Reay Lookout - QLD

One of the several lookouts on Mt. Walker.Mount Walker was named in recognition of the first Commandant of the Native Police, Frederick Walker, who led a search party in 1861 from Rockhampton to the Gulf looking for explorers Robert O'Hara Burke and William Wills. The expeditionary party blazed a tree with the camp number (23) and the date of October 1861. This tree is still extant and can be seen at the The landscape visible from this vantage point encompasses the open, sparse Hughenden Showgrounds. Mitchell Downs area which forms part of a desert bioregion. It is not unlike the pristine view which greeted Landsborough upon his ascent of Mount Walker: The following year, Scotsman William Landsborough led a second "Burke Relief Expedition", camping on the site of the present-day township of Hughenden in March 1862. Landsborough also marked "From its summit, stretching across part of the Walker's blazed tree tò provide a record of the expedition's progress, horizon, there was nothing to be seen but plains?" and named Mount Walker to honour "my brother explorer." Mount Walker itself is co-owned by two private families. One side is owned by the Reay Lookout shows the view from Mount Walker over to Reay Station, which lies in the distance, 35 kms south of Hughenden. Wearing family of Mount Etna Station, while the Paul family of Mount Devlin Station owns the other half. In a joint venture between the Flinders Shire Council and the Paul and Wearing families, Mount Walker was opened to the public in early 2007.