Kingaroy, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Kingaroy is an agricultural town in Queensland
, Australia
, approximately 210 kilometres (130 mi) 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 Highway
s. At the 2006 census
, Kingaroy had a population of 7,620, a significant increase from the 2001 census figure of 7,147.
It is known as the "Peanut
Capital of Australia" because Australia's largest peanut processing plant is located in the town and peanut silos dominate the skyline.
The name Kingaroy is usually claimed to be derived from the Wakka Wakka Aboriginal word for 'Red Ant'. The local Kingaroy Rugby League football team is known as "the Red Ants" and a Red Ant features on the old Kingaroy Shire coat of arms. However a Wakka Wakka Word List provides the following explanation: "Derived from 'king', a small black ant, and 'dhu'roi', meaning hungry. The name was suggested by a local Aboriginal helper of the surveyor Mr Hector Munro who surveyed the original grazing holding of this name on account of these ants being a pest at the survey camp".
Kingaroy is also famous for being the home town of former Premier of Queensland, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
.
Henry Stuart Russell. Even through Russell was reputedly the first European to realise the potential of the South Burnett, it was Simon Scott of Taromeo (now Blackbutt
) and the Haly brothers of Taabinga who brought the first flocks of sheep to the area in the late 1850s.
In 1878 the district where Kingaroy now stands was settled by the Markwell brothers. When the first resumptions were made from the enormous Taabinga holding, the brothers selected two adjoining areas and in 1883 these leases were converted to freehold and became known as the 'Kingaroy Paddock'. The corner of this paddock was located on what is now known as Haly Street, named after the brothers who settled at Taabinga Station about 12 kilometres (7 mi) south-west of present-day Kingaroy.
A small, prosperous village grew up around Taabinga in the 1890s but the arrival of the railway in 1904 led to a land explosion around Kingaroy and the development of Kingaroy as it now exists. Taabinga quickly declined into a ghost town
by the end of World War I
and today the original Taabinga Homestead and a few outbuildings are all that remain of it. The area opposite Kingaroy Airport is today known as "Taabinga Village" but is really only a suburb of Kingaroy. Kingaroy celebrated its Centenary in 2004.
The Royal Australian Air Force had a significant operational and training presence in the region during the Second World War, the first squadrons deploying to the town's airport about mid 1942. At least eight squadrons were based at RAAF Kingaroy then (viz. Nos. 1, 4, 5, 6, 15
, 75, 92 and 93 Squadrons), together with No. 3 Initial Training School. Aircraft operated there by the RAAF included Avro Ansons, CAC Wirraways, DAP Beauforts, DH Mosquitos, Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawks and Bristol Beaufightters.
Kingaroy is also noted for being the first region in Australia
to be placed on Level 7 Water Restrictions
, which occurred on 1 October 2007.
and the region's commercial centre, offering all the services, shopping facilities and many of the industries generally expected in much larger centres. The town has its own hotels, motels, caravan parks, bed and breakfasts and cabins; and a range of restaurants, fast food outlets and petrol stations (including 24-hour petrol stations). Unlike many towns of its size, Kingaroy has its own shopping mall that includes Woolworths
, Big W
and other retailers. Kingaroy also has an aerodrome a few kilometres from the centre of town and is regularly served by major bus lines.
Kingaroy has the most cosmopolitan feel of any South Burnett township but it's still a relaxed, friendly and informal country town at heart. It has the typical low-humidity
climate of all South Burnett townships and is surrounded by extensive (and very picturesque) farmlands interspersed with low rolling hills. The Booie Range, home to several wineries and cellar doors, lies immediately north-east of the town and the Bunya Mountains
about 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) to the south-west. The township is situated in the middle of some spectacular scenery, and is popular for bushwalking
.
The Central Business District of the township is dominated by the Peanut Company of Australia's peanut silo
s (a local landmark). The Information, Art and Heritage Precinct is located directly opposite the peanut silos. The complex includes the Kingaroy Shire Art Gallery, Visitor Information Centre, Heritage Museum and an interpretative arena which highlights local industries. The Heritage Precinct also includes a number of historic buildings ranging from Carroll's Cottage (the first building constructed in Kingaroy) through to the Carrollee Hotel and the Shire's earliest Council Chambers (built in 1918).
