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Waltzing Matilda Centre
This is the first museum in the world that is dedicated to a song. The new Waltzing Matilda Centre boasts state-of-the-art displays and exhibits that tell the story of Waltzing Matilda.
The Waltzing Matilda Centre is on the main street of Winton and is open every day. It also houses the Visitor Centre, the Tuckerbox cafe, a gift shop, toilets and an outdoor eating area.
On our recent visit we spent several hours exploring the Waltzing Matilda Centre and the Qantilda Museum. The Museums have a series of interactive displays that tell the story and history of the Winton Shire, including the Great Shearers Strike of 1891 and the birth of QANTAS.
We started in the Waltzing Matilda Room, which has a large selection of Waltzing Matilda records and memorabilia, including a copy of the first poem by Banjo Paterson.
The Waltzing Matilda Centre first opened in 1998 to celebrate Australia’s unofficial anthem, first written in 1895 and publicly performed in Winton. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the original museum and most of the exhibits in 2015.
It was rebuilt in 2018, and this stunning building now incorporates the story of Waltzing Matilda, the Qantas origins, Aboriginal cultural history, opal mining information, the Shearers’ Strike exhibits and information about the dinosaur trail.
Tours include Age of Dinosaurs, Gondwana Stars Observatory, Carisbrooke Station, Lark Quarry and the Rangelands Rifts & Sunset Tour.
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