Peanuts, peanuts and more peanuts

Where are we? In KINGAROY, the peanut capital!

(c) Seen in the Heritage Museum

We drove southwest along country roads for one and a half hours from Gympie to the not-so-small town of Kingaroy. Its name is derived from the language of the local Wakka-Wakka aboriginal people and means ‘small red ant’ for a specific type of red ant which is found in the area. 

But instead of ants, think peanuts! Tons and tons of peanuts. Apparently, 40,000+ tons per annum make their way via this peanut capital! 😊

We will forever remember Kingaroy with fondness, as here we stayed in our first caravan park – Kingaroy Showgrounds Caravan Park – for one night with our new van! Luckily it was a pull-through site. 😅

We had an amazing peaceful night's sleep.

We began housesitting the next day, looking after two doggies ... a geriatric (foxy?), 18 yrs old and a 3-year old dachshund. 😍😍 Two cuties ... 

Kingaroy info

The Heritage-listed Peanut Silos are smack bang in the middle of town. We use them as a beacon to navigate our way around. 😊

Peanut Silos of Kingaroy taken from a town Brochure

History has it that two French drovers, brothers Charles and William Haly, trekked (with sheep) across country from New South Wales, and chose to settle nearby on land that they staked out. They built a homestead (Taabinga Homestead) somewhere between 1842 and 1846 and developed a sheep-farming station. The conditions were too severe for sheep farming and they soon switched to cattle. The brothers eventually sold their cattle station, and the second time it changed hands was in 1848 or thereabouts to the ancestors of Ms Libby Leu who lives there today. It is still a working cattle station, and the homestead is the oldest continually lived-in homestead in Queensland. Today they open their home to guided tours and operate a B&B for those who wish to stay overnight or longer.

In 1878 the valley, nestled between the Booi Range and the Bunya Mountains, became home to the brothers Markwell, among others, who set up a homestead known as ‘Kingaroy paddock’. By 1904 the Kilkivan railway line passed through the valley and a station was erected. This drew more activity and ‘Kingaroy Paddock’ grew into a small town. By 1907 the hamlet that had formed around Taabinga Homestead decided to pick up sticks (literally … since houses were made of timber), and they moved closer to the ‘town’ now known as Kingaroy. Kingaroy was declared a ‘shire’ in 1912.

Example of early wooden homes

Soon folk discovered that the rich fertile soil of the floodplain was good for a variety of crops, especially peanuts and navy beans (aka baked beans). The latter were planted during WW2 when large numbers of US Army personnel stayed in Kingaroy. Seeds from the USA were introduced, and vast amounts were harvested to feed the troops. As for peanuts, according to the QueenslandGovernment Heritage Register (2023), “Peanuts have been grown in Queensland since Chinese cultivators planted them on the Palmer River goldfield in the 1870s. Small acreages were grown by several farmers in the South Burnett from about 1901 and these peanuts were sold to confectioners and shops in Brisbane, Maryborough and Rockhampton. From circa 1920 significant acreages in the South Burnett became devoted to peanut growing.” A visit to the Heritage Museum shows you just how innovative these farmers were.

Images taken in the Heritage Museum

Without access to complex machinery, they designed their own planters, harvesters, sorters, etc. An incredible testament to man’s ingenuity when there is a dire need. Some of these machines are huge wood and metal structures. RESPECT to the farmers of yesteryear!

Examples of early machines designed and built by local peanut farmers.

One of the earliest inventions, which paved the way for future designs.

 

Since then people have tried their hand at an even larger variety of crops leading to wine farming. This success for specific varieties has resulted in cellars dotted about the region. We hope to visit at least one not far from town, in the 10 days that we are here.  

Image by Brigitte Werner from Pixabay 

Kingaroy is considered the capital of the South Burnett Region, comprising settlements within the Nanango, Kingaroy, Murgon, Wondai and various other districts. Clearly, the town is thriving. A newly built hospital is just opposite the house that we are caring for. Much to AJ’s delight, the AW139 Helicopter (his speciality) regularly arrives to pick up a patient for transferral to one of the Brisbane hospitals, and it feels as though it will land on the lawn behind the house. We have heard that the hospital is not fully staffed as yet, with certain cases referred to doctors in the city.

(c) SB

Touristy stuff

Kingaroy boasts some interesting tourist attractions:

There is Kingaroy Holiday Park (this would be called a ‘resort’ in South Africa 😊) just outside the town. Fun for the whole family, with cabins and camping.

The humble Peanut Shack on Kingaroy Street/D’Aguilar Highway/Route 96, has offered tasting and sale of many different flavours of peanuts since the 60s. It is a famous stop for everyone driving through, and so contributed substantially to the rise in tourism to Kingaroy. 

Which flavour did we fancy? The BBQ Pork Ribs! 😀

There is a big peanut sculpture in town, although it is not THE Big Peanut (one of Australia’s Big Things), which is further north in Tolga. 😊 It is constructed from scrap metal.

One can take a drive (or a walk if you’re fit enough, up to Mt Wooroolin, to view Kingaroy from the lookout point at the top. 

Mt Wooroolin, seen from the garden where we are housesitting

We drove! 😅

Kingaroy from Mt Wooroolin

Kingaroy’s Observatory welcomes visitors. On a cloudless night the sky is lit up with stars as there is little interference from city lights; the Milky Way is clearly visible.

Image by Bapsae from Pixabay 

Kingaroy Heritage Museum walks one back through time to the early days of peanut farming, cattle stations and brave, innovative farm folk who needed to design their own machinery due to a lack of local availability. Lovingly overseen by volunteers, this museum is a must-see. A gentle reminder to appreciate the history associated with today's agricultural and mechanical development.

Kingaroy Regional Art Gallery is another must-visit for all, not only for the art lover. It is run by the not-for-profit Kingaroy Arts Team, seeking to develop regional public art.

Queensland’s ’Rail Trails’ are old abandoned railway corridors that have been converted into cycling or walking tracks. One of these stretches along 89 km from Kingaroy to Kilkivan. You can walk as long or as short as you like while taking in the fascinating country scenery and historical viewing spots associated with the old rail tracks.

The Bunya Mountains are about 60 km from Kingaroy. There you can find an array of walking trails among the pristine forest and tall Bunya pines. There is a gorgeous café for refreshment and a variety of accommodation options for those who want to keep exploring or soak up the peaceful surroundings. We hope to get to visit this area on another trip.

Wrapping up:

We are immensely grateful for the opportunities on offer to discover this beautiful land and its people. In another week we move back to Gympie and ready ourselves for a week-long housesitting near the town; this will be quite a different stint, taking care of three cats and two horses. 😅

Soon I hope to post a ‘catch-up’ blog on the challenges we have faced and how we view things going forward. We have met some amazing folk, and we have had so many meaningful encounters in just 4 months of being in Australia. So much to be grateful for. However, housesitting has its challenges; settling into a foreign country has not been a walk in the park; getting our heads around van life is a work in progress;😣😅 and following a new (often punishing) work routine (AJ’s) has not been easy. We often find ourselves emotionally and physically stretched. We have had mishaps, misunderstandings, and have made mistakes. But we remain hopeful and positive.🙏 

Thanks for stopping by. We wish you all a Happy New Year! May you experience countless blessings coming your way in 2023.

Cheers. 🌼