Called Barty’s Place, A.B. Paterson College’s accommodation for 150 people in Winton, Qld, is proving popular among other schools and groups.
Story Ken Eastwood Photo A.B. Paterson College
A multi-purpose accommodation facility in Winton, Qld, called Barty’s Place, is available for school, corporate and other groups to hire. With a 1,000sq m hall suitable for camp-bed accommodation for up to 150 people, eight dorm rooms, a commercial kitchen, yarning circle and laundry facilities, the $6 million facility – opened in 2023 – is proving popular with many groups keen to travel to outback Queensland.
Owned and built by Gold Coast school A.B. Paterson College, Barty’s Place is the culmination of a 30-year partnership with the township of Winton. The school began its association with Winton as a result of its interest in Banjo Paterson, who wrote Waltzing Matilda after visiting nearby Dagworth station. Now the college’s year 6 and year 10 students travel into the region each year for up to 12 days at a time, staying at Barty’s Place.
“It’s an amazing facility in an amazing place,” says Callie Hewitt, arts faculty assistant at the college. “The vision was that every young person needs to have the opportunity to be inspired by outback landscapes, giving back and A.B. Paterson. Our building was created for our students to enjoy and from that it’s evolved to a facility we want everyone to use.”
This story excerpt is from issue #167
Outback Magazine: June/July 2026
