Peanuts and patriotism at Kingaroy

Kingaroy (including Bunya Mountains)
Australia's peanut capital.
Kingaroy is a rather pleasant, middle-sized town which proudly boasts that it is both the 'Peanut Capital of Australia'. For a time it was one of Australia's best known country towns. The reason: It was the home of the late Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, long time Premier of Queensland, would-be aspirant Prime Minister in the 'Joh for PM' campaign, and one of the most controversial, frustrating and entertaining politicians of recent times. Love him or hate him the political scene changed when he departed. It is not surprising that his name appears everywhere. There's the Johannes Bjelke-Petersen Airport (which is conveniently located next to the property of the former premier) and the Bjelke-Petersen Research Station. And, if you want a memento of your brief visit to Bjelke-Petersen country, you can buy tea towels which combine a picture of Lady Flo with the recipe for her famous pumpkin scones.

Located 431 m above sea level and 225 km northwest of Brisbane on the D'Aguilar Highway, Kingaroy was probably named after the Aboriginal word 'kinjerroy' which was a term used to describe a particular type of red ant. However, there is a school of thought that says the town was named after an early settler named King but there is little evidence to support this claim.

Like so much of the land north of Moreton Bay, Kingaroy was opened up in the 1840s when Henry Stuart Russell and the Haly brothers moved into the area. Taabinga Station homestead (now listed on the National Estate) was built in 1846.

The old homestead is described as follows: 'A slab building erected in 1846 by the Haly brothers. The west elevation is sandstone blocks, 60 centimetres thick, quarried on the site. The shingled roof is now covered with corrugated iron and the wide verandahs with trellises and weatherboards. Stables and yards are in excellent condition. This is a fine example of the early homesteads of the Kingaroy district.' It is located 5 km south of Kingaroy and is closed to the public however it can be opened for groups. Enquiries should be directed to the Kingaroy Tourist Information Centre.

Areas of the vast Taabinga Station were set aside for a town as early as the 1880s but it wasn't until 1902 that any serious development of the town centre began. In the next five years the town grew rapidly. In 1904 the railway arrived (thus ensuring the town's continuing existence), the Post Office and Police Station were built, and the first hotel was constructed. Three years later Taabinga Station was opened up for closer settlement and a butter factory was built.

The next major stage in the town's development occurred in the 1920s when the first significant crops of peanuts was harvested and the first peanut silo was built (1928). Today the town seems to be run by peanuts. There are big peanut signs in the street, peanut selling points known as 'The Peanut Van' are located at either end of the town, the peanut silos dominate the town, and even the Visitors Centre gets in on the act by ensuring it has peanuts for sale.

The town is now one of Australia's major peanut producers with part of the crop being exported to New Zealand, Britain and Japan. The huge peanut silos are 42 m high and capable of holding 16 000 tonnes.

Windmill in a field near Kingaroy

Things to see:  

Kingaroy Information, Art and Heritage Precinct
The ideal starting point for any visit to Kingaroy is the Kingaroy Information, Art and Heritage Precinct which is located in Haly Street. Apart from the inevitable information about peanuts, the Information Centre can provide you with details of how to get out to the Bjelke-Petersen home. Videos about the peanut industry are shown in the Visitor Information Centre complex and in the adjoining Kingaroy Heritage Museum. Contact (07) 4162 6272

Kingaroy Heritage Museum
Next to the Information Centre is the town's Kingaroy Heritage Museum which is open weekdays from 9.00 am - 4.30 pm and weekends and public holidays 9.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. It has a good folk museum display which chronicles the agricultural and pastoral history of the area.

Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen's property
No visit to the town would be complete without a visit to Sir Joh and Lady Flo's property 'Bethany' (go south past the airport and on the left is a sign to 'Bethany'). The Australian Flag regularly flies above the house.

Bunya Mountains National Park
One of the true natural highlights of the area is the Bunya Mountains National Park which is about 50 km from Kingaroy.

This pleasant and isolated area of the Great Dividing Range has bushwalks, camping facilities and excellent picnic sites. With an average elevation of 975 m and a diversity of flora including rainforests, woodlands and grasslands it is an area rich in history and typical of the development of much of the region.

The Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service, who administer the area, record the park's interesting history in numerous brochures and leaflets.

