Nanango is a rural town and locality in the South Burnett Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Nanango had a population of 3,679 people.
Geography
Nanango is situated north-west of the state capital, Brisbane, at the junction of the D'Aguilar Highway with the Burnett Highway.
Sandy Creek () meanders through the town. The locality is part of the Burnett River catchment. The productive lands of the catchment feature sedimentary floodplains. The rich fertile soils of the floodplains are the agricultural and resource backbone of the region. While there are benefits of the flooding there are also risks including the loss of vegetation in riparian zones, biosecurity issues and spread of weed species.
History
The original inhabitants of the area were the Aboriginal people belonging to the Wakka Wakka (or Waka Waka) people. The area was used as a gateway to the bunya nut festivals, where Aboriginal people would travel from as far away as the Clarence River in northern New South Wales and the Maranoa River to feast on bunya nuts from the bunya trees.
The area around Nanango was first settled by Europeans in 1847 by John Borthwick and William Oliver from Ipswich taking up pastures for sheep farming.
The first commercial establishment at the present site of Nanango township was Goode's Inn, founded by prospector Jacob Goode in July 1848. The inn served travellers journeying from Brisbane and Limestone (now known as Ipswich) and became the meeting place for early residents of Taromeo, Tarong and Nanango stations. The town of Nanango quickly developed around it. Goode's original rough slab structure met the licensing conditions as his first licence for the "Burnett Hotel situated at Barambah Creek" was given at a special licensing meeting on 26 April 1849.
Nanango claims to be the fourth oldest town in Queensland, but such claims depend on how the age of the town is determined. In some cases, this is by the first settlement (usually for pastoral purposes in or near the eventual town) or it might be date of survey for a town plan. Nanango's claim to be fourth oldest is based on the first establishment of commercial premises (e.g. store or hotel), which is Goode's Inn in 1848. On this basis, it is the fourth following Ipswich (then called Limestone), Drayton, and Maryborough. However, Nanango was not surveyed for a town until 1861, and several other towns were surveyed before that.
Goode's Inn Post Office opened on 5 January 1852. It was renamed Burnett Inn by 1855 and Nanango on 1 July 1859.
The name Nanango has evolved from the Wakka Wakka word "Nunangi". There is dispute over the origins of the name Nanango- the word means "large watering hole" or was also the name of a local Aboriginal elder at the time of settlement.
Nanango State School opened on 1 January 1866. In January 1955, it was expanded to have a secondary school department, an arrangement that continued until Nanango State High School opened on 25 January 1982.
Beef, dairy and timber (in particular the valuable red cedar) were the primary early industries in the area. The discovery of gold at the Seven Mile Diggings near Nanango in 1867 precipitated a gold rush, and consequently a local population boom, however the gold deposits were found to be meagre. At one time the population included 700 miners, many of whom were Chinese.
Land in Nanango was open for selection on 17 April 1877; were available.
A second population boom occurred when the Brisbane Valley railway line was extended to Yarraman in 1911. Nanango railway station () became the terminus of a branch off the South Burnett railway line at Kingaroy on 13 November 1911. The (14-mile) missing rail link between Nanango and Yarraman, although planned was never built.
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School was established on 28 April 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy.
In February 1913, 1222 acres in areas of 63 to 122 acres of Nanango Station were advertised to be auctioned by Jno Darley and W. Hamilton on behalf of Mr Jas Millis. A map advertising the auction states the Estate was situated 3 to 5 miles from Nanango where there is "an up to date butter factory and public offices". The land is described as mainly creek flats fronting Barker's Creek, rich alluvial and black soil suited to growing lucerne, potatoes, wheat, oats and maize. Some blocks also have access to Meandu Creek as a permanent source for water.
On 29 January 1920, the Nanango War Memorial was unveiled by Major-General Thomas William Glasgow.