Editing Birdsville Track (section)

==History==
The track was opened in the 1860s to walk cattle from northern Queensland and the [[Northern Territory]] to the nearest [[railhead]] in [[Port Augusta, South Australia|Port Augusta]], which was later moved to [[Marree, South Australia|Marree]]. The pioneering drover credited with establishing the track was Percy Burt.<ref name="ag"/> Burt set up a store at Diamantina Crossing, today known as Birdsville, and used the path to bring cattle out of the [[Channel Country]] to the railhead at Marree that was completed in 1883. This [[stock route]] was at least 1,000&nbsp;km shorter than the alternative path to [[Brisbane]].<ref name="ag"/>

By 1916 enough [[water well|bores]] had been sunk into the [[Great Artesian Basin]] along the route that the movement of stock was much easier and safer than in earlier years.<ref name="ag"/> Bores were drilled at 40&nbsp;km intervals.

An isolated store along the track operated for several decades from the [[Mulka Station]]. The Mulka Store Ruins are listed in the [[South Australian Heritage Register]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://apps.planning.sa.gov.au/HeritageSearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=54 |title=Mulka Store (sometime Scobie Homestead) Ruins |publisher=Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources |work=South Australian Heritage Register |access-date=12 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215212806/http://apps.planning.sa.gov.au/HeritageSearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=54 |archive-date=15 February 2016 |df=dmy }}</ref>

Over the years the Birdsville track became one of the country's most isolated and best-known stock routes, as well as a mail route made famous by outback legend [[Tom Kruse (mailman)|Tom Kruse]]. Tom Kruse and the track were immortalised in ''[[The Back of Beyond]]'', the 1954 documentary film made by [[John Heyer]]. Kruse's services ceased in 1963, replaced by an air service from Adelaide that started in 1970.<ref name="ag"/>

In 2006, as part of the Year of the Outback, the [[Governor-General of Australia|Australian Governor-General]], [[Michael Jeffery (Australian Army officer)|Michael Jeffery]], travelled along the track in a 5-day event.<ref name="abc">{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/rural/sa/content/2006/s1636312.htm |title=Up the Birdsville Track with GG |author=Annabelle Homer |access-date=2009-10-25 |date=11 March 2006 |work=[[ABC Rural]] |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] }}</ref>

The route was earmarked to be signed as part National Route 83 in the original plan of National Routes. It was to start in southern SA before travelling north through to far-north QLD. The route was never fully signed, the Birdsville Track being still largely unsealed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raa.com.au/travel/blog/434 |title=Driving the Birdsville Track |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2017 |publisher=Royal Automobile Association of South Australia |access-date=11 Nov 2017 }}</ref>

During the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia|COVID-19 pandemic]], the track experienced a boost in popularity among drivers taking the route to avoid [[New South Wales]] and possible quarantine.<ref>[https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-ideas/road-trips/birdsville-track-dubbed-covid-highway-after-influx-of-holiday-drivers/news-story/a047c48bcd130ac9079e09e1f57417fc Birdsville Track dubbed ‘COVID highway’ after influx of holiday drivers (news.com.au)]</ref>