Chinchilla is a rural town and

locality Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

in the

Western Downs Region Western Downs Region is a Local government in Australia, local government area in Queensland, Australia. The Western Downs Regional Council manages an area of , which is slightly smaller than Switzerland, although with a population of 34,467 ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, Australia. Chinchilla is known as the 'Melon Capital of Australia', and plays host to a

Melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...

Festival every second year in February. In the , the locality of Chinchilla had a population of 7,068 people.

Geography

The town is approximately west-northwest of

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

, 164 kilometres (102 mi) west-northwest of

Toowoomba Toowoomba ( ), nicknamed 'The Garden City' and 'T-Bar', is a city on the border of South East Queensland and Darling Downs regions of Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital, Brisbane. The urban population of Toowoom ...

, 81.1 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Dalby, 188 kilometres (117 mi) east of

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: People, characters, figures, names * Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas. * Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun * Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...

and 455.1 kilometres (283 mi) east of Charleville on the Warrego Highway.

History

Indigenous

The Baranggum people lived in the region for thousands of years before British colonisation. They spoke the now extinct Barunggam language. They appear to have had kinship ties with the neighbouring

Mandandanji The Mandandanyi are an Aboriginal Australian people of Queensland. Country The Mandandanji occupied of tribal territory, which took in the Maranoa and Balonne rivers north of St. George. Their western extension reached as far Bollon and Wall ...

Bigambul The Bigambul people are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Tablelands and Border Rivers regions of New South Wales and Queensland. Name In the traditional language, the name of this group is derived from the Bigambul word or wh ...

and Yiman people. The name Chinchilla is a corruption of the Aboriginal word "tintinchilla" or "jinchilla" indicating cypress pine, possibly recorded by explorer and naturalist

Ludwig Leichhardt Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Leichhardt (; 23 October 1813 – ), known as Ludwig Leichhardt, was a German explorer and naturalist, most famous for his exploration of northern and central Australia.Ken Eastwood,'Cold case: Leichhardt's disappearanc ...

British colonisation

British exploration through the region began in the 1840s, most notably with the 1844 expedition of

. Leichhardt named Charleys Creek (upon which the modern town of Chinchilla is located) after Charley Fisher, a

Wiradjuri The Wiradjuri people (; ) are a group of Aboriginal Australian people from central New South Wales, united by common descent through kinship and shared traditions. They survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, in family groups or clans, a ...

man who accompanied Leichhardt's group. In 1847, British pastoralist squatter, Matthew Buscall Goggs, claimed around 37,000 acres of land along the Condamine River and Charleys Creek, calling his property Chinchilla. He fought a long war with the resident Baranggum people to take ownership. In 1849, with the help of military actions of

Native Police Australian native police were specialised mounted military units consisting of detachments of Aboriginal Australians, Aboriginal troopers under the command of European officers appointed by British colonial governments. The units existed in va ...

units under Frederick Walker, Goggs was able to defeat and disperse most of the Baranggum resistance. In 1857, Goggs the sold Chinchilla property for £25,000 to the influential pastoralist and politician Gideon Lang. The town of Chinchilla was established in 1877. As the Western railway line was extended west across the

Darling Downs The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland. The name was generally ...

from

and Dalby, a temporary construction camp was established on the banks of Charley's Creek which developed into a town. Post Office Chinchilla Queensland 1975

Chinchilla Post Office opened on 3 January 1878.

Civic infrastructure and schools

Chinchilla State School opened on 22 January 1883. A secondary department was opened in 1954, closing in 1963 when Chinchilla State High School opened. The school celebrated its centenary in 1983. Mulga Provisional School opened circa 1896. On 1 January 1909, it became Mulga State School. Between 1914 and 1915, the school operated as a half-time school, sharing a single teacher with Hill Top Provisional School (later Boonarga State School). It closed in 1915 but reopened as the full-time Mulga State School in 1917. It closed circa 1943. Riversdale Provisional School opened in 1902. On 1 January 1909, it became Riversdale State School. It closed in 1915. It was at the western end of Windmill Road (approx ). Monmouth Provisional School opened on 16 August 1904. On 1 January 1909, it became Monmouth State School.It closed in April 1921, reopening as Monmouth Provisional School in 1930. It closed circa 1946. It was at 33 Hunter Road off Monmouth Bridge Road (). In 1911, the Queensland Railway Department built a tramway from Chinchilla to Wongongera (now Barakula) to transport railway sleepers made from logs taken from the state forest at Barakula and milled at the Barakula sawmill. The route of the Barakula tramway was based on an earlier plan to construct a railway line from Chinchilla to

