| Isisford
Tiny township which was an important centre a century ago.
Located in 'The Outer Barcoo' Isisford was established in
1877 by William and James Whitman who were travelling through
the country. When crossing the Barcoo River, they broke an
axle on their wagon and decided to stay nearby. They built
a store, hotel, butchery, saddlery, and blacksmith shops.
The establishment was called Whittown but the name was changed
in 1878 to 1879 to Isisford after the ford in the river and
proximity of Isis Downs Station homestead. 'Isis Downs' was
named after the Isis River in England. The Barcoo River was
once called the Victoria River but changed to the Aboriginal
name Barcoo meaning 'Ice on Water'.
Isisford is the inspiration for many of A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson's
works such as the Bush Christening and Clancy of the Overflow.
Explorer Sir Thomas Mitchell passed through this way on his
1845 expedition and named a small lagoon five kilometres east
south-east of Isisford after his head black tracker, Yuranaigh.
Major industries are sheep and cattle production with tourism
on a steady increase. The major employers in the area are
the local Council and the wool industry.
A sense of the history of Isisford can be gleaned from a
visit to the town's museum which is located behind the Shire
Hall in the main street. The museum is a photographic collection
of memorabilia of the town and the surrounding region and
as such is a record of the way this town developed.
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