Nanango, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Nanango is a town in the South Burnett
region of Queensland
, Australia
. It is the fourth oldest town in Queensland
. At the 2006 census
, Nanango had a population of 3,083. It is situated 210 kilometres (130 mi) north-west of the state capital, Brisbane
. Nanango sits at the junction of the D'Aguilar
and Burnett Highway
s.
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 1847 by John Borthwick and William Oliver from Ipswich
taking up pastures for sheep farming. Oliver selected an area of more than 500 km² 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 from 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 1867 precipitated a gold rush, and consequently a local population boom, however the gold deposits were found to be meagre. At one time the population included 700 miners, many of whom were Chinese
. A second population boom occurred when the Brisbane Valley railway line was extended to Yarraman
in 1911. Nanango became the terminus of a branch off the South Burnett railway line at Kingaroy
on 13 November 1911. The 22.5 km (14 mile) missing rail link between Nanango and Yarraman, although planned was never built. 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. McCauley Weir
was used as the town's water supply until three additional bores were drilled at the confluence of Barkers Creek and Meandu Creek.
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
.
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.
, Nanango attracts day and weekend trippers from South East Queensland
. Tourists also travel through the town on their way between Rockhampton
in the north and Sydney
/Melbourne
in the south. The CBD
features 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 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 "1950s feel" due to the architecture of the time. One building that escaped the ravages of fire was "Nobby's Corner", an example of an old-fashioned corner store with wide verandahs.
Nanango serves as a gateway for exploration of nearby towns. Day trip
s from the town include the Grapes and Gourmets Drive, 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.
- 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, previously known as the Mardis Gras, until locals were worried it may be mistaken for a similarly named festival in New South Wales (in October) and the Christmas Carnival (in December).
South Burnett
The South Burnett is a peanut growing and wine-producing region on the Great Dividing Range, north of the Darling Downs, in Queensland.-Towns:...
region of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is the fourth oldest town in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Nanango had a population of 3,083. It is situated 210 kilometres (130 mi) north-west of the state capital, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. Nanango sits at the junction of the D'Aguilar
D'Aguilar Highway
The D'Aguilar Highway is a two-lane highway linking the Bruce Highway near Caboolture with Kingaroy in the state of Queensland, Australia. Major towns along the route include Woodford, Kilcoy, Yarraman, Nanango and Kingaroy...
and Burnett Highway
Burnett Highway
The Burnett Highway is an inland rural highway located in Queensland, Australia. The highway runs generally north - south, from its junction with the Bruce Highway, just south of Rockhampton, to Nanango. Length is approximately 550 kilometres...
s.
History
The original inhabitants of the area were the indigenous peopleIndigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
belonging to the Wakka Wakka (or Waka Waka) people. The area was used as a gateway to the bunya nut
Araucaria bidwillii
Araucaria bidwillii, the Bunya Pine, is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the genus Araucaria, family Araucariaceae. It is native to south-east Queensland with two small disjunct populations in northern Queensland's World Heritage listed Wet Tropics, and many fine old specimens planted in New...
festivals, where Aboriginal people would travel from far as far away as the Clarence River
Clarence River (New South Wales)
The Clarence River is situated in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. The river originates on the watershed that marks the Queensland border. After flowing south and northeast for 394 km it then empties into the Pacific Ocean at Iluka/Yamba. On its journey it passes through the towns of...
in northern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and the Maranoa River to feast on bunya nuts from the bunya trees
Araucaria bidwillii
Araucaria bidwillii, the Bunya Pine, is a large evergreen coniferous tree in the genus Araucaria, family Araucariaceae. It is native to south-east Queensland with two small disjunct populations in northern Queensland's World Heritage listed Wet Tropics, and many fine old specimens planted in New...
.