Taroom Taroom is a town in the Shire of Banana and suburbs and localities (Australia), locality split between the Shire of Banana and the Western Downs Region in Queensland, Australia. In the , Taroom had a population of 885 people. Geography The t ...

that was subsequently abandoned in favour of a railway line from

Miles The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of length; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English f ...

to Taroom. The tramway operated until 1970. It was a gauge tramway. Speculation Provisional School opened in 1908 and closed circa 1915. Park View Provisional School opened circa 1910 and closed circa 1916. The town was part of the

Shire of Chinchilla The Shire of Chinchilla was a local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The shire, administered from the town of Chinchilla, covered an area of , and existed as a local government entity from 1912 until 2008, wh ...

local government entity from 1912, formed after splitting from the

Shire of Wambo The Shire of Wambo was a Local government in Australia, local government area in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The shire surrounded but did not include the town of Dalby, Queensland, Dalby – which had its own Town of Dalby ...

, until 2008 when it amalgamated with the Town of Dalby and the Shires of Murilla, Tara and Wambo and the southern part of

to form the

. Fairy Meadow Road State School opened on 5 November 1915 and closed in 1919. Wilga Park Provisional School and Wombo Creek Provisional School both opened on 1916 as half-time schools (meaning they shared a single teacher). Wilga Park Provisional School closed in late 1917 or early 1918. It is not known if Wombo Creek Provisional School then also closed or operated on a full-time basis. From 9 July 1919 Wombo Creek Provisional School was operating on a half-time basis with the newly opened Gunbar Provisional School. Wombo Creek and Gunbar schools both closed circa 1925/6. Logyard Provisional School opened in 1918, closing circa 1919. Logyard State School opened circa 1941 and closed in 1959. Sixteen Mile Creek Provisional School opened on 5 February 1918 as a half-time provisional school (possibly in conjunction with Wombo Creek Provisional School). It closed on 1936. ChinchillaWarMemorial2

The Chinchilla War Memorial was originally located near the railway overpass and was unveiled on 30 January 1919 by the Queensland Governor,

Hamilton Goold-Adams Sir Hamilton John Goold-Adams, (27 June 1858 – 12 April 1920) was an Irish soldier and colonial administrator, who served as Governor of Queensland from 1915 to 1920. He was married to Elsie Goold-Adams. Early life Born in the townland of ...

. In 1977, it was substantially refurbished and relocated to the

Returned and Services League of Australia The Returned and Services League of Australia, also known as RSL, RSL Australia and the RSLA, is an independent support organisation for people who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force. History The League was formed in ...

club and was unveiled on 17 March 1979. Gunbar Provisional School opened on 9 July 1919 as a half-time school in conjunction with Wombo Creek Provisional School. It closed circa 1925–1926. Colamba Provisional School opened on 14 October 1919. It closed in 1939. Cambey Provisional School opened in 1922. It closed circa 1935. Unity Provisional School opened on 16 November 1922. It closed in 1931. St Joseph's Catholic School was officially opened by

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

James Duhig on 27 January 1923, with the school commencing operation on 29 January 1923. It was established by three

Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, often called the Josephites or Brown Joeys, are a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Mary MacKillop (1842–1909). Members of the congregation use the postnominal initials RSJ (Religious Sis ...

with an initial enrolment of 63 students. Since 1992 the school has operated under

lay Lay or LAY may refer to: Places *Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada * Lay, Loire, a French commune *Lay (river), France * Lay, Iran, a village * Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community * Lay Dam, Alaba ...

leadership. The town saw a resurgence after the defeat of the prickly pear. Experimental work took place in the town to assess the success of the Cactoblastis cactorum moths in the eradication of the pest. In 1926, the first moth was released and by 1933 most of the affected land had been cleared of prickly pears. Oak Park State School opened on 13 February 1946. It closed in 1962. Wambo Creek State School opened on 2 April 1946. It closed in 1961. Chinchilla State High School opened on 29 January 1963, replacing the secondary department at Chinchilla State School. Chinchilla Christian School opened 1 January 1983. It was established by a group of local Christian parents. In 2014 it was renamed Chinchilla Christian College and in 2015 it joined the

