Cloncurry is located in north west Queensland about 100 kilometres east of Mount Isa and about 770 kilometres west of Townsville. It is the administrative centre of the Cloncurry Shire and is situated adjacent to the Cloncurry River. In 2006, Cloncurry had a population of approximately 2,400. Overall, the population is decreasing, being down from approximately 3,900 in 1996 and 2,900 in 2002.
Burke and Wills were the first Europeans to visit the area during their epic expedition from Melbourne to the Gulf. Burke named the Cloncurry River after his cousin Lady Elizabeth Cloncurry. Copper was discovered in the Cloncurry area in 1867, and the town which sprang up to service the Great Australia Mine to the south eventually taking its name from that of the river.
Cloncurry was proclaimed a town in 1884, and the railway arrived from the east in 1908. It was the largest settlement in north west Queensland until the development of Mount Isa as a major mining centre. Apart from the mining industry, cattle grazing is a significant industry in the region, and a large saleyards is located in the town.
On May 15 1928, the first flight of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia took place from Cloncurry, using a de Havilland DH50 aeroplane hired from Qantas, then a small regional airline company. A Royal Flying Doctor Service museum is located in Cloncurry today.
For many years Cloncurry has claimed the record for the highest temperature recorded in Australia - 53.1 °C (127.5 °F) recorded on 16 January 1889. More recently, this claim has been disputed and it has been revealed that this temperature was measured using improvised equipment made from a beer crate, and that the actual temperature recorded would have been equivalent to 47–49 °C under standard conditions.
Cloncurry enjoys a plentiful supply of solar energy and is planned to become Australia's first solar-powered town with the construction of a solar power plant.