Porcupine, Queensland

Porcupine is an outback locality in the Shire of Flinders, Queensland, Australia. In the, Porcupine had a population of 39 people.

Geography

The drainage divide created by the Great Dividing Range runs from north to south near the eastern boundary of the locality. As a consequence, the terrain in the locality is mountainous with the following named peaks :

Bombarri Hill above sea level
Castle Hill
Mount King
Mount Mistake
Mount Dick
Mount Cracknell
Mount Bradshaw
Mount James
Mount Emu
Mount Pleasant
Mount Oxley
Mount Sturgeon
Bald Hill
Mount Pleasant
Mount Wongalee
Mount Canterbury

Numerous creeks rise in this area flowing into valleys west towards inland Queensland where they eventually become tributaries of the Flinders River which flows through the Gulf Country to the Gulf of Carpentaria. In contrast, the South Gregory River rises to the east of the divide and flows eventually into the Burdekin River which enters the Coral Sea at Upstart Bay, east of Ayr.
The Kennedy Developmental Road enters the locality from north and exits to south.
Some small areas of the locality are part of a number of national parks including Porcupine Gorge National Park, White Mountains National Park and Blackbraes National Park.
Apart from the protected areas, the land use is grazing on native vegetation.

History

The locality was named and bounded on 23 February 2001. The name is believed to derive from the appearance of the spiky leaves of the spinifex bushes in the area. In particular the Triodia scariosa is commonly known in Australia as "porcupine grass".

Demographics

In the, Porcupine had a population of 49 people.
In the, Porcupine had a population of 39 people.

Education

There are no schools in Porcupine. The nearest government school is Hughenden State School in neighbouring Hughenden to the south-west. However, this school would only be within range of a daily commute for the southern part of Porcupine. Options for students living further north in Porcupine would be distance education and boarding school.

Attractions

Within the Porcupine Gorge National Park, there are two lookouts:

Pyramid Rock Lookout which is accessed via a walk
Porcupine Gorge Lookout which is accessed via a walk which is wheelchair-accessible with assistance.