Porcupine, Queensland

Porcupine is an outback locality in the Shire of Finders, Queensland, Australia. In the, Porcupine had a population of 39 people.

Geography
The drainage divide created by the Great Dividing Range runs from north to south near the eastern boundary of the locality. As a consequence, the terrain in the locality is mountainous with the following named peaks (from north to south):


 * Bombarri Hill (-19.5902°N, 144.3003°W) 960 m above sea level
 * Castle Hill (-19.6804°N, 144.2307°W) 900 m
 * Mount King (-20.0175°N, 144.4809°W) 900 m
 * Mount Mistake (-20.0578°N, 144.4421°W) 910 m
 * Mount Dick (-20.1085°N, 144.5813°W) 900 m
 * Mount Cracknell (-20.1582°N, 144.6815°W) 886 m
 * Mount Bradshaw (-20.1632°N, 144.2928°W) 850 m
 * Mount James (-20.2156°N, 144.358°W) 968 m
 * Mount Emu (-20.2283°N, 144.3759°W) 976 m
 * Mount Pleasant (-20.233°N, 144.6055°W) 814 m
 * Mount Oxley (-20.2338°N, 144.8215°W) 820 m
 * Mount Sturgeon (-20.2509°N, 144.4688°W) 795 m
 * Bald Hill (-20.2853°N, 144.1038°W) 689 m
 * Mount Pleasant (second mountain of that name, -20.3388°N, 144.2021°W) 762 m
 * Mount Wongalee (-20.6339°N, 144.4111°W) 515 m
 * Mount Canterbury (-20.6631°N, 144.3158°W) 466 m

Numerous creeks rise in this area flowing into valleys west towards inland Queensland where they eventually become tributaries of the Flinders River which flows through the Gulf Country to the Gulf of Carpentaria. In contrast, the South Gregory River rises to the east of the divide and flows eventually into the Burdekin River which enters the Coral Sea at Upstart Bay, east of Ayr.

The Kennedy Developmental Road enters the locality from north (Lyndhurst) and exits to south (Hughenden / Prairie).

Some small areas of the locality are part of a number of national parks including Porcupine Gorge National Park (which protects the Porcupine Gorge created by Porcupine Creek, entirely within the southern part of the locality), White Mountains National Park (extending south-east into Torrens Creek) and Blackbraes National Park (extending north into Lyndhurst).

Apart from the protected areas, the land use is grazing on native vegetation.

History
The locality was named and bounded on 23 February 2001. The name is believed to derive from the appearance of the spiky leaves of the spinifex bushes in the area. In particular the Triodia scariosa is commonly known in Australia as "porcupine grass".

Demographics
In the, Porcupine had a population of 49 people.

In the, Porcupine had a population of 39 people.

Education
There are no schools in Porcupine. The nearest government primary and secondary schools are Hughenden State School and Hughenden State High School, both in neighbouring Hughenden to the south-west. However, these schools would only be within range of a daily commute for the southern part of Porcupine. Options for students living further north in Porcupine would be distance education and boarding school.

Attractions
Within the Porcupine Gorge National Park, there are two lookouts:


 * Pyramid Rock Lookout (-20.3468°N, 144.4619°W) which is accessed via a 400 m walk


 * Porcupine Gorge Lookout (-20.4098°N, 144.437°W) which is accessed via a 200 m walk which is wheelchair-accessible with assistance.