Traditionally, Kingaroy has always been the centre of Australia's peanut and navy bean industries but since the early 1990s it has also developed into one of the twin hubs of the South Burnett's rapidly-expanding wine industry (the other hub is at Murgon
, Redgate and Moffatdale, 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) to the north). Several wineries are located either in or very close to the town, along with the Booie Range Distillery which opened in 2001 — only the third distillery in Queensland.
Drought
s and uncertainty surrounding the region's annual peanut crop led some farmers to diversify and grow grapes. Rich volcanic soil, hot dry summers and cold winters proved to be ideal conditions for wine growing. Quite a number of vineyard
s were established in the region, and the success of their wine enables the South Burnett region, which includes Kingaroy, to promote the area as a tourist destination. The success of this enterprise has been largely attributed to the scenery of the location, and has benefited the local economy.
and Chris McQueen
Wallabies centre/fly-half Berrick Barnes
, as well as Australia cricket test and one day opening batter Matthew Hayden
. The town has two lookouts (at nearby Mt Wooroolin and Apex Park in Fisher Street) which provide striking panoramic views across the area. Kingaroy also has its own golf
club, cricket
club, and bowls
club. Live entertainment is held regularly at the Returned Services League club as well as several central hotels and in Kingaroy Town Hall. A half-dozen cellardoors are located either in town of very close to it. It is also has a notable speedway track.
Major annual events include the Wine and Food In The Park Festival (held each March); The Kingaroy Trail Ride held since 2009 at "Minmore" 36 km from Kingaroy on the Burrandowan road (May 2011); the Kingaroy Show
(held each May); the Burrandowan Picnic Races
(held at Burrandowan on the outskirts of the Shire, also each May); the week-long UAV Outback Challenge
flying robot competition (held each September) and the Christmas Carnival (each December).
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...
, approximately 210 kilometres (130 mi) or about 2½ hours drive 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...
. The town is situated on 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 the Bunya Highway
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....
s. 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,...
, Kingaroy had a population of 7,620, a significant increase from the 2001 census figure of 7,147.
It is known as the "Peanut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
Capital of Australia" because Australia's largest peanut processing plant is located in the town and peanut silos dominate the skyline.
The name Kingaroy is usually claimed to be derived from the Wakka Wakka Aboriginal word for 'Red Ant'. The local Kingaroy Rugby League football team is known as "the Red Ants" and a Red Ant features on the old Kingaroy Shire coat of arms. However a Wakka Wakka Word List provides the following explanation: "Derived from 'king', a small black ant, and 'dhu'roi', meaning hungry. The name was suggested by a local Aboriginal helper of the surveyor Mr Hector Munro who surveyed the original grazing holding of this name on account of these ants being a pest at the survey camp".
Kingaroy is also famous for being the home town of former Premier of Queensland, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Sir Johannes "Joh" Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG , was an Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, a period that saw considerable economic development in the state...
.
History
Rural settlement of the area dates back to 1843 when one of the first selections was made at Burrandowan (west of Kingaroy) by squatter and explorerEuropean exploration of Australia
The European exploration of Australia encompasses several waves of seafarers and land explorers. Although Australia is often loosely said to have been discovered by Royal Navy Lieutenant James Cook in 1770, he was merely one of a number of European explorers to have sighted and landed on the...
Henry Stuart Russell. Even through Russell was reputedly the first European to realise the potential of the South Burnett, it was Simon Scott of Taromeo (now Blackbutt
Blackbutt, Queensland
Blackbutt is a town in the South Burnett region of Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the D'Aguilar Highway, in the South Burnett Local Government Area, 166 kilometres north west of the state capital, Brisbane. At the 2006 census, Blackbutt had a population of 572.European settlement...
