Although Charters Towers is less than two hours inland from Townsville and is not really the true outback, this town is the gateway to the outback and you’ll pass through here if you’re travelling between Townsville and the Northern Territory.
Gold was discovered here in 1871 making it Queensland’s second largest city for a brief period. In its heyday in the 1880s, Charters Towers was home to Australia’s first stock market. Although it’s now only a shadow of its former self, the wealth generated by the gold rush is evident in the city’s grand architecture.
