Outback Queensland Education Program

Applications are now open to Queensland schools and registered home educators.

The Outback Queensland Education Experience program gives students the chance to learn beyond the classroom, offering a subsidy of up to $150 per student to support educational camps and excursions across Outback Queensland. The program encourages young people to explore the region’s history, landscapes and rural communities while gaining a deeper understanding of life in the Outback.

Outback Queensland spans a wide area, including the local government regions of Flinders, Richmond, McKinlay, Cloncurry, Mount Isa, Barcaldine, Blackall-Tambo, Longreach, Winton, Barcoo, Boulia, Diamantina, Murweh, Paroo, Quilpie, Bulloo, Balonne and Maranoa.

Teachers and home educators are encouraged to bring their students west for hands-on learning across nature, astronomy, dinosaurs, agriculture, pioneering history and rural life.

Outback Learning Experiences:

• Stargaze at the Cosmos Centre, Charleville

• Witness the only known Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park, Winton.

• Climb the red sand hills of Munga-Thirri (Simpson Desert) National Park.

• Discover steam-powered history at The Woolscour, Blackall.

• Step into aviation history at the Qantas Founders Museum, Longreach.

• Learn about Outback Pioneers at the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, Longreach.

• Meet one of Australia’s most endangered species – the Bilby in Charleville.

• Scour the riverbanks of the Channel Country.

• Unearth treasures at mining sites stretching from Mount Isa to Yowah.

• Take a Nullawokka First Nations Tour with Bill, a local Kooma Elder, for a cultural experience you will never forget.

Itineraries

2 Day Longreach fly-in/ fly-out itinerary

3 Day Roma fly-in/fly-out itinerary

3 Day snapshot: Roma Charleville, Cunnamulla, St George

5 Day North West Outback Itinerary

5 Day Western learning loop

6 day South West Outback Itinerary

8 Day North West Outback Itinerary

8 Day Central West Outback itinerary – Option 1

8 Day Central West Outback Itinerary – Option 2

*These itineraries are examples only. Educators should review and adapt them to suit their group’s needs, abilities and curriculum requirements.

Subsidy and Eligibility

The program offers a subsidy of up to $150 per student, helping Queensland primary, secondary and home-educated students offset travel costs for approved Outback Queensland excursions.

The subsidy amount is based on the return distance travelled:

Funding is paid directly to schools and registered home educators. Half of the subsidy is paid on approval of the application, with the remaining half issued once the excursion is complete and the required survey has been submitted.

How to apply?

Full program details can be found on the Queensland Department of Education page.  Click here for more information.