Nanango, Queensland

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Nanango
Queensland

Population:

2,617 (2001 census)

Postcode:

4615

Elevation:

355.0 m

Location:

201 km from Brisbane
138 km from Toowoomba
27 km from Kingaroy

LGA:

Nanango Shire

State District:

Nanango

Federal Division:

Blair

Mean Max Temp	Mean Min Temp	Rainfall
25.2 °C ^{77 °F}	10.0 °C ^{50 °F}	788.7 mm ^{31.1 in}

Nanango is the fourth oldest town in the state of Queensland, Australia. It is also the administrative centre of the Nanango Shire Local Government Area. The town has a population of approximately 4500 people with a shire population of 8,714 (2004). It is situated 210km North-West of the state capital Brisbane. Nanango sits at the junction of the D'Aguilar and Burnett Highways.

1 History
2 Economy
3 Education
4 Culture
5 Tourism
6 Events
7 External links
8 References

[edit] History

The original inhabitants of the area were the indigenous people belonging to the Wakka Wakka (or Waka Waka) people. The area was used as a gateway to the bunya nut festivals, where aboriginal people would travel from far as far away as the Clarence River in Northern New South Wales and the Maranoa River to feast on bunya nuts from the bunya trees.

The area around Nanango was first settled by Europeans in 1842 when the Scott family opened Taromeo Station. This was followed in 1847 by John Borthwick and William Oliver from Ipswich taking up pastures for sheep farming. Oliver selected an area of more than 500 sq. km that comprised four blocks - Coolabunia, Booie, Broadwater and Nanango.

The first commercial establishment at the present site of Nanango township was Goode's Inn, founded by prospector Jacob Goode. The inn served travellers journeying between Brisbane and Limestone (now known as Ipswich) and became the meeting place for early residents of Taromeo, Tarong and Nanango stations. The town of Nanango quickly developed around it. Goode was officially licensed to sell "fermentous liquor" in 1851, probably three years after he commenced to do so in 1848.

The name Nanango has evolved from the Wakka Wakka word "Nunangi". There is dispute over the origins of the name Nanango- the word means "large watering hole" or but was also the name of a local aboriginal leader at the time of settlement. The original settlement was called "Noogoonida" by the aboriginies, meaning "place where the waters gather together".

Beef, dairy and timber (in particular the valuable red cedar) were the primary early industries in the area. The discovery of gold at the Seven Mile Diggings near Nanango in the 1860s precipitated a population boom, however the gold deposits were found to be relatively small. At one time the population included 700 miners, many of whom were Chinese. A second population boom occurred when the Brisbane Valley Line was extended to Nanango in 1911.^[1] After World War I, however, growth levelled off until the early 1970s when the development of the Tarong Power Station led to a third population explosion.

[edit] Economy

Today Nanango's principal industries are power generating and coal mining, agriculture, beef and pork production, dairying and milk processing, timber growing and milling, small crops, natural medicine, art and craftwork and tourism.

[edit] Education

Nanango has two primary schools in Nanango State Primary and St. Patricks and one high school, Nanango State High school. Nanango State High School was established in 1982 and is set over 35 acres of land. It has over 500 students and includes a special needs unit. The school has a high standing in the community and consistently performs well in public speaking and the Young Achievement Australia business awards.

[edit] Culture

Nanango also has a vigorous cultural and sporting life and is host to an art gallery, several potteries and many craft outlets. The town also has many clubs and a range of sporting facilities including an RSL, bike, darts, golf, lawn bowling and archery clubs. There are 13 well-maintained parklands in the Shire which naturalists believe are home to 250 different bird species.

[edit] Tourism

Located approximately 200km away from Brisbane, Nanango attracts day and weekend trippers from South East Queensland. Tourists also travel through the town on their way betweeen Rockhampton in the north and Sydney/Melbourne in the south. The CBD features impressive chainsaw sculptures and murals which reflect the town's historical connections with timber-felling, farming and mining.

A great deal of Nanango's colourful history is preserved in its buildings - especially Ringsfield House, a wonderfully restored circa 1908 Queenslander developed by architect Robin Dods and now the headquarters of the Nanango Historical Society. Unfortunately a number of fires throughout history have ravaged the CBD of the town, especially the fire of 1940 which destroyed all of the shops on the southern side of Drayton Street from Fitzroy to Henry Street. This has led the CBD to have a "1950's feel" to it due to the architecture of the time. One building that escaped the ravages of fire was "Nobby's Corner", a wonderful example of an old-fashioned corner store with wide verandahs.

Nanango serves as a gateway for exploration of nearby towns. Day trips from the town include the Grapes and Gourmets Drive,^[2] Bunya Mountains, Coomba Falls and fossicking at Seven Mile Diggings. The "Great Bunya Drive" was created in 2006 and passes through the township and other regional attractions.

[edit] Events

Nanango has a number of live entertainment venues which regularly host performances by local theatre and musical groups. The Lee Park race track - not far south of the CBD - hosts around 8 meetings each year.

Major annual events include the international Criterium Bike Race (held in Nanango's CBD in February); the Nanango Show (held at the Nanango Showgrounds in April); the Nanango Arts Festival (held over a week in June); the Nanango Country Music Muster (held at the Showgrounds in September); the week-long Pioneer Festival (in October) and the Christmas Carnival (in December).