A once-thriving cattle and wool hub is facing a dramatic drop in its declining population as a staff shortage threatens to close the town's childcare centre.
Founded in 1890, Julia Creek in north-west Queensland is one of the oldest towns in the state.
"In a town of just over 450 people, we have 11 families that would be forced to relocate to places where these services are available or would have to stop working in the community," McKinlay Shire chief executive Trevor Williams said.
"It would be the worst consequence."
The council-run Julia Creek Early Learning Centre has been advertising for a qualified director since January.
The centre will lose its funding and be forced to shut its doors if a childcare worker isn't recruited in the next 12 months.
He said he had pulled out all the stops to tempt an employee out to the region, including a $10,000 cash incentive.
"We've tried to make the offer as attractive as possible," he said.
"There's a heavily subsidised house on offer, a two-minute commute to work, not to mention a safe, friendly community with great facilities."
Mr Williams described it as a troubling situation.
"We've gone to a number of recruiting agencies, including specialist childcare providers, all without success," he said.
'Families will leave'
Georgia Crocker and her husband Dane run a business in Julia Creek. Her sons Billy and Angus attend the early learning centre when mum and dad are working the property.
"The centre doesn't just service Julia Creek," Ms Crocker said.
"It services a whole region whereby children from cattle stations will travel into town for a day or two each week."
She said there were children from town who went five days a week.
"It's not just a child-minding service, it has so many other benefits — socialisation, the learning aspect with the kindergarten program that gets them ready for school," she said.
Ms Crocker said families would leave the region if the service became unavailable.
Some families required a dual income, she said.
"And not only an income, but a career — without a child-mining service in place, parents' objectives change and they will look to other towns and cities where that service is available," she said.
Mr Williams said attraction, not retention, was the biggest issue impacting the recruitment of staff to Julia Creek.
"Communities like Julia Creek, a lot of people find it really easy to fit into life out here."
He said he hoped a qualified candidate would come knocking soon.
"The clock is ticking on this," he said.
"We are just hoping to get the right person to continue what has been an immensely successful operation of our childcare centre out here."
