Ayr is a twin town with Home Hill - they are located respectively on the north and south sides of the Burdekin River estuary. Ayr is approximately 1,400 kilometres north of Brisbane.
North
This area of Queensland is situated north of the Tropic of Capricorn. It has many experiences to offer visitors, from the Great Barrier Reef, tropical islands, the historic outback, lush rainforests, waterfalls, national parks and world heritage listed areas.
Ayr
Bowen
Bowen is situated on Port Denison, a sheltered natural harbour on the north-west side of Edgecumbe Bay, with Gloucester Island to the east across a wide bay entrance. Bowen is particularly famous for its first class produce - and the tropical mango is its specialty.
Burdekin
The rich catchment area for the Burdekin River, incland from Ingham and downstream to Ayr. The coastal lowlands and delta area are dominated by cane growing, but rice, maize and vegetables are also cultivated. The delta region is a source of underground water supplies used irrigating crops and pastures.
Charters Towers
Located 130km south-west of Townsville, Charters Towers was once Queesland's richest gold-mining area. The gold boom only lasted from 1872 until the early 20th century, but evidence of the mining still exists on the outskirts of town. The town now services a large pastoral region, and holds a large Country Music Festival each year.
The Stock Exchange was built in 1887 as the Royal Arcade and converted into a stock exchange in 1890. Once the only stock exchange in Australia with three calls a day. It was the focal point of the city as residents turned to wait the fate of their investments. Calls ceased in the late 1910's and the building was left to decay until the National Trust purchased the building in the early 1970s and restored it to its original purpose, as an arcade of shops. The glass roofed arcades were a form of building that was popular in Europe at the close of the 19th century (Blackheath & Thornburgh College).
Collinsville
A coal-mining centre located in the Bowen River valley, it is 85km south-west of bowen and 1,360km northwest of Brisbane. Mechanised open-cut and underground mining is carrie doutin the area, with coal being railed to Bowen.
Collinsville is also a cattle selling centre and the railhead for grazing properties in the district.
Greenvale
Home Hill
Located in the delta region of the Burdekin River, Home Hill is around 1400km noth of Brisbane and 100km south of Townsville. Sugar cane, tabacco, cotton and gruit and vegetables are grown in the area.