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Barratta
Queensland
Barratta; Queensland
	Train crossing Barratta Creek during a flood with the water up to the decking of the bridge, 1918
	Barratta
Coordinates	19°30′25″S 147°15′17″E / 19.5069°S 147.2547°E
Population	85 (2021 census locality)
• Density	0.3588/km2 (0.929/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	4809
Area	236.9 km2 (91.5 sq mi)
Time zone	AEST (UTC+10:00)
Location	15.8 km (10 mi) W of Ayr ; 79.5 km (49 mi) SE of Townsville ; 1,283 km (797 mi) NNW of Brisbane ;
LGA(s)	Shire of Burdekin
State electorate(s)	Burdekin
Federal division(s)	Dawson
	Localities around Barratta:

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Barratta is a rural town and a locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia.^[2]^[3] In the 2021 census, the locality of Barratta had a population of 85 people.^[1]

Geography

Barratta Creek rises in the locality and runs north through Jerona to the Coral Sea, while Barramundi Creek also rises and runs to the north-west.^[4]

The Bruce Highway enters the locality from the east (Brandon) and exits to the west (Horseshoe Lagoon).^[5]

The North Coast railway line enters the locality from the east (Brandon) and exits to the west (Horseshoe Lagoon), but runs approx 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north and parallel to the highway.^[5] The locality is served by Barratta railway station is a railway station (19°31′38″S 147°12′40″E / 19.5273°S 147.2110°E / -19.5273; 147.2110 (Barratta railway station)) and was formerly served by the now-abandoned Lochinvar railway station (19°31′22″S 147°16′18″E / 19.5227°S 147.2716°E / -19.5227; 147.2716).^[6]

The land use is divided between grazing on native vegetation in the north of the locality and growing sugarcane in the south of the locality.^[7] Cane tramways pass through the south of the locality to transport the harvested sugarcane to the Pioneer sugar mill.^[5]

History

In 1881, the success of sugarcane growing in the Burdekin district and the navigability of Barratta Creek from the Coral Sea via Bowling Green Bay resulted in a proposal to establish a town and a port along Barratta Creek.^[8] In 1885, the Queensland Government had surveyed a town site called Noondoo and offered over 100 town lots for sale.^[9] On 25 September 1897, the town's name was changed to Baratta by notification in the Queensland Government Gazette and then to Barratta (two "r"s) on 21 March 1902. Barratta is believed to be an Aboriginal name for the chain of lagoons in the area.^[2] However, no port was established and the town did not develop. The town remains officially in existence,^[10] but, as at 2024, is being used as grazing land.^[7]

In February 1918, extensive flooding in the region affected Barratta Creek with over 2 feet (0.61 m) of water flowing over the railway bridge crossing the creek.^[11]