Tambo, QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Tambo is a small town on the Barcoo River in Central West Queensland, about 862 kilometres north-west of Brisbane and roughly 100 kilometres south-east of Blackall. Several Aboriginal groups, including the Pitjara, are recorded as having lived across the surrounding country. The town's name is said to come from an Aboriginal word, variously translated as hidden place, resting place or shady waters. Established in 1863 as Carrangarra and renamed Tambo in 1868, it is said to be one of the oldest towns in western Queensland, and its heritage trail links seventeen historic buildings. Today Tambo is best known for the Tambo Teddies, handcrafted woollen teddy bears made locally since 1992, which celebrate the district's long sheep and wool history.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Tambo is more socio-economically advantaged than about 5% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 858, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Tambo at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 318
- Median age
- 48
- Median weekly household income
- $1,272
- SEIFA score
- 858
- Coordinates
- -24.9114, 146.3308
Tambo demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Tambo using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 29%, 33% of homes are rented, and 7% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 55 | 17% |
| Youth (15–24) | 28 | 9% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 65 | 20% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 92 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 80 | 25% |
Share of the 320 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 52 | 39% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 25 | 19% |
| Rented | 44 | 33% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 137 | 100% |
| Townhouses & semis | 0 | 0% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 137 occupied private dwellings in Tambo.
- Median weekly rent
- $144
- Median monthly mortgage
- $729
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,357
- Median weekly personal income
- $702
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 20 (7%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 6 (2%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 32 (10%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 87 (33%)
- Labour-force participation
- 62.6%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.8%
- Employed full-time
- 106
- Employed part-time
- 42
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Common questions about Tambo
Where is Tambo?
Tambo is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Tambo?
At the 2021 Census, Tambo had a population of about 318.
Is Tambo an advantaged area?
Tambo has an ABS SEIFA score of 858, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 5 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 5% of Australian suburbs.
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