As early as 1983 Barcaldine Shire Council sent a submission to then Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, seeking acceptance of Barcaldine as the birthplace of the Australian Labor Party and that recognition came during the 1986 Centenary celebrations. The celebrations concentrated attention on the town’s early history and brought community pride and new awareness of the district’s significance as the birthplace of the Labour movement. The first meetings that led to representation of workers in parliament were held in Barcaldine. And, as is often overlooked, the first Pastoral Employers’ Association (which ultimately became the United Graziers’ Association) was also formed in Barcaldine at the same time as the first unions.
A community Employment grant of $86,000 was made available through submissions from the Tree of Knowledge Committee to develop a memorial garden around the tree. On May 2 of the following year the landscaped project was formally opened by Deputy Prime Minister Lionel Bowen during a day of public celebrations attended by a huge crowd that included many Labor Party dignitaries.
Afterwards, using funds of $20,000 from profits of the 1986 celebrations, boosted by a Bi-centennial grant, a van acquired from the Railway Department was set up in 1987 near the Tree of Knowledge as a Tourist Information Centre.
Its reconstruction was undertaken by the Barcaldine Tourist Association and it opened to the public on 23 April 1988.
Marie O’Dell became the first Tourist Information Officer. Construction of a new official Information Centre was completed, and in June 2001 received official accreditation with the right to use the recognised ‘i’ sign. The old railway carriage that it replaced was relocated to the Barcaldine and District Historical Society’s museum where it is used as an administration centre for the society.
Barcaldine became part of the newly devised Heritage Trail Network that led from Charleville through western towns to Mt Isa, with a regular route for an increasing number of Grey Nomads and other travellers.
In 2011, the Information Centre was relocated to the Globe hotel redevelopment on the corner of Oak and Willow streets.
In 1988, through representations from Barcaldine Shire Council, Heritage Listing was approved for several sites and structures in the town. They included the 1891 Shearers Strike camp site, the Tree of Knowledge, Masonic Temple, War Memorial clock and St. Peter’s Anglican Church. Most importantly by 1988, plans were underway for a much larger project, then known as the Shearers’ Interpretation Centre.
The idea grew from a Council meeting in April 1987 attyended by T. Martin of the Australian Museum when it was suggested that funding be sought from various Labor organisations. Responses was good and in January 1988 Senator Margaret Reynolds, a strong supporter of Barcaldine’s ambitions, advised that she would hold a formal dinner in Canberra to launch the project. In May that year she announced a Commonwealth grant of $20,000 to fund a feasibility study for it.
The first proposal was for a site on railway land in Oak Street. New shire headquarters were to be part of the structure and the feasibility grant was used for plans drawn up by Architect Feiko Bouman who had designed the Longreach Hall of Fame. But second thoughts showed that the scheme was much too grand for that small and unsuitable site. The area eventually filled with attractive parkland and memorial features.
A larger and much better positioned became available for the project, because a new State School was constructed in 1987. A massive tent that had been in the travelling Bicentennial display was secured for Barcaldine by tender and the idea of using Bauman’s design was scrapped. The school playing field, no longer needed, became the site for the tent and by July 1989 the newly named Australian Workers’ Heritage Centre was underway.