Christian Community Ministries A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words ''Christ'' and ''Ch ...

network. The Warwick Public Library opened in 1999 with a major refurbishment in 2012 and a minor refurbishment in 2016. * Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 5.8% of the population. * 80.2% of people were born in Australia. The next most common country of birth was New Zealand at 1.6%. * 84.5% of people spoke only English at home. * The most common responses for religion were Catholic 20.1%, Anglican 20.1% and No Religion 18.7%. In 2018, Chinchilla won a national competition run by

Wotif Wotif is a website that provides a reservation service for hotels in Australia and international destinations across the globe. It was set up in March 2000 by Graeme Wood in Brisbane, Australia. It has since established offices in Canada, Malay ...

to create the Next Big Thing as a new tourist attraction. The long Big Melon was installed next to the town's information centre in November 2018.

Demographics

In the , the locality of Chinchilla had a population of 6,612 people. In the , the locality of Chinchilla had a population of 7,068 people.

Heritage listings

Chinchilla has a number of

heritage-listed This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and human-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In ma ...

sites, including: * 57 Heeney Street: Chinchilla Digger Statue * First and second Chinchilla cemeteries * Chinchilla Court House * Chinchilla Hospital Complex * Chinchilla Railway Complex * Chinchilla War Memorials (including Anzac Park and Googs Memorial) * Speculation Oil Well & Camp

Economy

Agriculture is the mainstay of the community, with beef and pork production, wool growing, and horticulture traditionally underwriting the local economy. However, with the recent resources boom, the

Kogan Creek Power Station The Kogan Creek Power Station is a 750 megawatt coal fired power station owned by CS Energy on the Darling Downs in Queensland. The $1.2 billion plant is situated at Brigalow, in the Surat Basin between Dalby and Chinchilla. Background Kog ...

(and other coal and gas projects) have begun to inject welcome cash into the town and Chinchilla is experiencing mass growth and development. House prices in Chinchilla have boomed as a result of the need to house new workers. The Western Downs Green Power Hub commenced construction in the Chinchilla region in July 2020. The project is located approx 20 km south-east of Chinchilla in the Western Downs Region, in close proximity to a transmission line and less than 6 km from Queensland Powerlink's Western Downs Sub-station. Once operational, it is expected to be one of Australia's largest solar farms.

Education

Chinchilla State School is a government primary (Early Childhood to Year 6) school for boys and girls at 34–40 Bell Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 570 students with 50 teachers (43 full-time equivalent) and 29 non-teaching staff (20 full-time equivalent). It includes a

special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

program. St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is a Catholic primary (Prep–6) school for boys and girls at 74 Middle Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 235 students with 17 teachers (13 full-time equivalent) and 9 non-teaching staff (6 full-time equivalent). Chinchilla Christian College is a private primary and secondary (Prep–12) school for boys and girls at 88 Oak Street (). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 261 students with 21 teachers (16 full-time equivalent) and 16 non-teaching staff (12 full-time equivalent). Chinchilla State High School is a government secondary (7–12) school for boys and girls at 7 Tara Road (). In 2014, the school had 524 students and 43 teachers (42 full-time equivalent). In 2018, the school had an enrolment of 654 students with 62 teachers (56 full-time equivalent) and 30 non-teaching staff (23 full-time equivalent). It includes a special education program. The Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE annex is located in the high school grounds and works closely with local business and industries. Leichhardt House is a

hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be private or shared - mixe ...

that provides accommodation for students from homes in remote areas.

Facilities

Chinchilla has its own hospital, with an emergency ward, maternity ward and

operating theatre An operating theater (also known as an Operating Room (OR), operating suite, operation suite, or Operation Theatre (OT)) is a facility within a hospital where surgical operations are carried out in an aseptic environment. Historically, the ter ...

. It can also care for long stay patients, and has other services such as

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

, child health,

physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

dietitian A dietitian, medical dietitian, or dietician is an expert in identifying and treating disease-related malnutrition and in conducting medical nutrition therapy, for example designing an enteral tube feeding regimen or mitigating the effects of ...

speech therapy Speech is the use of the human voice as a medium for language. Spoken language combines vowel and consonant sounds to form units of meaning like words, which belong to a language's lexicon. There are many different intentional speech acts, suc ...

occupational therapy Occupational therapy (OT), also known as ergotherapy, is a healthcare profession. Ergotherapy is derived from the Greek wiktionary:ergon, ergon which is allied to work, to act and to be active. Occupational therapy is based on the assumption t ...

