Outback Winton hopes becoming a Dark Sky Community will boost tourism
Winton are pushing to be a 'Dark Sky Community.' (Supplied: Steve Lippis)
In short:
An outback town are pushing to become a recognised Dark Sky Community.
The local council and museum hope it will boost tourism in summer.
What's next?
Council is working on a draft policy for their lighting.
There is magic in an outback night sky and a small town nestled in the middle of Queensland hopes it could be the answer to creating sustainable, year-round tourism.
Winton, a 15-hour drive north-west of Brisbane with a population of 850, attracts travellers on the hunt for opals and dinosaur bones, but often sits idle in the stifling heat of summer.
Now, locals are pushing for the area to become an accredited "Dark Sky Community".
In simple terms it is when a town is recognised for its breathtaking views of the stars, and efforts to lessen light pollution through enforcing outdoor lighting policies and education.
Around 850 people live in Winton. (ABC Western Qld: Hannah Walsh)
Naomi Miles, the head of museum at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs said dark sky tourism was on the cusp of becoming something much bigger.
"In the last few years it's really taken off," Ms Miles said.
"A big problem in outback areas is we have all this accommodation over summer and no-one to fill it.
"Night tourism or dark sky tourism is a new way that we can start filling those beds."
Winton is known for its dinosaur fossils and opal fields. (Supplied: Steve Lippis)
Winton Shire Council Mayor Cathy White said the outback needed to attract people outside the traditional tourism season between April and September.
"Winton does struggle, and it is a quiet time of the year. We're in 45-degree heat,"Cr White said.
"We've got to keep looking for that something different."
Winton Shire Council has fact sheets and stickers showcasing its dark sky. (Supplied: Winton Shire Council)
What is a Dark Sky Community?
It is estimated about 80 per cent of people live under light-polluted skies and a third of people can't see the Milky Way.
"I think people are going to be actively going out there and seeking it, much like the Great Barrier Reef. People want to connect with the sky," Ms Miles said.
DarkSky International is an American-based organisation that certifies locations or communities that preserve and protect the night-time environment.
There are several different classifications.
The Jump Up is located on top a huge mesa plateau near Winton. (Supplied: Australian Age of Dinosaurs)
The location of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs museum, 24 kilometres from Winton, was designated a Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2019.
"Since we've opened up tours it's really taken off," Ms Miles said.
A Dark Sky Community puts a town on the map that goes the extra mile to manage outdoor lighting, limit light pollution, and educate the public.
Currently, there is only one recognised in Australia.
Loading...Cr White said Winton was already naturally very dark, but council will consider ways to further reduce light pollution.
"We're doing a draft policy for our lighting. We're just seeing what we need to do as a community. It might just be as simple as changing some light bulbs,"she said.
The town hopes they will get the official accreditation very soon.
Link to tourism
Jonti Horner, an astrobiologist and astronomer based at the University of Southern Queensland, agreed that people craved seeing the night sky.
"Every culture has a really deep and meaningful connection to the night sky," he said.
"It's this kind of romanticised, fantastical thing that people want to see the Milky Way. They want to go out and experience this.
"Places are really realising that this is a thing, that it's something that can draw tourism to the area. It can bring money in."
About 80 per cent of people live under light-polluted skies. (Supplied: Grant Salmond)
Ms Miles said the museum has big plans to make outback Queensland a hub of dark sky towns.
"We can be known as the dark sky capital," she said.
"There's so much you can do with the same canvas — Indigenous storytelling nights, pioneer orienteering adventures, nature trails. It's the best way to travel in summer."