peak at Goondiwindi can be expected a week later at the Kanowna gauge, seventy miles downstream. The McIntyre River has many tributaries; floods, flows and diversions affect and benefit the rich grazing and farming land.

The plains were once lightly forested with mainly gum, coolibah, box, wilga, belah, myall, pine and leopardwood trees. Many of these early timbers were used for buildings and fences. The region is renowned for its good merino sheep (21 micron wool) and quality cattle. Although this is marginal, graziers have been able to diversify into farming. Large scale clearing has become broadacre farming, producing premium grade wheat, oats, barley and fodder crops.

Wildlife of the area, pigs, kangaroos, emus and birds are bountiful and the rivers are a haven for fishing, especially cod and yellow belly.

Rivers and tributaries play important roles in the layout of the Boomi area. The headwaters of the McIntyre River system rise in the Great Divide between Guyra and Stanthorpe, and flow north west towards Goondiwindi, then veering west. The Boomi region is situated on the New South Wales side of the McIntyre River between Goondiwindi, Queensland with Boggabilla adjoining and Mungindi 170 kilometres downstream, straddling the border. In earlier years the McIntyre River was known as the Barwon River at the source of the Boomi River, but now reference is made to the Barwon River after the confluence with the Weir River. This book observes the change of name at the Boomi River junction.

The Weir River rises in south east Queensland and parallels the Barwon River for a short distance, north of the Boomi region from Bonanga, spilling over into the Barwon River, during flood flows, which it eventually joins, towards Mungindi.

The Gnoura Gnoura Creek branches out of the Boomi River at Boronga, running west before it flows into the Barwon River on Barra. The Boomi River is a tributary of the McIntyre and Barwon River junction. It meanders downstream, flowing back into the Barwon River south of Mungindi.

The Whalan Creek begins in the Boggabilla area, out of the McIntyre River. It then flows in a stream which, at times, forms into low swamps before becoming a larger waterway and running into the Boomi River, before the Boomi River meets the Barwon River.

Within these tributaries there are many lagoons, channels and gullies which are small, but carry a large volume of water during flood time. It is easy to see why this is a river region. In most cases the tributaries provide the necessary stock and domestic water, supplemented on some holdings by bore drains or dams.

The Boomi area has steadily contributed to the pastoral wealth of the nation. There seems little doubt that it will continue to produce, as it has always done, - "Up on the Border".

Facilities/ Community groups

Boomi has a pub, community hall, school, tennis club with five all weather courts and a pool and hot spa complex. Although small (pop. 75) Boomi has a vibrant and energetic community. The town hosts several annual tennis tournaments and has a summer competition. The tennis club is air conditioned and is utilised by community groups including the mobile preschool one day a week.

The Boomi cricket team were champions in 2007.

A campdraft is held annually at the end of July at the old racecourse on the outskirts of town.

Boomi hosts an annual mud trial competition over the October long weekend. This involves backyard bombs driving through several large man made mud holes. Points are awarded for the car that gets through the course without needing to be pulled out.

Boomi also has an amateur thespian society (BATS) who stage a locally written production. This is held every two years at the end of August and is attended by approx. 700 people over four nights. It is well worth attending and guests travel from throughout the district and beyond to attend. Profits from the production assist local community groups.

There is a heritage park in the centre of town with an old steam engine, bullock dray and a display of past and present cattle brands.

Industry

The main industries in the area are irrigated cotton, dryland farming (wheat, barley, and chickpeas), cattle and sheep production.

Hot Artesian Spa and Pool complex

The pool complex was built in 1976 and the hot spa added in1996. The mineral rich water flows from nearly a mile underground. This original bore at Boomi was opened in 1903 which must have been a remarkable engineering achievement at the time.

The swimming pool complex consists of a cold 25m pool, a children’s wading pool and a hot pool which has two overhead jets. Artesian water comes from deep underground and is rich in minerals, the water can be up to 2 million years old. It has long been known in many cultures that the water has healing and restorative powers.

Entry Prices - 2014/2015 season:
Daily Entry -	Adult $ 5.00 Child $ 3.00
Hours of Operation: Winter Hours	Monday - Sunday 9am - 12nn, 2pm - 5pm

Accommodation/ Food

The Pioneer Hotel has accommodation, counter meals and pizza 7 days. Bread and milk also available.

Contact Details

All historical information and B & W Pictures contained in this site are from the book UP ON THE BORDER BOOMI by Ellen Allen, published in 1988, and used with permission.

If you know of a local tourist site that is located in this community but is not listed here, please Email us (using the button at the bottom of this page) and let us know the details, including the community to which you are referring.

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