The South Burnett Regional Council area is located in the Wide Bay Burnett Region of south-east Queensland, about 200 kilometres north-west of the Brisbane CBD. The South Burnett Regional Council area is bounded by the North Burnett Regional Council area in the north, the Gympie Regional Council area and the Somerset Regional Council area in the east, the Toowoomba Regional Council area in the south, and the Western Downs Regional Council area in the west. The South Burnett Regional Council area entirely surrounds the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire, which is located in the east.
Included Areas
The South Burnett Regional Council area includes the localities of Abbeywood, Alice Creek, Ballogie, Barker Creek Flat, Barlil, Benair, Benarkin, Benarkin North, Blackbutt, Blackbutt North, Blackbutt South, Booie, Boondooma, Boyneside, Brigooda, Brooklands, Bullcamp, Bunya Mountains (part), Byee, Chahpingah, Charlestown, Chelmsford, Cloyna, Cobbs Hill, Coolabunia, Corndale, Coverty, Crawford, Crownthorpe (part), Cushnie, Dangore, Durong, East Nanango, Ellesmere, Fairdale, Ficks Crossing, Glan Devon, Glenrock, Goodger, Gordonbrook, Greenview, Haly Creek, Hodgleigh, Hivesville, Inverlaw, Ironpot, Johnstown, Kawl Kawl, Keysland, Kingaroy, Kinleymore, Kitoba, Kumbia, Kunioon, Leafdale, Maidenwell, Mannuem, Manyung, Marshlands, Melrose, Memerambi, Merlwood, Moffatdale, Mondure, Moondooner, Mount McEuen, MP Creek, Murgon, Nanango, Neumgna, Nukku, Oakdale, Okeden, Pimpimbudgee, Proston, Redgate, Runnymede, Sandy Ridges, Silverleaf, South East Nanango, South Nanango, Speedwell, Stalworth, Stonelands, Sunny Nook, Taabinga, Tablelands, Taromeo, Tarong, Teelah, Tingoora, Warnung, Wattle Camp, Wattle Grove, Wengenville, Wheatlands, Wigton, Wilkesdale, Windera (part), Wondai, Wooroolin, Wooroonden and Wyalla. The South Burnett Regional Council area does not include the locality of Cherbourg, which is located in the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire.
Land Use
The South Burnett Regional Council area is predominantly rural, with a township at Kingaroy, smaller townships at Murgon, Nanango and Wondai, and villages at Benarkin, Blackbutt, Durong, Hivesville, Kumbia, Maidenwell, Memerambi, Proston, Tingoora and Wooroolin. Rural land is used largely for agriculture, particularly cattle grazing, and crop and cereal growing (including peanuts, navy beans, wheat, grain and sorghum). Timber production, viticulture, coal mining and electricity generation are also important industries. The South Burnett Regional Council area encompasses a total land area of about 8,400 square kilometres.
Name Origin
South Burnett Regional Council is named for its location - to the south of the Burnett River, which was named after James Charles Burnett, who explored the area in 1847.
Indigenous Meaning
The original inhabitants of the South Burnett Regional Council area were the Wakka Wakka Aboriginal people.
Settlement
European settlement dates from the early 1840s, with land used mainly for grazing and timber production. Population was minimal until the late 1800s, with some gold mining in and nearby the area. Crop and grape growing becoming popular at this time. Significant growth took place during the early 1900s, spurred by the opening of the railway line, with development particularly in the townships of Kingaroy, Murgon, Nanango and Wondai. In 1979 construction started on the Tarong Power Stations, the adjacent Meandu Coal Mine, and Boondooma Dam, with work completed in 1986. The Bjelke-Petersen Dam was completed in 1989. The population of the Council area increased gradually from the 1990s.
Major Features
Major features of the South Burnett Regional Council area include Bunya Mountains National Park (part), Cherbourg National Park, Tarong National Park, Boat Mountain Regional Park (part), Cherbourg Regional Park, Jack Smith Scrub Regional Park, Reinke Scrub Regional Park, Bjelke-Petersen Dam (Lake Barambah), Boondooma Dam, Gordonbrook Dam, numerous state forests, Coomba Falls, Kingaroy Observatory, numerous wineries, Kingaroy Heritage Museum, Murgon Dairy and Heritage Museum, Roy Emerson Museum, Wondai Heritage Museum, Boondooma Homestead, South Burnett Energy Centre, the Tarong Power Stations, Kingaroy Shoppingworld, TAFE Queensland Wide Bay Burnett (Kingaroy Campus), Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery, Wondai Regional Art Gallery, The Lavender Farm at Pottique, Kingaroy Hospital, the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail and the Kilkivan to Kingaroy Rail Trail.
Transport
The South Burnett Regional Council area is served by the Bunya Highway, the Burnett Highway and the D’Aguilar Highway.
