Goomeri, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Goomeri is a town in the South Burnett
region of Queensland
, Australia
. The town is located on the intersection of the Burnett
, Bunya
and Wide Bay Highway
s, 235 kilometres (146 mi) from the state capital, Brisbane
. Part of the Gympie Local government area, at the 2006 census
, Goomeri had a population of 488. The town's name is allegedly derived from the Aboriginal name for "broken shield".
European settlement in the Goomeri area began in 1846 with the establishment of Booubyjan Homestead and Boonara Station. Closer settlement took place in 1911 with the sale of rural allotments and town blocks.
With delightful parks and many of the buildings built in the 1920s, Goomeri is a quiet and pleasant place that boasts an agreeably relaxed old world charm. The town is also known as “Clocktown” due to the landmark town clock built in 1939. Goomeri's impressive Hall of Memory – still in use today, was built in 1926 and is now a National Trust-listed building.
The town is also well known for its gourmet food. Goomeri offers variety dining of options from fine dining, country food, gourmet cheeses and locally grown olives to award winning pies. Goomeri is the gateway to the South Burnett wine district, with numerous vineyards and cellar doors within close proximity. Other industries in the area include beef and dairy.
The Goomeri Pumpkin
Festival, held on the last Sunday in May each year, attracts up to 14,000 visitors each year. The highlight of the Pumpkin Festival is the "Great Australian Pumpkin Roll" down Policeman's Hill.
Goomeri’s information centre situated near the windmill at Lions Park in Moore Street. Open 10am – 4pm, Monday to Friday. Goomeri also has a hotel and art gallery.
Kinbombi Falls is a popular retreat with a large picnic area and barbecues, close to Goomeri. A walking track leads to a deep natural pool. An easy track skirts the top of the gorge, offering breathtaking views.
29 km north of Goomeri is Springbrook Host Farm, home of the Visit Oz scheme, which provides training and work for young travelers on outback properties all over the country.
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...
. The town is located on the intersection of the Burnett
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...
, Bunya
Bunya Highway
The Bunya Highway is a 173 kilometre state highway of Queensland, Australia. It is a relatively short road, running approximately 170 kilometres in a south-westerly direction from Goomeri to Dalby. The highway connects the Warrego and Burnett Highways....
and Wide Bay Highway
Wide Bay Highway
The Wide Bay Highway is a state highway of Queensland, Australia. It is a rather short road, running approximately 45 kilometres in an east-west direction linking Goomeri to Gympie...
s, 235 kilometres (146 mi) from 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...
. Part of the Gympie Local government area, 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,...
, Goomeri had a population of 488. The town's name is allegedly derived from the Aboriginal name for "broken shield".
European settlement in the Goomeri area began in 1846 with the establishment of Booubyjan Homestead and Boonara Station. Closer settlement took place in 1911 with the sale of rural allotments and town blocks.
With delightful parks and many of the buildings built in the 1920s, Goomeri is a quiet and pleasant place that boasts an agreeably relaxed old world charm. The town is also known as “Clocktown” due to the landmark town clock built in 1939. Goomeri's impressive Hall of Memory – still in use today, was built in 1926 and is now a National Trust-listed building.
The town is also well known for its gourmet food. Goomeri offers variety dining of options from fine dining, country food, gourmet cheeses and locally grown olives to award winning pies. Goomeri is the gateway to the South Burnett wine district, with numerous vineyards and cellar doors within close proximity. Other industries in the area include beef and dairy.
The Goomeri Pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
Festival, held on the last Sunday in May each year, attracts up to 14,000 visitors each year. The highlight of the Pumpkin Festival is the "Great Australian Pumpkin Roll" down Policeman's Hill.
Goomeri’s information centre situated near the windmill at Lions Park in Moore Street. Open 10am – 4pm, Monday to Friday. Goomeri also has a hotel and art gallery.
Kinbombi Falls is a popular retreat with a large picnic area and barbecues, close to Goomeri. A walking track leads to a deep natural pool. An easy track skirts the top of the gorge, offering breathtaking views.
29 km north of Goomeri is Springbrook Host Farm, home of the Visit Oz scheme, which provides training and work for young travelers on outback properties all over the country.