) and the Haly brothers of Taabinga who brought the first flocks of sheep to the area in the late 1850s.
In 1878 the district where Kingaroy now stands was settled by the Markwell brothers. When the first resumptions were made from the enormous Taabinga holding, the brothers selected two adjoining areas and in 1883 these leases were converted to freehold and became known as the 'Kingaroy Paddock'. The corner of this paddock was located on what is now known as Haly Street, named after the brothers who settled at Taabinga Station about 12 kilometres (7 mi) south-west of present-day Kingaroy.
A small, prosperous village grew up around Taabinga in the 1890s but the arrival of the railway in 1904 led to a land explosion around Kingaroy and the development of Kingaroy as it now exists. Taabinga quickly declined into a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
by the end of 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...
and today the original Taabinga Homestead and a few outbuildings are all that remain of it. The area opposite Kingaroy Airport is today known as "Taabinga Village" but is really only a suburb of Kingaroy. Kingaroy celebrated its Centenary in 2004.
The Royal Australian Air Force had a significant operational and training presence in the region during the Second World War, the first squadrons deploying to the town's airport about mid 1942. At least eight squadrons were based at RAAF Kingaroy then (viz. Nos. 1, 4, 5, 6, 15
No. 15 Squadron RAAF
No. 15 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force light bomber and maritime patrol squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed in January 1944 and initially flew anti-submarine patrols off the east coast of Australia. From September that year elements of the squadron took part in the New...
, 75, 92 and 93 Squadrons), together with No. 3 Initial Training School. Aircraft operated there by the RAAF included Avro Ansons, CAC Wirraways, DAP Beauforts, DH Mosquitos, Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawks and Bristol Beaufightters.
Kingaroy is also noted for being the first region in 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...
to be placed on Level 7 Water Restrictions
Water restrictions in Australia
Water restrictions have been enacted in many cities and regions in Australia, which is the Earth's driest inhabited continent, in response to chronic water shortages resulting from the drought. Depending upon the location, these can include restrictions on watering lawns, using sprinkler systems,...
, which occurred on 1 October 2007.
Attractions and services
Kingaroy itself is the largest town in the South BurnettSouth 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:...
and the region's commercial centre, offering all the services, shopping facilities and many of the industries generally expected in much larger centres. The town has its own hotels, motels, caravan parks, bed and breakfasts and cabins; and a range of restaurants, fast food outlets and petrol stations (including 24-hour petrol stations). Unlike many towns of its size, Kingaroy has its own shopping mall that includes Woolworths
Woolworths (supermarkets)
Woolworths is the largest supermarket chain in Australia, owned by Woolworths Limited.-History:Woolworths Limited was founded in 1924, with the first store opening up in Sydney's Imperial Arcade.-2008 rebranding:...
, Big W
Big W
Big W is one of the largest chain of discount department stores in Australia, with over 150 stores. It is a division of Woolworths Limited, the second largest retailer in Australia. Its main competitors are Kmart and Target, both owned by Wesfarmers....
and other retailers. Kingaroy also has an aerodrome a few kilometres from the centre of town and is regularly served by major bus lines.
Kingaroy has the most cosmopolitan feel of any South Burnett township but it's still a relaxed, friendly and informal country town at heart. It has the typical low-humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
climate of all South Burnett townships and is surrounded by extensive (and very picturesque) farmlands interspersed with low rolling hills. The Booie Range, home to several wineries and cellar doors, lies immediately north-east of the town and the 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...
about 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) to the south-west. The township is situated in the middle of some spectacular scenery, and is popular for bushwalking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
.
The Central Business District of the township is dominated by the Peanut Company of Australia's peanut silo
Storage silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store grain or fermented feed known as silage. Silos are more commonly used for bulk storage of grain, coal, cement, carbon black, woodchips, food products and sawdust. Three types of silos are in widespread use...
s (a local landmark). The Information, Art and Heritage Precinct is located directly opposite the peanut silos. The complex includes the Kingaroy Shire Art Gallery, Visitor Information Centre, Heritage Museum and an interpretative arena which highlights local industries. The Heritage Precinct also includes a number of historic buildings ranging from Carroll's Cottage (the first building constructed in Kingaroy) through to the Carrollee Hotel and the Shire's earliest Council Chambers (built in 1918).
