Boulia is a town of 205 people in central-west Queensland , Australia . It is located about 245 km south of Mount Isa on the Burke River , according to the discoverer Robert O'Hara Burke . He crossed this area in 1860 as part of the Burke and Wills expedition . Boulia was named a city in 1879 and is now the administrative seat for Boulia Shire with a population of 426 inhabitants and an area of 60,906 km².
The city hosts the famous Boulia Desert Sands Camel Race, one of the most important events in the Australian camel racing series . However, extensive cattle breeding is the predominant industry.
The climate is very hot and dry with an average of more than 200 days per year over 30 ° C. Even in the Australian winter in June and July it is very warm with 24 ° C, but frost is not uncommon at this time of year. The annual rainfall varies a lot: it can be very low, as in 1905 with a total of 24 mm and in 1963 with 51 mm. During the rainy season, however, also very high. In January 1974 alone, 465 mm of rain fell, in March 1950 330 mm. With this, the maximum annual precipitation can reach 799 mm in 1950 and 774 mm in 1974. The mean value is 210 mm.
The area is known for a phenomenon called Min Min Light . Travelers have often reported being followed by a light from a distance, which then disappears. So far there is no scientific explanation for this.
