Ayr, town, northeastern Queensland, Australia, on the delta of the Burdekin River. It is known for its natural beauty and fertile farmland.
The settlement was surveyed and gazetted in 1881. Declared a town in 1882 and named for the Scottish birthplace of Sir Thomas McIllwraith, then state premier, it became a shire in 1903. On the north coast rail line and the Bruce Highway to Townsville (45 miles [70 km] northwest) and Brisbane (657 miles [1,057 km] southeast), it is the centre of the lower Burdekin irrigation area, which produces sugarcane, mangoes, melons, rice, and beef cattle. There are several sugar mills in the area. The 3,619-foot (1,103-metre) Burdekin River Bridge, built on the sandy riverbed in 1957 and known as the Silver Link, is part of a road leading south some 7 miles (12 km) to the town of Home Hill. Pop. (2006) urban centre, 8,093; (2011) urban centre, 8,392.