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

, community health services, a women's clinic and an

x-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

facility. In town, there is also a private

dental practice Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of ...

, along with the public dental hospital. Five

general practitioners A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...

operate in the area, along with an

occupational therapist Occupational therapists (OTs) are health care professionals specializing in occupational therapy and occupational science. OTs and occupational therapy assistants (OTAs) use evidence-based practice, scientific bases and a Holism, holistic perspec ...

optometrist Optometry is the healthcare practice concerned with examining the eyes for visual defects, prescribing corrective lenses, and detecting eye abnormalities. In the United States and Canada, optometrists are those that hold a post-baccalaureate f ...

podiatrist A podiatrist ( ) is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. The term originated in North America but has now become the accepted term in the English-speaking world for ...

physiotherapist Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

s and

chiropractor Chiropractic () is a form of alternative medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of physical disorder, mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially of the vertebral column, spine. It is based on sever ...

Amenities

Chinchilla has a Cultural Centre, which includes a 700-seat auditorium, cinema and function room, outdoor patio, theatrette, plus bar and kitchen facilities. Also included in the complex are the White Gums Art Gallery and the Library. The Cultural Centre also houses a cinema showing recently released movies. Chinchilla White Gums Art Gallery houses a new display every month. The Western Downs Regional Council operates a public library in Chinchilla at 80-86 Heeney Street (). The Chinchilla branch of the Queensland Country Women's Association has its hall at 53 Heeney Street (). Chinchilla & District Uniting Church is at 31 Middle Street (). Trinity Lutheran Church is at 25 Sheriff Street (). Chinchilla Botanic Parkland, which is one of five locations in Australia to hold the 2022/2023 Green Flag Award, an international accreditation given to the world's best green spaces.

Sport

Chinchilla has a range of sports facilities and a variety of sports clubs. Chinchilla Aquatic Centre houses an indoor 25m heated pool, an outdoor 50m pool and a gymnasium. The Chinchilla Family Sports Centre provides facilities for many sports and clubs. There are also clubs and facilities for soccer (Chinchilla Bears,) touch football,

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

, squash,

motocross Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom. History Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

, indoor netball,

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

and

lawn bowls Bowls, also known as lawn bowls or lawn bowling, is a sport in which players try to roll their ball (called a bowl) closest to a smaller ball (known as a "jack" or sometimes a "kitty"). The bowls are shaped (biased), so that they follow a curve ...

. A fishing club,

Pony Club Pony Club is an international youth organization devoted to educating youth about horses and riding. Pony Club organizations exist in over thirty countries worldwide. Overview Pony clubs began in England in 1929 by Harry Faudel-Phillips to ...

, and

shooting range A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, venue, or field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice, or competitions. Some shooting ranges are operated by milita ...

also operate in the area. In addition, there are

Polocrosse Polocrosse is a team sport that is a combination of polo and lacrosse. It is played outside, on a field (the pitch), on horseback. Each rider uses a cane or fiberglass stick to which is attached a racquet head with a loose, thread net, in which ...

grounds, a

race track A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...

, and 9 hole

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, tee box, a #Fairway and rough, fairway, the #Fairway and rough, rough and other hazard (golf), hazards, and ...

. A Multipurpose Sports Centre Stadium is currently being developed.

Media

Rebel FM 97.1 (formerly Sun FM) was Chinchilla's first commercial FM radio station. Rebel FM has a new rock & classic rock music format. Rebel FM's sister station, The Breeze broadcasts on 95.5 FM with an easy adult contemporary & classic hits format. Both stations are part of the Gold Coast-based Rebel Media Group which operates a radio network that reaches the Gold Coast and South Brisbane to many centres throughout regional and outback Queensland. Chinchilla News and Murilla Advertiser is the local newspaper. The publication transitioned to digital only in June 2020 prior to that it was published every Thursday.

Attractions

Chinchilla is one of the towns located on the

Warrego Highway The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 715 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint ...