'Every three years in February and March, the bunya pine produces a heavy crop of cones. Aboriginal tribes came from as far as the Maranoa, the Clarence and Maryborough area for six weeks of tribal ceremonies, hunting, feasting, mock fighting and corroborees. Most evidence of this important gathering of tribes is gone.

'European settlers moved into the region in the early 1840s; however, the Bunya Mountains were not opened for selection until 1878. In the late 1860s, sawmillers arrived to log red cedar; initially, the bunya pine was not cut because of its significance to Aboriginals. The last great bunya feast took place in 1875 and remnants of the tribes continued to assemble until 1883 when the Great Bunya Sawmill opened and commenced cutting bunya pine. The last sawmill on the mountain closed in 1945.

'In 1908, 9303 hectares were gazetted as the Bunya Mountains National Park - the second national park in Queensland. The park now covers 11 700 hectares.' For further information ring (07) 4668 3127.

	Tourist Information
	Kingaroy Information Art and Heritage Precinct 128 Haly St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 6272 Facsimile: (07) 4162 3474
	Motels
	Ascot Lodge Motor Inn 69-71 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 8333 Rating: ****
	Burke & Wills Motor Inn 95 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 2933 Rating: ***1/2
	Holliday Motel 175 Youngman St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1822 Rating: ***
	Kingaroy Country Motel 38 Knight St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1966 Rating: ***
	Oasis Motel 50 Walter Rd Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 2399 Rating: ***1/2
	Pioneer Lodge 100 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 3999 Rating: ***1/2
	Hotels
	Broadway Hotel 151 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1815
	Carrollee Hotel 4 King St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1055
	Club Hotel 169 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 2204
	Kingaroy Hotel/Motel Youngman St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1677
	Kumbia Hotel Bell St Kumbia Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4164 4166
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Avalon Country Retreat Mannuem Creek Rd Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4164 4115
	Cottages & Cabins
	Bethany Cottages Peterson Dve Kumbia Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 7046
	Bethany Cottages Peterson Dve Kumbia Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 7046
	Captains Cottage (Captains Paddock Vineyard) 18 Millers Rd Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 4534
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Deshons Retreat 164 Haydens Rd Booie Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4163 6688
	Cottages & Cabins
	Hillview Cottages 297 Birt Rd Booie Range Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1727
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Rock-Al-Roy B&B 15 Kearney St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 3061
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Minmore Homestead(working farm) Minmore Rd Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4164 3196
	Old Boyneside Farmstay (working farm) Bunya Hwy Kumbia Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4164 4262
	Passchendaele Farm Holidays (working farm) Ironpot Rd Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4164 8147
	Taabinga Homestead (working farm) Stuart Valley Dve Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4164 5531
	Caravan Parks
	Kingaroy Holiday Park 48 Walter Rd Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1808 Rating: ***1/2
	Rykes Caravan Park Bell St Kumbia Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4164 4375
	Showground Caravan Park Youngman St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 5037
	Restaurants
	Albert Sun Chinese Takaway Youngman St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 2850
	Bell Tower Restaurant, (Booie Range Distillers) Cnr Schellbacks & Haydens Rds Booie Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 7000
	Broadway Hotel 151 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1815
	Burke & Wills Licensed Restaurant 95 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 2933
	Carrollee Hotel Restaurant 4 King St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1055
	Club Hotel 169 Haly St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 2204
	Commercial Hotel 167 Haly St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1380
	Kingaroy and District RSL Club 126 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1755
	Kingaroy Carvery Alford St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (081) 62 3699
	Kingaroy Country Motel Restaurant 38 Knight St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1966
	Kingaroy Hotel Restaurant Cnr Youngman & Haly Sts Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1270
	Lee's Kitchen 117 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 4800
	McGlinn's Bar & Grill Youngman St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1518
	Mets Cafe and Kebab Bar Youngman St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 4611
	Oasis Motel Restaurant 50 Walter Rd Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 2399
	Pioneer Room 100 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 3999
	Sun Asia Chinese Restaurant Kingaroy Shopping World Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 7888
	Tak Shing Restaurant 34 Alford St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1778
	Cafés
	Burning Beats BYO Cafe Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 3932
	Busy Bee Cafe 143 Haly St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 2101
	Glendon Street Cafe 3/30 Glendon St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 1297
	Kingaroy Coffee Lounge 184 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 3548
	Utopia Cafe 199 Kingaroy St Kingaroy QLD 4610 Telephone: (07) 4162 3833