The area around Nanango was first settled by Europeans in 1847 by John Borthwick and William Oliver from Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
taking up pastures for sheep farming. Oliver selected an area of more than 500 km² 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 from Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
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 1867 precipitated a gold rush, and consequently a local population boom, however the gold deposits were found to be meagre. At one time the population included 700 miners, many of whom were Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. A second population boom occurred when the Brisbane Valley railway line was extended to Yarraman
Yarraman, Queensland
Yarraman is a town in Queensland, Australia. The town is located northwest of the state capital, Brisbane on the junction of the New England and D'Aguilar highways.-History:...
in 1911. Nanango became the terminus of a branch off the South Burnett railway line at Kingaroy
Kingaroy, Queensland
Kingaroy is an agricultural town in Queensland, Australia, approximately or about 2½ hours drive north-west of the state capital Brisbane. The town is situated on the junction of the D'Aguilar and the Bunya Highways...
on 13 November 1911. The 22.5 km (14 mile) missing rail link between Nanango and Yarraman, although planned was never built. After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, however, growth levelled off until the early 1970s when the development of the Tarong Power Station led to a third population explosion. McCauley Weir
McCauley Weir
McCauley Weir is a weir located near Nanango, Queensland, Australia. It was originally constructed as a water supply for Nanango. It has since ceased to be used as a water supply and is only used by nearby farms for stock use....
was used as the town's water supply until three additional bores were drilled at the confluence of Barkers Creek and Meandu Creek.
Economy
Nanango's principal industries are power generationPower station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
and coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mining, agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
and pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
production, dairying and milk processing, timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
growing and milling, small crops, natural medicine, art and craftwork and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
Education
Nanango has two primary schools being Nanango State Primary situated near Barkers creek and a Catholic school called St. Patricks. It is also fortunate to hold a high school, Nanango State High School which was established in 1982 and is set over 35 acres of land. It has over 500 students and includes a special needs unitCulture
Nanango also has a vigorous cultural and sporting life and is host to several potteriesPotteries
Potteries may refer to:* Pottery, or pottery manufacturing* The Stoke-on-Trent area, known as the Staffordshire Potteries after its once-important ceramics industry...
and many craft outlets. The town also has many clubs and a range of sporting facilities including an RSL
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
, bike
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, lawn bowling and archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
clubs. There are 13 well-maintained parklands in the Shire which naturalists believe are home to 250 different bird species.
Tourism
Located approximately 200 km away from BrisbaneBrisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Nanango attracts day and weekend trippers from South East Queensland
South East Queensland
South East Queensland is a region of the state of Queensland in Australia, which contains approximately two-thirds of the state population...
. Tourists also travel through the town on their way between Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
in the north and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
/Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in the south. The CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
features 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 restored circa 1908 Queenslander
Queenslander (architecture)
Queenslander architecture is a modern term for the vernacular type of architecture of Queensland, Australia. It is also found in the northern parts of the adjacent state of New South Wales and shares many traits with architecture in other states of Australia but is distinct and unique...
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 "1950s feel" due to the architecture of the time. One building that escaped the ravages of fire was "Nobby's Corner", an example of an old-fashioned corner store with wide verandahs.
Nanango serves as a gateway for exploration of nearby towns. Day trip
Day Trip
Day Trip is the studio album of jazz guitarist Pat Metheny along with Christian McBride and Antonio Sanchez.It was released by Nonesuch Records on January 29, 2008.-Track listing:-Personnel:* Pat Metheny - Guitar* Christian McBride - Bass...
s from the town include the Grapes and Gourmets Drive, Bunya Mountains
Bunya Mountains
The Bunya Mountains are a distinctive set of peaks forming an isolated section of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland. The mountain range forms the northern edge of the Darling Downs near Bell and Dalby. The mountains are south of Kingaroy and just to the south west of Nanango...
, 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.
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 CBDCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
- 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, previously known as the Mardis Gras, until locals were worried it may be mistaken for a similarly named festival in New South Wales (in October) and the Christmas Carnival (in December).