, which is a main highway leading out west to Charleville, and a popular tourist route. The mainstays of Chinchilla's tourism industry are the Historical Museum, fishing and fossicking for

petrified wood Petrified wood (from Ancient Greek meaning 'rock' or 'stone'; literally 'wood turned into stone'), is the name given to a special type of ''fossilized wood'', the fossilized remains of terrestrial plant, terrestrial vegetation. ''Petrifaction ...

. 'Chinchilla Red' petrified wood is unique to the area, and known for its colour and quality. The Chinchilla White Gum ('' Eucalyptus argophloia'') is also unique to the area, and can be seen on some of the tourist drives which are marked around the region. An accredited

Visitor Information Center A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center or tourist information centre is a physical location that provides information to tourists. Types A visitor center may be a Civic ce ...

is located on the Highway.

Events

The Chinchilla Grandfather Clock Campdraft is a major event held every October, where entrants compete for the Grandfather Clock prize. Chinchilla also hosts horse races four times a year.

Chinchilla Melon Festival

As Chinchilla produces 25% of Australia's

melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...

s (including

watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...

, rockmelon and honeydew), the first Chinchilla Melon Festiva

was held in 1994 by local producers and businessmen, to lift the town's spirits after the severe Drought in Australia, drought experienced in the early 1990s. Estimated numbers at the first Festival were approximately 2,500 which grew to an estimate that there were 10,000 visitors on the main day of the 2011 festival. In 2009, the Melon Festival won the Queensland Regional Achievement and Community Award for Tourism Event. The Festival features interactive and unique events, such as Melon Skiing, Melon Bungee, Melon Bullseye, Melon Ironman, Melon Chariot, a pip spitting competition, and melon eating races. A special event held in 2009 saw John Allwood secure the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

of Melon Head Smashing - cracking open as many watermelons as possible using only the head. Currently his record is 47 melons in a minute.

Transport

Chinchilla is connected to

and

by the

Greyhound Australia Greyhound Australia is an Australian coach operator that operates services in all mainland states and territories. It is owned by Entrada Travel Group. The company was established in 1928 and is not affiliated with similarly named companies ...

operates bus services daily between Brisbane and Miles via Chinchilla. and also operates 2-3 daily bus services between Brisbane and

Mount Isa Mount Isa ( ) is a city in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia. It came into existence because of the vast mineral deposits found in the area. Mount Isa Mines (MIM) is one of the most productive mines in world history, based on co ...

via Longreach and Charleville, and three buses a week between Toowoomba and

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the population of Rockhampton was 79,293. A common nickname for Rockhampton is "Rocky", and the demonym of Rockhampton is Rockhamptonite. The Scottish- ...

, along the Dawson Highway. Murrays Coaches also operates a daily service to and from Brisbane. The Westlander train also comes through Chinchilla twice a week, on its way between Brisbane and Charleville. The westbound service (3S86) stops at Chinchilla at 2:35am Wednesdays and Fridays. The eastbound service (3987) stops at Chinchilla at 3:15am Thursdays and Saturdays. As it is a small town, there is no public transport (besides a taxi), although many coal and gas companies run contracted buses out to their sites.

Notable locals

* John Gleeson, rugby league player, went on to captain

and play for the

Australia national rugby league team The Australian national rugby league team, the Kangaroos, have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competitions since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League Com ...

in the 1960s. *

David Littleproud David Kelly Littleproud (born 4 September 1976) is an Australian politician who has been the leader of the National Party since May 2022. He has represented the regional Queensland seat of Maranoa since the 2016 federal election and was a cab ...

, Leader of the National Party (2022–present) * George Miller, film filmmaker * Pete Murray, Australian folk/country singer, grew up in Chinchilla. * Dean Ray, singer/performer * Nathan Reardon, cricketer * Gerard Rennick, Senator for Queensland * Ben Ross, rugby league player

References

External links

* * *
Annual reports Chinchilla Hospitals Board

State Library of Queensland State Library of Queensland (State Library) is the state public reference and research library of Queensland, Australia, operated by the Government of Queensland, state government. The Library is governed by the Library Board of Queensland, whi ...

Queensland Small Towns Documentary Project 2017: Chinchilla
State Library of Queensland {{authority control Towns in Queensland Towns in the Darling Downs Populated places established in 1877 1877 establishments in Australia Western Downs Region Localities in Queensland