Bourke is a city in Far West New South Wales.
Back of Bourke is Australian slang for the middle of nowhere. If you head north west from Sydney you'll have no difficulty understanding the origins of the slang. However, Bourke is a service town for a large surrounding area.
Historically, Bourke is another remnant of the grand vision the Australian European pioneers had for opening up the inland of Australia. Bourke was even (briefly) an inland port on the Murray Darling, as steamer companies set up business along the Murray, shipping agricultural produce down to Adelaide. The steamer companies soon lost money because of snags, water levels, and the general lack of suitability of the Darling as an inland waterway for shipping. You can still see the wharf in Bourke.
Bourke is situated on the Darling River.
- Back O Bourke Exhibition Centre. Tourist info and Exhibition on the banks of the Darling.
Back O Bourke Exhibition Centre. Tourist info and Exhibition on the banks of the Darling.
- Hungerford and the Currawinya National Park.