Located 100 km north of Bourke and only 40 km from the Queensland border, Enngonia is one of those towns which has seen better days. Once the poor cousin to Barringun it now is the small centre for the surrounding area with a police station, a small school, a pub with caravan facilities, and a few houses.
The only point of real historical interest at Enngonia (apart from the annual races held in September, which rival the Birdsville Races in their ability to attract people from all over Australia) is that 35 km west of the town is the unmarked grave of Captain Starlight.
Born as Frank Pearson in England in 1837, he arrived in Australia in 1866. He teamed up with a Queensland bushranger named Charles Rutherford in 1868 and together they held up a group of people at Walgett, stealing money and a revolver. They then bailed up an inn at Enngonia.
However, unfortunately for them, two troopers tracking the bushrangers happened to be in the pub at that moment. In the ensuing shoot-out, Pearson was hit in the shoulder and wrist and one of the constables was shot in the side, dying a month later.
Do you own or manage this pub? You can edit this pub by requesting editing access or logging in if you already have editing access.
Comments
Enngonia races
Louth is the meeting that rivals Birdsville.
Add new comment