The Wondai Post Office

Wondai (including Tingoora)
Quiet rural service town.
Wondai is a small town located 241 km from Brisbane, 197 km from Toowoomba and 109 km from Gympie. A sign on the edge of the town announces that it was 'Home of Wondai's Mate' a hugely successful harness racer.

Like so much of southern Queensland, Wondai was settled in the 1840s after the New South Wales government decided to open land around the Moreton Bay penal colony to free settlers. A number of large stations (first sheep and later cattle) were established in the region but it wasn't until 1902 that the town was officially gazetted.

In the 1850s the landholdings around Wondai were vast. Richard Jones, who already had substantial holdings near Murgon, acquired 350 sq. miles north of Wondai around this time.

The establishment of the town was the result of the arrival of the railway line and, in 1901, the resumption of large tracts of land which was subsequently subdivided resulting in more intensive land use.

The town grew slowly (its importance was hampered by the proximity of Kingaroy which is only 30 km to the south) and it wasn't constituted as a shire until 1914. Today it is a typical rural centre servicing the surrounding properties where peanuts, wheat and cereal crops are grown, and dairy and beef cattle are raised.

Things to see:  

Wondai Museum
Visitors interested in the history of the local area should visit the recently established Wondai Museum in Mackenzie Street (open from 10.00am–4.00pm Monday to Friday) which is a typical folk museum filled with informative and unusual memorabilia from the local area. It includes the reconstructed operating theatre from the old Wondai Hospital which dates back to 1915.

Tingoora
5 km south of Wondai (on the road to Kingaroy) is the little hamlet of Tingoora which has a solitary hotel and an automobile museum which boasts over 2000 items displayed. Contact (07) 4168 5295 for details.

	Tourist Information
	Wondai Shire Council 31 Scott St Wondai QLD 4606 Telephone: (07) 4168 5155
	Motels
	Wondai Colonial Motel Bunya Hwy Wondai QLD 4606 Telephone: (07) 4168 5638 Rating: ***
	Hotels
	Hotel Cecil 58 Mackenzie St Wondai QLD 4606 Telephone: (07) 4168 5460
	Warana Hotel/Motel Mackenzie St Wondai QLD 4606 Telephone: (07) 4168 5366 Rating: *
	Wondai Hotel 35 Haly St Wondai QLD 4606 Telephone: (07) 4168 5833
	Caravan Parks
	Wondai Caravan Park Mackenzie St Wondai QLD 4606 Telephone: (07) 4168 5155 Rating: *
	Restaurants
	Wondai Colonial Motel Restaurant Bunya Hwy Wondai QLD 4606 Telephone: (07) 4168 5638