Industry and agriculture
Murgon, Queensland
Murgon is a town in Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Bunya Highway 270 kilometres north-west of the state capital, Brisbane.Murgon is in the region of Queensland known as the South Burnett, the southern part of the Burnett River catchment...
, Redgate and Moffatdale, 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) to the north). Several wineries are located either in or very close to the town, along with the Booie Range Distillery which opened in 2001 — only the third distillery in Queensland.
Drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
s and uncertainty surrounding the region's annual peanut crop led some farmers to diversify and grow grapes. Rich volcanic soil, hot dry summers and cold winters proved to be ideal conditions for wine growing. Quite a number of vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s were established in the region, and the success of their wine enables the South Burnett region, which includes Kingaroy, to promote the area as a tourist destination. The success of this enterprise has been largely attributed to the scenery of the location, and has benefited the local economy.
Sports and culture
Kingaroy has a vibrant sporting, cultural and social life and is home to an art gallery and several local craft outlets as well as a range of well-maintained and attractive parklands. The town is host of sportsmen including NRL newcomer's Chris SandowChris Sandow
Chris Sandow is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league player who previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League competition but from the 2012 NRL season, Sandow will play for the Parramatta Eels...
and Chris McQueen
Chris McQueen
Chris McQueen is a rugby league player, currently playing for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the Australian National Rugby League competition...
Wallabies centre/fly-half Berrick Barnes
Berrick Barnes
Berrick Barnes is an Australian rugby union footballer with the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition. His usual position is fly-half or inside centre and he previously played for the Queensland Reds....
, as well as Australia cricket test and one day opening batter Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden
Matthew Lawrence Hayden AM is a former Australian cricketer, and was signed to the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL until the 2010 season. Hayden is a powerful and aggressive left-handed opening batsman, known for his ability to score quickly at both Test and one day levels.Hayden holds the record...
. The town has two lookouts (at nearby Mt Wooroolin and Apex Park in Fisher Street) which provide striking panoramic views across the area. Kingaroy also has its own 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....
club, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club, and bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
club. Live entertainment is held regularly at the Returned Services League club as well as several central hotels and in Kingaroy Town Hall. A half-dozen cellardoors are located either in town of very close to it. It is also has a notable speedway track.
Major annual events include the Wine and Food In The Park Festival (held each March); The Kingaroy Trail Ride held since 2009 at "Minmore" 36 km from Kingaroy on the Burrandowan road (May 2011); the Kingaroy Show
Agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...
(held each May); the Burrandowan Picnic Races
Picnic horse racing
Picnic horse racing, or more usually picnic races or more colloquially "the picnics" refer to amateur Thoroughbred horse racing meetings, predominantly in Australia. The meetings are organized by amateur clubs, the jockeys are amateur riders, or sometimes former professional jockeys...
(held at Burrandowan on the outskirts of the Shire, also each May); the week-long UAV Outback Challenge
UAV Outback Challenge
The UAV Challenge - Outback Rescue, often referred to as simply the UAV Outback Challenge or UAV Challenge, began in 2007 and has been held every year since. The event is aimed at promoting the civilian use of unmanned aerial vehicles and the development of low-cost systems that could be used for...
flying robot competition (held each September) and the Christmas Carnival (each December).
Notable residents
There are many well-known people who can claim Kingaroy as their home town.- Tom WilsonTom WilsonThomas Blanchard Wilson Jr. was an American record producer best known for his work in the 1960s with Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Simon and Garfunkel and The Velvet Underground.-Starting out:...
- Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen former Premier of Queensland and his wife former Flo Bjelke-PetersenFlo Bjelke-PetersenFlorence "Flo" Isabel, Lady Bjelke-Petersen is an Australian retired politician and writer. She was a member of the Australian Senate from 1981 to 1993, and is the widow of the longest-serving Premier of Queensland, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.-Biography:Born as Florence Isabel Gilmour in Brisbane,...
