Visit Outback NSW

Originally named Prattenville, the town of Bourke was first ‘settled’ in the late 1820’s and its name was changed to Bourke, after Governor Richard Bourke of New South Wales, in the 1830s.  

By the 1890's, Bourke was a major port for the transport of the southern Queensland and northern NSW wool clip that was transported down the Darling to the Murray River and onto Adelaide or up the Murray to Echuca for rail transport to Melbourne for ship transport overseas.

The Port of Bourke was the focus of the world’s wool industry with up to 80 riverboats servicing the region and at one time it was one of the largest in the world.

The opening of the rail system in Australia and the unreliability of the river flow saw the gradual demise of the 'River Highway' by the early 20th century.

This by no means spelt the end of Bourke and today it is a town that still, in essence, is the same it was back then; a town on the edge of the wilderness with great historical, cultural and geographic significance.

Located where the Kidman Way meets the Darling River, Bourke is a town firmly etched in Australian folklore and is the ideal access point for The Darling River Run. Bourke provides a true outback experience to all who visit Bourke.

The recently (re)opened 'Back of Bourke' Centre has been redeveloped as a world class facility nestled in a spectacular natural setting amongst the river red gums on the banks of the Darling River.