Chinchilla, Queensland

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This article is about a town. For alternative meanings see Chinchilla (disambiguation).

Chinchilla Queensland
Population:	3,366
Established:	1878
Postcode:	4413
Location:	169 km from Toowoomba
LGA:	Chinchilla Shire Council
State District:	Warrego
Federal Division:	Maranoa

Chinchilla is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The town (approximately 300 kilometres NW of Brisbane) was established in 1878. As the railway pushed west across the Darling Downs from Toowoomba and Dalby, the banks of Charlie's Creek seemed an ideal place for a town.

It is the centre of the Chinchilla Shire Local Government Area. The economy of the Shire is largely reliant on primary production. Agriculture is the mainstay of the community, with beef and pork production, wool growing, and horticulture traditionally underwriting the local economy. The new Kogan Creek Power Project has begun to inject welcome cash into the town. House prices in Chinchilla have boomed as a result of the need to house workers developing the Kogan plant.^{[citation needed]}

Chinchilla plays host to a Melon festival in February every second year.

Chinchilla is the Australian home of Polocrosse.^[1]

[edit] Notable locals

Film producer George Miller^[2]
Noted Australian folk/country singer Pete Murray grew up in Chinchilla.^[3]
Noted Australian painter Hugh Sawrey spent many years in the Kogan area.
Noted primary educator Jim Alexander (1930-1997) was born in the Kogan district, and he spent his last years as a teacher in Chinchilla (1985-1988). One of the finest of Jim's many students is the 2004 Queenslander of the Year, Chris Sarra.