Burdekin
The Burdekin region is home to a thriving rural community set within an area of unspoiled natural beauty
Sugar Cane Capital of Australia
Famous for being the sugar capital of Australia, the Burdekin district is located about an hour south of Townsville. Nestled in the delta of the Burdekin River, its 2 main townships, Ayr and Home Hill, are linked by the iconic Burdekin Bridge.
With a relaxed coastal lifestyle in a picturesque rural setting, lush green canefields, spectacular wetlands and long sandy beaches, residents benefit from well-serviced towns while enjoying an affordable cost of living.
The Burdekin is renowned for the exceptional range of cultural, historical, sporting and recreational experiences it has to offer. Plays and musicals are performed at the Burdekin Theatre, one of regional Australia’s best entertainment venues. Plenty of sporting and recreational pursuits are on offer from football, swimming and lawn bowls to water skiing, motocross and fishing, just to name a few.
The towns of Home Hill and Ayr offer affordable housing, private and public schools, and numerous sporting, recreational and cultural groups, and family friendly events. The towns feature many funky cafes, restaurants, pubs and nightspots alongside wonderful boutique shopping with a variety of specialty stores offering fashion, homewares, giftware and more.
Learn About Burdekin
Education & Training
- 9 registered early childhood education and care services including 6 long day care centres
- 19 schools including primary, secondary, independent, catholic and public schools
- TAFE Burdekin offers courses designed to meet the needs to the local community. Study areas include early childhood education and care, first aid, hairdressing, and engineering courses specialising in mechanical trades, fitting and turning, boilermaking, and metal fabrication
Healthcare Facilities
- 6 aged care services with 173 operational places
- 2 hospitals
- 3 ambulance centres located in Ayr, Home Hill and Giru
The Burdekin district is well serviced by private medical practitioners with five medical centres in the Burdekin as well as pathology, x-ray and pharmaceutical services
Key Industries
- Jobs 9,165
- Unemployment 3.2%
- Total registered businesses 2,089
- Median total family income in the Burdekin is $93,808pa
Looking for a job in the Burdekin?
Visit Jobs North Queensland to search for jobs, register your Air CV and sign up for custom news and listing alerts.
Attractions
Breathtaking panoramic views of the Burdekin Region from the Mt Inkerman Nature Trail (MINT)
The Burdekin River Bridge, known as the SilverLink, connects Ayr and Home Hill and is one of the regions best known landmarks
Constructed by the RAAF in 1943, the No 211 Radar Station on Charlie’s Hill was one of twenty radar installations along the North Queensland coastline
Juru Walk showcases the cultural importance of Plantation Park and provides a ‘learning space’ for the Burdekin community
In recent years unassuming spaces around our towns have been transformed into vibrant works of art by a number of renowned and emerging artists from across Australia
Connectivity
Air
Townsville Airport is approximately 100km north of Ayr, an hour on the A1 Bruce Highway.
The Burdekin Shire Council operates the Ayr Aerodrome 10km North of Ayr, approximately 20 minutes flight time from Townsville. The airport has two runways which can handle small to medium aircraft. Council has recently invested in major infrastructure projects at the aerodrome including the installation of an AVGas fuel facility and electricity supply upgrade. The fuel facility operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with payment via IOR Tag or Fuel Charge.
The aerodrome is located on a 72ha site with ample room available for commercial business operations such as aircraft maintenance and spare parts, ‘fly in/fly out’ workforce operations, storage facility and warehousing with ample room available for development of hangars to suit specific requirements.
Rail
The Shire is served by the Queensland Rail Spirit of Queensland. This Brisbane – Cairns service stops locally at the Home Hill, Ayr and Giru, and runs a regular service north and southbound five times weekly.
Road
Ayr and Home Hill are accessible via main roads Bruce Highway and Flinders Highway.
- Ayr to Townsville: 88km north via Bruce Highway
- Ayr to Charters Towers: 164km west via Flinders Highway
- Ayr to Ingham: 199km north via Bruce Highway
- Ayr to Brisbane: 1,267km south via Bruce Highway
- Ayr to Cairns: 434km north via Bruce Highway
- Ayr to Airlie Beach: 189km south via Bruce Highway
Burdekin
Stories
Meet some of our friendly locals who live and work in North Queensland. From those who have located north from interstate to those who are born and bred and wouldn't live anywhere else, hear what locals love most about the region.