- Howard GovernmentFourth Howard MinistryThe Fourth Howard Ministry was the 64th Australian ministry.It was sworn in by the Governor-General Major-General Michael Jeffery on 22 October 2004, and it ended on 3 December 2007 when the Prime Minister resigned his commission after losing the 2007 election to the Australian Labor Party led by...
Cabinet MinistersCabinet of AustraliaThe Cabinet of Australia is the council of senior ministers of the Crown, responsible to parliament. The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Prime Minister the Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, and serves at the former's pleasure. The strictly private...
Warren TrussWarren TrussWarren Errol Truss , Australian politician, is the current leader of the National Party of Australia in the Parliament of Australia. He has held the House of Representatives seat of Wide Bay since the 1990 election...
and Ian MacfarlaneIan Macfarlane (politician)Ian Elgin Macfarlane , is an Australian politician. He was elected as a member of the Australian House of Representatives in October 1998, representing the Division of Groom, Queensland for the Liberal National Party...
. - David JullDavid JullDavid Francis Jull was an Australian politician. He was a long-serving Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Bowman, Queensland, from 1975–83 and Fadden, Queensland, from 1984–2007.Jull was born in Kingaroy, Queensland, and was educated at the...
long-serving Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Bowman, Queensland, from 1975–83 and Fadden, Queensland, from 1984–2007. - Charles AdermannCharles AdermannSir Charles Frederick Adermann KBE was an Australian federal politician and government minister.Adermann was born at Vernor Siding, near Lowood, Queensland, the son of German immigrants and educated at Lowood and Wooroolin State schools until he was 13...
former minister for Primary Industry under the Menzies Government - Former AustralianAustralian cricket teamThe Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er Matthew HaydenMatthew HaydenMatthew Lawrence Hayden AM is a former Australian cricketer, and was signed to the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL until the 2010 season. Hayden is a powerful and aggressive left-handed opening batsman, known for his ability to score quickly at both Test and one day levels.Hayden holds the record... - Australian Rugby UnionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player Berrick BarnesBerrick BarnesBerrick Barnes is an Australian rugby union footballer with the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition. His usual position is fly-half or inside centre and he previously played for the Queensland Reds.... - AustralianAustralian cricket teamThe Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er Carl RackemannCarl RackemannCarl Gray Rackemann OAM , born in Wondai, Queensland, is a former Queensland and Australian cricketer. He was a fast bowler in 12 Tests, 52 ODIs and 167 first-class cricket matches in a career spanning 1979–80 to 1995–96.... - Australian Rugby LeagueRugby leagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player Dave Brown - Current National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
player Chris SandowChris SandowChris Sandow is an Indigenous Australian professional rugby league player who previously played for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League competition but from the 2012 NRL season, Sandow will play for the Parramatta Eels... - Lost "bushwalker" Outback Joe, who is the target of the annual UAV Challenge Outback RescueUAV Outback ChallengeThe UAV Challenge - Outback Rescue, often referred to as simply the UAV Outback Challenge or UAV Challenge, began in 2007 and has been held every year since. The event is aimed at promoting the civilian use of unmanned aerial vehicles and the development of low-cost systems that could be used for...
held at Kingaroy airport. - Former Australian and current NRL star Willie Tonga, as well as his younger brother Esikeli Tonga (Titan's under 20's)
- Current National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby LeagueThe National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
Player Matt BallinMatt BallinMatthew Ballin is a professional rugby league player who currently plays for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League . He primarily plays at hooker.-Early years:...
(Although he was born in Nanango, he was raised in Kingaroy). - Karl Learmont from the Sydney-Based Industrial Music Duo AngelspitAngelspitAngelspit is a cyberpunk band from Sydney, Australia. The band was formed in 2004 by vocalists/synthesists Destroyx and ZooG...
spent many of his adolescent years in Kingaroy.