Capturing country essence: Queensland Outback logo revealed

The new badge of honour that will adorn the jerseys of Queensland Outback's representative teams from 2023 can finally been revealed. 

Queensland Rugby League put the call out in May, asking members of the public to suggest their concepts and designs for a logo to give the teams a unique identifier. 

After receiving more than one dozen entries, the Queensland Outback Advisory Committee selected a shortlist of candidates and put those to a vote among Outback representatives from 2022 to decide on their preferred concept. 

The most popular was a graphic submitted by artist Jules Forbes, who worked alongside QRL creative and design lead Callan Jones to workshop the original into the final design. 

The oval-shaped logo depicts the state of Queensland in traditional maroon, with a yellow border, a pair of kangaroos (coloured black with yellow border) and a windmill (coloured yellow) together on a white background, surrounded by a wide maroon ring, a thin yellow border and further black or white border.

Queensland Outback league and club coordinator Peter Rafter said it was fantastic to see the logo finally come to fruition after the idea started brewing several years ago. 

“It’s been a long process, but we’ve finally got there," Rafter said.

"It gives a bit more identity to the Outback teams. The jersey has been missing something. We figured out it was a logo, and now we have one.

“It’s really good. Jules has put a lot of work into it. There were quite a few entries that went above and beyond. But this one is good. It’s typical Outback. 

“It’s the scene of the outback – the 'roos, the windmill, the colours of the sunset. When you see it, it’s everything we asked for. 

“Now the players have the identity and they will love it. They’re all very proud.

"For some of the kids out there, their pathways are a lot different to what they are to other areas in Queensland and a lot of them are inspired just to play in the Queensland Outback team and when they throw that jersey on, it’s like a State of Origin jersey.” 

Winning designer Forbes, who was born in Taroom, grew up in Dalby and now operates an Australiana artwork design business from home in Caboolture, said it was exciting to have her logo chosen, inspired by her own experiences. 

“I just thought of outback in Queensland and Australia and pretty much all I do is Aussie stuff, so it was pretty easy to come up with,” Forbes said. 

“It’s always stuff I’ve liked painting since I was a kid – the country scenes, the windmills, the kangaroos and anything Australia, so I thought that was pretty cool, and the further out west you go, the better it gets. 

“I think they’re the heart of us, they’re not city people, they’re the country people and they’re the tough-hearted Queenslanders, I think, so they deserve their own little logo. 

“All the people out there are just true blue. They’re always there to help and they’re just a different creed to city people I’ve found. I love getting out there.” 

Forbes is no stranger to having her concepts on footy jerseys and merchandise, having designed the logo for the 2022 XXXX Community Club of the Year Miles Devils, where her cousin Ken Brown is president. 

Plans are afoot for matches between Queensland Outback and NSW Outback representative sides in Queensland in 2023.