Things to Do in Chinchilla QLD

Chinchilla is located in the Western Darling Downs of Central Queensland, about 300 kilometres north west of Brisbane along the Warrego Highway.

Originally the home of the Barungam people, the first white settler, Matthew Goggs, was granted a lease for Chinchilla Station in 1848. The town grew in 1878 with the railway link from Toowoomba to Roma.

Visitors can relive the town's early days at the Chinchilla Historical Museum, or the impressive Chinchilla Folk Museum which houses the Wongongera Slab Cottage, built in the 1880s. The Pioneer Cemetery has graves that date back to 1892. 

There are several scenic drives around the area for visitors who want to experience the natural wonders of this region. Take a day trip to the impressive stands of Chinchilla White Gums, the expanse of Barakula Forest's termite resistant Cypress Pines or to the beautiful Bunya Mountains. Try your hand at fossicking for the famous Chinchilla Red petrified wood found in the area.

The Boonarga Cactoblastis Hall displays details of the eradication of the Prickly Pear cactus, originally introduced to produce a dye. It soon took over the landscape and was finally controlled by introducing the cactoblastis moth and larva imported from South America.

The Chinchilla Melon Festival only comes along every two years and is an event not to be missed. There are parades, markets, melon-themed events and games, something for everyone to enjoy. At the 2007 Melon Festival the largest melon, weighing in at 87 kilograms, set an Australian record and the Melon Smashing competition earned Chinchilla a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. There's the popular melon skiing event as well as old favourites like melon bungee, Champion Pip Spitter and melon bullseye competitions. There is also a Poets Breakfast, Arts and Crafts Review, a Health Lifestyle Luncheon and the Triathlon. The next Chinchilla Melon Festival will be held in 2009 from February 19th to 22nd.

Although known as the 'Melon Capital of Australia', the Shire offers a wide variety of events including the Grandfather Clock Camp Draft, the award winning Arts in the Park and the May Day Cultural Festival.

Visitors can stroll through the classic sandstone homestead of Jimbour House with impressive gardens and sample some award winning wine from the Cellar Door. An additional 'must see' is Chinchilla Sands, a significant National Heritage fossil site which includes molluscs, frogs, bony fishes, reptiles (freshwater turtles, crocodiles, skinks, geckos, snakes, goannas), birds and mammal families.

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