A British backpacker allegedly held hostage and raped in the Australian outback went to hospital before her road trip, as details of her companion’s violent past came to light.

The 22-year-old is recovering "in the care of friends and family" after being released from hospital, Queensland Police said on Wednesday.

It has emerged that even before setting off on the road trip, the backpacker went to a hospital in Cairns with an injury to her eyebrow which required stitches.

According to Queensland’s Courier Mail, hospital staff asked her whether she had been assaulted – and whether the injury was related to domestic violence – but she left without responding.

Police are continuing to investigate whether there was a specific reason for the road trip, which took the pair into a remote outback region in southern Queensland.

The alleged offender claimed he was planning to travel to Charleville and had lined up work there. But Charleville is a tiny township with relatively few job opportunities.

In addition - a source told The Telegraph - the man had never had a steady job and was believed to be receiving welfare benefits.

“He is pretty much a drifter,” the source said. “He does not stay in one place very long.”